Beauty is often defined as the aesthetic quality of things that makes these things aesthetically pleasing to view. Such things as sunsets, nature and humans are some of the objects often considered to be beauty. It can also include beauty in the visual arts, with paintings, photographs and other artistic forms. Beauty, with aesthetic sense and art, is possibly the most influential theme of aesthetics, among the most important branches of philosophy. Philosophy generally considers beauty to be an inner, self-existing concept, and not something that can be objectively measured or judged.
The word beauty comes from the Greek word “gift,” which can mean either the possession of beauty or the quality of being beautiful. Another interpretation of beauty is found in the Bible where it refers to spiritual beauty or holiness. In recent years, many social scientists have challenged the idea of beauty. They argue that there is only a limited definition of beauty, and that it is influenced by both biological and social forces.
Recent studies on human beauty have identified brain regions activated during both aesthetic beauty and mental health. These brain areas, located in the medial and frontal cortices, are activated when viewing photographs of faces, and when looking at photographs of people. Interestingly, these areas were found to be completely separate from each other. When looking at pictures of faces, the areas activated included the left and right temporal cortices, while when looking at people, the areas activated were mainly the left and right parietal cortices. These findings provide strong evidence that there is a distinction between aesthetic beauty and the other factors related to beauty, such as reproductive potential, intelligence, personality and other aspects of the self. However, it is still unclear what exactly controls the aesthetic component of facial features.
Research has also shown that people with less attractive facial features tend to be more confident and self-conscious about their appearance, even when they have objectively high levels of facial attractiveness. More research is needed to understand the relationship between facial attractiveness and psychological well-being. The current study used a sample of 515 college students with relatively normal facial features, including normal symmetry, averted smiles, absence of double chin, little ear tufts, wide cheekbones, and little or no fat. It was found that those with less attractive facial features were significantly less confident than those with typical features, and they had lower levels of well-being than non-facial attractive individuals.
Contrary to the popular belief, not all people born with physical beauty are more attractive than others. Research has shown that some physically attractive people may turn out to be less attractive than others due to genetic influences. For instance, if one parent has a blue eyes and blonde hair, there is a good chance that the offspring will also have blue eyes and blond hair. Other genes which are associated with facial features are also found in non-natural selection.
Although the study of human beauty has changed tremendously over time, there are still many traditional social standards that women are expected to follow. They remain beauty pageant queens on the television screen, but behind the scenes, many women work long hours and choose to look the way that they want to look. Fashionable magazines are popular for giving women an inside look at what is fashionable to them. However, they are still heavily influenced by societal expectations of beauty. With social media like social media, YouTube, and blogs making the public view of beauty more visible, many women are starting to realize that they do not need to look like the models on the television, nor do they need to be perfect in order to be beautiful.