FD#1

Natalie Weber

8 February 2019

FD1

1465 Words

Uniting Theories of Beauty

Beauty; defined as “. . .the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit,” by the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is an innate characteristic that rules a surprising majority of our everyday lives.  One would assume that such a characteristic would be universally understood and regarded along the same principles. Although the dictionary provides a general definition for the term, “beauty,” is an entirely subjective topic that philosophers, scientists, poets, authors, and various individuals of all walks of life have puzzled over for centuries.  After researching many professional perspectives on the definition of beauty, I have come to the consensus that it is a reflection of two qualities. [THESIS] What we perceive as beautiful is a combination of our inherent, instinctual attraction to the aesthetically pleasing qualities of life due to natural selection and the influence our environment has on what we consider to be beautiful. [THESIS]

In “A Darwinian Theory of Beauty,” Denis Dutton addresses the Darwinian Theory of Beauty, revealing the cause behind our innate attraction to aesthetics.  Dutton states that “. . . the experience of beauty, with its emotional intensity and pleasure, belongs to our evolved human psychology. The experience of beauty is one component in a whole series of Darwinian adaptations.  Beauty is an adaptive effect, which we extend and intensify in the creation and enjoyment of works of art and entertainment.” For example; acts of pleasure, which are performed based on the law of attraction and regarded as beautiful, can be traced back to primary instincts.  Natural selection explains this attraction to pleasures, such sexual attraction, our liking for certain foods, entertainment, and our interest in aesthetically pleasing landscapes and art forms. According to the Darwinian Theory of Beauty, “. . . the experience of beauty is one of the ways that evolution has of arousing and sustaining interest or fascination, even obsession, in order to encourage us toward making the most adaptive decisions for survival and reproduction.”  This pleasure in simply looking at an object or landscape or person, of simply tasting delicious food, or hearing a pleasing melody is the result of nature conditioning us to evolve via our attraction to aesthetically beneficial aspects in our environment.

“I never considered that beauty was part of our biology from our ancestors to help them survive.  The excerpt that really stood out to me was when Dutton was explaining why we enjoy scenery that includes rolling fields, paths, and water or shorelines. It was to help our ancestors know where to find an abundance of food to hunt and a water source. I always just thought I really like natural scenery, but never thought of it due to our ancestors need for survival,” states Sascha Wada after viewing “A Darwinian Theory of Beauty.”  The effects of evolution are surprisingly evident in many aspects of our lives in the modern world. For example, sexual attraction is an everyday occurance and a determining factor in reproduction that coincides with beneficial reproductive qualities. Many characteristics that we find attractive in other individuals stem from evolved biological qualities that benefit reproduction. For example; women who have wide hips, round breasts, shiny hair, healthy skin, and bright eyes are often regarded as beautiful in the modern world.  This is no coincidence. All are biological signs that a woman is suitable for reproduction which will result in healthy offspring. Men who are relatively tall, in good physical condition, and display healthy skin, hair and eyes also indicate successful reproduction. Thus, we have been conditioned by natural selection to find pleasure in these “beautiful,” qualities.

However, in opposition to Dutton’s claims, evolution is not the only principle that defines beauty.  Our society, culture and surrounding environment condition our perspective of beauty as well. I have had first hand experience witnessing the effects of said influences on what is regarded as “beautiful.”  Growing up, my father relocated often for work. As a result, I was raised in many different environments, experienced many different cultures, and was exposed to various societal influences. I have lived in places such as Hawaii, various states in North America, various countries in Europe, and travelled to foreign countries/territories for extended periods of time such as Puerto Rico, Japan and Canada.

This was a challenging experience as a developing female.  I felt out of place and slightly judged as what I thought was “beautiful” or popular or attractive in another environment did not apply to the new one I was placed in.  Adolescents are some of the harshest critics, and I was often made fun of or judged. I often adapted my appearance to fit in with what the norm, or area-specific standard, of beauty was.  In Hawaii many women are small in stature, physically fit, have tan skin, dark hair and dark eyes. This is my natural look and so I found it easiest to be confident in my appearance here. However, in many Northern and Eastern areas of the United States, blonde hair, light colored eyes, fair skin and tall physiques are popular and therefore considered beautiful.  When I was moving around these areas in middle school I began to bleach my hair, wish that I would grow taller, and spend less time out in the sun. I have also witnessed beauty standards in foreign countries such as Japan, which are completely different from beauty standards in the Western world. Although this repetitive change had a temporary detrimental effect on my developing psyche, I’m also appreciative of the knowledge I gained as a result.  Although some physical characteristics of beauty seemed to change according to geographic location and popular culture/society throughout my travels and relocations; many common characteristics prevailed. For example: certain complexions and hair colors were regarded as beautiful as a result of its popularity in certain regions. However the individuals who possessed these traits still shared commonalities with individuals of other regions; such as shiny hair, glowing skin, bright eyes, and healthy physiques.

Through experience I have learned that popularity and peer pressure determines what the subjective individual perceives as beautiful.  Simultaneously, the collective opinions on beauty of multiple individuals works to generate the general portrayal of what a society considers to be beautiful.  “The second video I watched is titled ‘Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m a Model,’ introduced by Cameron Russell. It was an insight in the sham of beauty, how it is idealized and privileged for the majority of white, tall and “genetically superior” individuals. This was another insight of how there are those who strive to be beautiful, when the media and modeling industry have control over what beautiful is,” reflects Zachary Moore after watching Russell’s Ted Talk.  It is evident that society/environment and its individuals are in a constant back-and-forth as the environment influences its individual members and its individual members help formulate the general societal opinion of beauty.

These influences are evident in a region’s artwork, architecture, cuisine, religion and customs.  In “Looks Aren’t Everything. Believe Me, I’m a Model,” Cameron Russell states, “I won a genetic lottery, and I am the recipient of a legacy, and maybe you’re wondering what is a legacy. Well, for the past few centuries we have defined beauty not just as health and youth and symmetry that we’re biologically programmed to admire, but also as tall, slender figures, and femininity and white skin. And this is a legacy that was built for me, and it’s a legacy that I’ve been cashing out on.”  Russell’s quote is a reflection of both the Darwinian Theory of Beauty and environmental influences on beauty. Russell relates the two through her modeling work, addressing how her genetics helped her flourish in her modeling career. Models are often considered to be the most elite reflection of beauty in a society. They are a physical representation of a society’s beauty standards and our conditioned beauty standards through evolution. Models are a perfect example of how the combination of both environment and evolution work together to influence our perspective of beauty.

In conclusion, both our instinctual attraction to the aesthetically pleasing qualities of life due to natural selection and our environmental influences work simultaneously to define our perception of beauty.  Although this perception is subjective amongst individuals, many common themes preside due to our biological makeup and environmental factors. The definition of beauty is not one simple, uniting consensus, but a combination of centuries of evolution and environmental aspects.

Work Cited

Dutton, Denis. Ted, Ted, Feb. 2010, http://www.ted.com/talks/denis_dutton_a_darwinian_theory_of_beauty.

Moore, Zachary.  Laulima Discussion #2, “Five Video Talks.”

Russell, Cameron. Ted, Ted, 12 Oct. 2012, http://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_russell_looks_aren_t_everything_believe_me_i_m_a_model/transcript?language=en#t-263760.

Wada, Sascha.  Laulima Discussion #2, “Five Video Talks.”