Whether you admit it or not, we live in a world where the preoccupation of beauty is an international obsession especially with the increase of beauty pageants and the thriving industry of plastic surgery, can we be blamed? But underneath all the foundation lies the question; what is beauty?
The term ‘beauty’ is socially constructed, meaning that the very concept of what is considered to be beautiful differs all around the world on factors such as time period, religion and country. As in the case among the Kayan tribe of Burma, where from early childhood, women stack brass coils around their neck. Over time, as more coils are added, the shoulders are pushed down, and the neck becomes elongated. This is something that is seen as a tool to attract men of the tribe. Nonetheless, in South Korea the epitome of beauty lies behind the porcelain and pimple free skin. In order to achieve this, they invest in a number of face masks and creams to maintain the wrinkle and scar free complexion which has gained popularity globally. Nevertheless, this couldn’t be any more different in New Guinea and several other countries in Africa where inhabitants decorate their bodies with patterns and numerous artistic scars. Men are often given these ‘scars of courage’ during an initiation ceremony whilst women obtain these as a visual representation of her beauty and allure. However, in Western countries, a straight line of even teeth is considered the very definition of the perfect smile, therefore it is strange to imagine how people may think otherwise. Well, in Japan the epitome of a perfect smile is ‘yaeba’ otherwise known as crooked teeth. It’s believed that people look cuter if they have this quality. It’s for this reason that dentists in Japan are in high demand.
But do you consider yourself as beautiful?
As depressing as it may sound, many people critique the reflection staring back at them in the mirror. This can be explained with psychology as it is usually due to two main factors; their belief about the conventions of attraction and making comparisons. For example, if one has a strong belief that people don’t find big noses attractive and they have a big nose themselves, they will believe that they are unattractive. Moreover, with the increase of beauty idols all over the media, it is inevitable that people will compare their every flaw with these beauty gurus. Not only does this harm one’s confidence but can lead to Body dysmorphic disorder. People with BDD are extremely critical of their appearance, look at themselves obsessively or rather try to avoid seeing their reflection, they want people to complement them, exercise and diet more than is usual and much more. It has been found that this affects every 1 in 50 people.
How can you become ‘beautiful’?
Throughout this article there has been a focus on our exterior appearance but as the saying goes ‘it’s what is in the inside that matters’. Although this cliché is often overlooked it is important to remember that to be beautiful, one must act beautiful. But how can one act beautiful, you may ask. Well according to recent studies, people find traits such as generosity, honesty, loyalty and kindness more important than appearances.
“there is no definition of beauty, but when you can see someone’s spirit coming through, something unexplainable, that’s beauty to me”, Liv Tyler.
by Umeh Jamiath, SRS
