Sometimes we are amazed why one person likes both us and everyone around, but at the same time he absolutely does not fit the modern standards of beauty. And the other seems to be outwardly beautiful, but rather repels than attracts. What’s the secret?
Lilya Brik, Mayakovsky’s beloved woman, was very popular with men and was considered a «femme fatale.» Gala, the wife of Salvador Dali, has never been deprived of attention, and the Spanish actress Rossi de Palma has no doubts about her own attractiveness. Javier Barden, Vincent Cassel, Vladimir Vysotsky and many others seem beautiful to us, although their appearance is far from ideal.
“… What is beauty? And why do people deify her? Is she a vessel in which there is emptiness, Or a fire flickering in a vessel? — wrote the poet Nikolai Zabolotsky. Indeed, why are we sometimes attracted to those who cannot be called beautiful?
The concept of the standard of beauty originated in ancient Greece and Rome. The mathematician Euclid mentioned the «golden section» — «ideal» proportions, pleasing to the eye. Canonical beauty was celebrated later, during the Renaissance, when Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci used mathematical principles to determine what is beautiful and what is ugly.
Mathematically, the golden ratio is perfect. Faces that fit these standards are considered ideally beautiful. And although ideas about beauty change from generation to generation, they still have common postulates that remain with us for centuries.
Attractiveness is associated with attraction, interest, enjoyment.
Research published by cosmetic surgeon Julian de Silva has shown that, according to a mathematical formula, model Bella Hadid is the most beautiful woman on earth, followed by singer Beyoncé. But why is it that not everyone likes them?
Beauty in the explanatory dictionary is defined as a set of qualities that bring pleasure to the eye and ear. Attractiveness, on the other hand, is something that interests, likes, causes attraction.
When we talk about physical beauty, we rely entirely on what is available to our vision. Attractiveness is associated with attraction, interest, pleasure. Therefore, its assessment is always subjective.
Many factors influence the perception of attractiveness. For example, social status, nationality, religion, education, as well as personal preferences formed by everyone under the influence of life experience. Perhaps another factor is genetics. Also, perceptions of attractiveness can change over time.
The concept of “beauty” is more general, it unites quite large groups of people, and yet it is not a universal standard. Differences in our tastes when it comes to attractiveness explains why not everyone agrees to recognize Bella Hadid as the most beautiful woman in the world. Although her face is almost perfect, if you look at it from the point of view of the «golden ratio».
“The perception of beauty is extremely subjective”
Ksenia Kukoleva, psychologist
Appearance features, eye or hair color are only part of the information that we receive by contacting a person. In the process of communication, we exchange non-verbal signals — we follow the posture, facial expressions, gestures of each other, we catch what it is like for us to be around.
External data helps to form the first impression, but the final opinion is formed inside us later. The feeling of «this is beautiful» is subjective. And, if we are comfortable next to a person, he seems charming to us, captivates. And we would rather call it beautiful, despite the supposedly far from ideal proportions.
It is unlikely that there will be those who will argue about the beauty of the sunset, but human beauty causes a lot of controversy. A natural phenomenon is beautiful in itself, and when evaluating a person’s external data, we look at it through the lens of our own attitudes and projections. For example, we may not like too thin or, conversely, thick eyebrows, as they remind of a person with whom it was once difficult to establish contact.
You can argue which hairstyle is prettier, but the point is how it makes us feel.
What we pay attention to in the appearance of another will probably reveal a lot about ourselves. Despite the prevailing standards in society, everyone has their own idea of beauty. There is a well-known paradox: girls with straight hair strive to make them curly, and curly ones spend no less effort on straightening their hair.
You can argue for a long time which hairstyle is prettier, but the point is how it makes us feel. Today I want to let my hair down, and tomorrow gather it into a tight knot, leaving one coquettishly falling strand — this reflects the internal state. If you managed to choose an image according to your mood, then you will most likely get the feeling that today we look great. Assessing the appearance of another, at the same time, we either recognize something close in him, or, conversely, come into contact with something that frightens, irritates, and maybe even disgusts.