Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...is it true?

[mitchelt]

I would imagine that at least once in our lifetimes we ran across a situation were a parent says their kids are beautiful and you think to yourself:

- "That's a face only a mother could love"

So...is "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" a true statement?

PS: My little girl really is gorgeous!

 

[Red Storm]

Obviously it's true. Beauty is subjective.

 

[momeNt]

Perception of beauty is developed during infancy and childhood with evolutionary survival inputs.

"common" looking people we find attractive because from a survival evolutionary standpoint they exhibit the predominant traits of the species.

A good example is the composite image of a bunch of average looking people from different countries, they end up looking very attractive, but really they are an average composite of the nationality.

 

[mitchelt]

Perception of beauty is developed during infancy and childhood with evolutionary survival inputs.

"common" looking people we find attractive because from a survival evolutionary standpoint they exhibit the predominant traits of the species.

A good example is the composite image of a bunch of average looking people from different countries, they end up looking very attractive, but really they are an average composite of the nationality.

That was very interesting...thank you for sharing.

 

[chimaxi83]

 

[DrPizza]

Perception of beauty is developed during infancy and childhood with evolutionary survival inputs.

"common" looking people we find attractive because from a survival evolutionary standpoint they exhibit the predominant traits of the species.

A good example is the composite image of a bunch of average looking people from different countries, they end up looking very attractive, but really they are an average composite of the nationality.

New pickup line:
"Wow! You have an amazingly average face!"

 

[PingviN]

I think there are certain features that strikes as attractive to most people, like a symmetric face. Other than that, people have different taste with regards to fullness, hair color, eye size, etc.

Some people are physically unattractive to most and will settle for an equally unattractive partner. Doesn't necessarily mean they find each other attractive.

 

[momeNt]

New pickup line:
"Wow! You have an amazingly average face!"

Yea pretty much. Maybe it's better to say you have a face full of predominant features.

Not everybody has every predominant feature, but the people who have more, we probably find more attractive. So when you add everybody together in a composite image, you end up with all the predominant features and someone who is very attractive, but an average person probably has only half of the predominant features.

 

[Muse]

Obviously it's true. Beauty is subjective.

Yeah, as Wm Blake said, "the fool sees not the same tree that the wise man sees." Experience that and you know it.

 

[jana519]

To some degree, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. That doesn't mean beauty is absolutely subjective idea, however. Some things are near universally beautiful, like a gorgeous setting in nature, for example.

 

[soulcougher73]

Duh?

 

[Markbnj]

Yea pretty much. Maybe it's better to say you have a face full of predominant features.

Not everybody has every predominant feature, but the people who have more, we probably find more attractive. So when you add everybody together in a composite image, you end up with all the predominant features and someone who is very attractive, but an average person probably has only half of the predominant features.

I think compositing that way is probably misleading, as it would tend to produce symmetry of features as asymmetries were aliased away. Symmetry of facial features is one of the main characteristics that we find attractive in other humans.

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

I think beauty in most things has some objectivity, some subjectivity. Ever hear of the golden ratio? Symmetry? Most people find these things very appealing. If 99.9% of people do I would say those are objectiviely beautiful, desireable traits.

There are things we all find unattractive. Acne, morbid obesity, missing teeth. Sure, we can overlook these things, or they can be shadowed by great traits, but all-in-all we can agree that these things are not attractive.

Then there is the middle ground. I like curvy girls with full hips. Some people like thin as rail girls with small features. Someone may like chiseled guys where another girl might prefer a softer body type on a guy. Brown hair might be desired over blonde.

I think we can find the extremes and easily label them attractive or unattractive mostly objectively. It is the middle that we all argue about.

Yes, some people do have ugly kids. They think they are beautiful because they have to. Most people cannot look objectively at their offspring and say "Oh, I would change xyz if I could."

 

[Mayne]

I like big noses on girls.

 

[squarecut1]

I would imagine that at least once in our lifetimes we ran across a situation were a parent says their kids are beautiful and you think to yourself:

- "That's a face only a mother could love"

No I can never think like that to myself, thankfully. All children are beautiful

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

No I can never think like that to myself, thankfully. All children are beautiful

No, they aren't. There are some truly ugly children out there. It doesn't mean you should treat them poorly or not love them. Some kids are just fucking ugly and that is ok.

 

[mitchelt]

No, they aren't. There are some truly ugly children out there. It doesn't mean you should treat them poorly or not love them. Some kids are just fucking ugly and that is ok.

A little on the harsh side, but I agree...that was my point.

 

[z1ggy]

Average Greece chick is pretty hawt <3 <3