What is it that makes a person beautiful?

[Vrecknidj]

Symmetry.

 

[Words]

@OP

N0rms? (which would mean the average is beautiful which would mean it wrong. )

Non-norms? (no. )

Norms of beauty? (From where? Biology and/or Personal taste? )

...or...."Innate subjective yet popular opinion". (but from where?)

The current version of requirement for status of norm beautiful is easily determined in media. Shape, symmetry, parts etc.

 

[BigApplePi]

The opposite of pedo.

And as a response to that, I'm asexual.

Let me try something else. We don't have to deal with "sexual." Just beauty. Here are six images of the very same woman. How do they differ? Does one appeal more than the other? If so, why? Is it in the eye of the beholder who sees what they want to see?

Jessica Biel is here:
Re: What is it that makes a...
http://img.listal.com/image/369634/500full-jessica-biel.jpg
http://jessicabiel.fansiter.com/pictures/jessica-biel-cool.jpg
http://www.layercake.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/jessicabiel.jpg
http://www.freakingnews.com/Jessica-Biel-Kiss-Pictures-28567.asp
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/lifehacker/2009/08/Jessica_Biel.png

Biel versus Biel:
http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2007/stylewatch/bestlook/070820/jessica_biel_400x300.jpg
http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2008/stylewatch/bestlook/080331/jessica_biel.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YKYinnCIc...ACWU/adZBhLIh-00/s400/JessicaBiel-NoseJob.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YKYinnCIc...CWc/tQpt6ktWERM/s400/Jessica-Biel-NoseJob.jpg

I think I found something better. We are trying to answer, "What is it that makes a person beautiful?"
(1) http://www.nextnature.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/sunnybergman_530.jpg
(2) http://newsuccessonline.com/wp-content/uploads/image/internet%20marketing%20before%20and%20after.jpg
(3) http://www.lankalibrary.com/images/before.jpg
(4) http://incredimazing.com/static/media/2009/01/10/6d69da2ddb0de46/34a03cc46b.jpg
(5) http://webuildsmallbusinesswebsites.com/rootsrighthair/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/4-model-make-over-b4-after1.jpg

Notice the variations from subtle to obvious. How do we answer the question using words though?

 

[Kuu]

ummm.. the first time worked just fine.... you just needed mod approval because of all the links...

 

[BigApplePi]

ummm.. the first time worked just fine.... you just needed mod approval because of all the links...

When six hours passed without approval I decided to break it up and repost thinking it got rejected, but it finally got approved so I deleted the unnecessaries.

 

[shoeless]

beauty =/= attractiveness.

 

[wildfremd]

I think teeth and eyes are what makes people really attractive. Did you know that back in the 1800's women used to dilate their pupils with the plant that Digitalis is derived from, just to look more attractive to men?

look at the difference:

While both sets of eyes are extremely beautiful, only one of them has more power than the other. Honestly, which ones grab your attention more?

 

[Alice?]

I think teeth and eyes are what makes people really attractive. Did you know that back in the 1800's women used to dilate their pupils with the plant that Digitalis is derived from, just to look more attractive to men?

look at the difference:

Spoiler

While both sets of eyes are extremely beautiful, only one of them has more power than the other. Honestly, which ones grab your attention more?

When a person is aroused, there is an involuntary reflex reaction that causes his or her pupils to dilate. Since we are often times attracted to those who seem attracted to us, the eyes with the dilated pupils will appear more attractive most of the time.
I personally prefer the second set of eyes, but probably because there is less makeup. It seems less contrived.

 

[ashitaria]

Yeah, I prefer the second set of eyes too. It seems more open, intelligent, honest and more compassionate to me, while the second one just seems to be flirting with me, which I do not like.

 

[BigApplePi]

I think posters have got it exactly right. One set of eyes is meant to be a turn on; the other is not. The one more beautiful is the one you want -whether you want to be turned on or not. That points to "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" which I'm confusing with another thread.

I think teeth and eyes are what makes people really attractive. Did you know that back in the 1800's women used to dilate their pupils with the plant that Digitalis is derived from, just to look more attractive to men?

look at the difference:

While both sets of eyes are extremely beautiful, only one of them has more power than the other. Honestly, which ones grab your attention more?

 

[I'mProbablyanINTP]

Okay, here is some constructive advice. Most of the people come here for themselves. Not for other people. Before opening your big fat mouth to judge, remember that we do things because we want to (should be obvious enough) and we as INTPs do not do things for others unless we are obliged to by a favor, certain amount of respect, or a relationship.
By now, you have neither of the above three.
Other people can come think and respond pretty fine. It's not as if we are drowning out their thoughts, they can just cut into the conversation and change it into an intellectual conversation. There are many many examples of this in the IRC.
So please, keep your "intelligence" and "maturity" to yourself.

Yes we understand that you and all people do things because they want to, I don't see how you don't understand that we also do things that we want to: For instance telling you to stop posting stupid anime pedo bullshit

"we as INTPs" dude get a grip, it's not how you define yourself because you scored high in a test once or twice, you are whoever you want to be, and if you want to be a little annoying brat that's fine but I can be a bigger annoying brat, and then we just have a forum of people abusing each other

A little empathy goes a long way

On topic, beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. There are common beauty archetypes but who the fuck cares what common ideas are?

Beauty to me is a person who understands themself and the world around them, a person who is honest and open and willing to experience and learn new things, a person who understands their mind controls their body and not that their body controls their mind

I can appreciate a beautiful mind, but I can't appreciate a beautiful mind in a lazy body who sits and shoves food into itself without exercising. To me the pursuit of health is good enough, because there's no real 'end goal' of health. It's a lifetime commitment, and the people who follow it are beautiful

For eg. I can't find a 10/10 model beautiful until I know about her personality, and that's only when she opens up honestly, and I can't find a 100kg woman beautiful because when I look at her I know she doesn't like herself, and that makes me wonder why she isn't doing anything about it? I didn't always look the way I do today, I worked at it to achieve what I wanted.

I find arty/creative girls so hot :$ so very hot

 

[asmit127]

The second pair of eyes lacks vibrancy, it's washed out. That combined with the lack of make-up means the first pair grabs my attention more but neither picture is beautiful due to the excessive foundation/airbrushing surrounding them. I like the colour of eyes and dilated pupils means you can see less of this, but wide eyes are attractive (else you can't see the colour!)

I can't find a 100kg woman beautiful because when I look at her I know she doesn't like herself

Surely she does like herself else she would do something about it? Maybe she spends her life volunteering in an orphanage/homeless shelter rather than devoting it to the selfish aim of looking good and living longer (as if the world needs more unproductive 100 year olds...). Or maybe she weighed 150kg last year, and is making great progress to your perceived ideal weight/height balance? If you truly believed beauty was in the mind surely you'd ask rather than assume the only reason to be overweight is self hating eat-a-lot. That said, I have no idea how big 100kg is - if it's already obese and 150kg would make her practically dead you may have a point...

 

[Enne]

I like these.

 

[asmit127]

I like these.

Me too - they are similar to the girl who I sat opposite to at work except hers go from brown to blue instead of blue to green. No need for dilated pupils, just lots of colour

 

[Enne]

Hm. . . my lab partner for senior ME laboratory had eyes that were basically small encapsulations of the ocean floor of a shallow Caribbean sea (minus aquatic life of course) . . . lots of 'layers' and very cool.

EDIT: To answer the OP, I don't think that there's an ideal package. I think that a lot of people spend time chasing some culturally agreed upon ideal in the hopes that they too can embody something that has little to do with what they've actually got. I agree with the idea that when I think about 'beauty', I'm not really considering symmetry and overall look of health, but more so a feature or features that I can fixate on, and these things tend not to encompass the entire person. For example, if I see someone with an unusual eye color that reminds me of something in nature, or distinct features, or bone structure that stands out as being soft or authoritative. I don't think that most people out there are even that bad looking; everyone has some catching feature if you're not too busy trying to quickly categorize or make assumptions right off the bat.

 

[amorfati]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=537149&id=1574536112

What makes the above woman beautiful? My eyes and minds eye and my hearts eye behold beauty. She is the most beautiful person on the face of the earth because it is impossible for me to not see her that way.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and any attempt at trying to intellectually grasp what makes for beauty is ugliness in itself.

 

[snafupants]

Do males on the forum find other males attractive? For clarification, I am a male, and I find someone like David Beckham or Brad Pitt quite dapper, even appealing. That said, I dont think about having sex with these men, I merely note the beauty.

Another clarification, I am most definitely straight. I know right away people will say "yeah oooooooK' but it's quite true.

 

[Kokoro]

Do males on the forum find other males attractive? For clarification, I am a male, and I find someone like David Beckham or Brad Pitt quite dapper, even appealing. That said, I dont think about having sex with these men, I merely note the beauty.

Sure, there is a difference between attractiveness and sexual attractiveness. Beauty can be noted for anything and anyone, because it is subjective.

 

[babrock]

Sexually speaking anyway, health has a lot to do w it. And to a larg extent health consists of vigor and youth (in females anyway). It is hardwired into us largly.

Figuring that on average a woman ceases to bear children at 50 . So a woman of 20 has 30 years of child bearing vs a woman of 45, who has only 5.

I understand that women look for diferent taits largly, strength and securrity.

 

[kazd362]

I tend to think that the Golden Ratio conveys attractiveness. On the other hand, I tend to believe beauty appeals to all the senses as well as their personality, not just sight

 

[Agent of Chaos]

The expression "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or beer holder)" holds true.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

the appearance of good health.

Beyond that it's personal preference.

This + whatever is the usual appearance for your culture/race.

 

[₲uardian]

I've always heard people call someone pretty, handsome, ugly...but why? What makes a person handsome? What makes a person ugly? To me, handsome just cannot be defined. In books, they always say, "she had a pretty face" but they never ever explained how and why she had a pretty face, what is on the face that makes it pretty.

Is it the position of the nose? The eyes? The mouth?

If a human can know, but cannot explain, does that mean it's invalid?

 

[₲uardian]

This + whatever is the usual appearance for your culture/race.

We can list lots of things. Let's get to the root of your example. Why would anyone think their own race is better looking than others? My theory is that it's easier to relate to your own kind, whatever that may be, may it be culture, religion or whatever. There would be less chance of conflict/rejection.

 

[NiMur90]

I don't really find angelina jolie particularly attractive...I mean I'd do her and all. I find the likes of Zooey Dechanel [sic?] far more attractive.

 

[SpaceYeti]

Large breasts.

And on the eye thing; Studies have shown that when people look at things they like, their pupils dilate. Including people they find attractive and whom they otherwise like. Naturally, that would lead to dilated eyes being more attractive, because if someone's eyes are dilated while looking at you, it means they like you.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

^Unless you have a particular brand of near sightedness which causes your pupils to be unusually large almost all the time, even in bright sunlight.

It will also make cops and teachers assume you're taking illicit substances, give you headaches, and cause random annoying people to tell you 'OMG! Your pupils are so huge!' all the time.

 

[SpaceYeti]

... That'd be hot.

 

[DesertSmeagle]

Large breasts.

And on the eye thing; Studies have shown that when people look at things they like, their pupils dilate. Including people they find attractive and whom they otherwise like. Naturally, that would lead to dilated eyes being more attractive, because if someone's eyes are dilated while looking at you, it means they like you.

Theres actually a part of the brain that is used to recognize faces and eyes. Thats why we see faces in things like houses or the moon. This probably has something to do with why we find faces attractive. We usually find faces that look like ours more attractive, because of biology. Freud took that to the extreme by saying we all wana fuck our moms secretly.

Sexual attraction= Beauty.. Large hips and a NICE ass represent that a womans birth canal has widened, and she is ready for reproduction and is sexually mature. Thats why we like big butts and hips.
Breasts also show sexual maturity, thats why we like boobies.

There is also societal beauty. People who wear "nice" things are attractive because it is the norm. They are portrayed as "normal". people like "normal" people because they are predictable.
As for feet or other weird fetishes...who the hell knows.

 

[Cognisant]

Freud took that to the extreme by saying we all wana fuck our moms secretly.

Personally I think his theory was something more like we use our mother for the basis of forming a desired female archetype, that is to say if you were raised by something other than a human female you may have difficulties recognising the female of your species, not that anyone finds their mother attractive.

This probably has something to do with why we find faces attractive. We usually find faces that look like ours more attractive, because of biology.

Then why are the heavily idealised faces in anime barely human?

 

[Jesse]

You are all looking way too into this. Beauty is subjective although how you were raised, your instincts and what society tell you all contribute.

 

[SpaceYeti]

Personally I think his theory was something more like we use our mother for the basis of forming a desired female archetype, that is to say if you were raised by something other than a human female you may have difficulties recognising the female of your species, not that anyone finds their mother attractive.


Then why are the heavily idealised faces in anime barely human?

Because they're exaggerated and idealized?

 

[SpaceYeti]

boobies.

Yay!

 

[DesertSmeagle]

I judge beauty by the inside of a person not the outside..some people have beautiful hearts. I would have sex with a 400 lb 47 yr old black Asian aboriginy queen if she had a soul made of the purest of essences.

 

[₲uardian]

I judge beauty by the inside of a person not the outside..some people have beautiful hearts. I would have sex with a 400 lb 47 yr old black Asian aboriginy queen if she had a soul made of the purest of essences.

so blacks and asians are gross?

 

[cheese]

I judge beauty by the inside of a person not the outside..some people have beautiful hearts. I would have sex with a 400 lb 47 yr old black Asian aboriginy queen if she had a soul made of the purest of essences.

What? Did you have the same attitude when posting all your other sexy comments?

 

[Melkor]

I cannot answer this.

All I know is, I've never seen the same beauty twice, and there seems to be little in the way of a recurring theme.

Sometimes things as small as how the light hits the room, or what song is playing distantly can affect it, and the demure and hyper tend to be equally alluring in particular situations, so I cannot say anything for psychology either, though an Artist is always nice.

 

[DesertSmeagle]

so blacks and asians are gross?

No..Haha but a. Mix between black Asian and aboriginee would look.... Interesting.. Wait not black, but like Indian black. I'm nit racist. Most of my friends are ethnically diverese. I just have a sense of humor that involves racism..

 

[₲uardian]

No..Haha but a. Mix between black Asian and aboriginee would look.... Interesting.. Wait not black, but like Indian black. I'm nit racist. Most of my friends are ethnically diverese. I just have a sense of humor that involves racism..

RACIST!