The Price of Beauty

Throughout history, beauty was more so known as someone with the physical appearance that was pleasant to the eye. Although beauty varies from different cultures and area, people that are younger, with average looking symmetrical features, well proportioned bodies, and some combination of inner beauty, and relatively young, are considered beautiful. The more average your features are to society the more attractive you are. Charles Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton was the first to notice this when he overlaid images of vegetarians and criminals to see if there were typical facial appearances for each. When doing this he noticed that the overlaid faces was more attractive then the original photos.

Western beliefs of beauty can date back to 570 B.C. when the Pythagorean school saw a strong connection between mathematics and beauty, people with proportions closer to the golden ratio deems more attractive then ones that are further from the ratio. People with ideal characteristics are known as classical beauties.

Eastern ideals date back to 1 B.C. with Yang Yuhuan, favored concubine of emperor Xuanzong. Known for a plump but fit body, adept at vigorous whirling dance of the nomads. While as Yan to Zhao Feiyan wife of emperor Chengdi, was said that she was so slim that she could dance on the palm of a hand. Although beauty changes with the time there are 10 main aspects for a beautiful women in ancient China days; black lustrous hair, hair loosely coiled on head to give appearance in height, finely shaped black eyebrows. Large expressive eyes, red lips and white teeth( also an indicator of health, graceful fingers and arms, slender waist and fair skin, tiny feet and a light elegant gait, dress accordingly, and a fragrant body.

Wi...

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...women, but as society changed and the roles of women are more and more important, we leave those stages, why can’t we leave those old traditions like skin whitening products, for the past, and just accept our skin as it is, and not use products that could cause health issues to live up to those ideals. Even though culture and traditions have lots of flaws to them, boredom has at least the same or more of the blame on the view of beauty. Boredom causes people to want to do something, such as watch TV or sit around and eat, or even go and get a nose job in certain countries.

Works Cited

http://www.newsweek.com/photo/2010/07/19/beauty-ideals-around-the-world.html

http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/English/p58.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/01/mauritania-force-feeding-marriage

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3701576.ece