Who defines beauty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Who defines beauty - Research Paper Example Beauty is a very subjective issue and thus can only be judged by the receiver. For one, with increased education, both men and women are using more measures to determine what is beautiful and what is not. For example, men have discovered that women favor dominant males and as such men may forgo their health, safety and so on in order to acquire rank so that they can have the power that makes them attractive to women. Elliot Aronson, a social psychologist at Stanford University, argued that how one sees oneself to some extent determines how attractive others see them. This is especially important given that it is almost impossible to find a culture that appreciates one’s body as being beautiful just as it is. Furthermore, we are no longer living in the Darwinian era where natural selection ruled and our purpose in life was merely mirrored towards reproduction and survival of the fittest. This means that we are no longer restricted to defining beauty within the constructs of finding a suitable mate. To put it better, finding a potential mate today involves looking for more than the ability to procreate. Today, both sexes are looking for intelligence, personality, compatibility and most of all the moral compass of the potential partner, friend, acquaintance or work mate. Unlike animals, men and women of today are seeking for greater meaning and purpose in their lives. This naturally means that our rationale of what beauty slightly differs from that of our Darwinian counterparts. All said beauty can only be judged by the receiver.