by ib

Created on: November 17, 2009

I am not superficial I am a realist. When we consider this debate we have to be honest. The beauty industry is huge with the US cosmetic industry rapidly growing at 3.7% per annum to reach $300 billion by the end of 2010 with Goldman Sachs (2005) valuing skincare at a value of $24 billion, make up at $18 billion, hair care at $38 billion and fragrances at $15 billion worldwide.

How come all this money and all these products exist? Because "beauty" in the real world is on the outside not the inside and saying it is simply is false. Can you honestly as a woman say you have passed someone who is obese or extremely anorexic and thought they're beautiful on the inside? Of course you haven't you have immediately judged them the second you've seen them. Why? Because women especially are highly critical and jealous of each other's appearances and usually if they've treated their body badly it indicates somebody with issues and lack of self-esteem.

Beauty is an ideal visual physical perfection not a concept of how good someone is. It is built on generations of women creating a standard of acceptance through visual attraction and competition. Face it, what is the real likelihood of two girls both attracted to the same guy going to be that the more physically beautiful female gets to go home with him, even though the other woman with bucked teeth possesses witty conversation is a better match for him on a mental level? It just won't happen. The reason for this is based in biology.

The more symmetrical an individual's features the more physically attractive they are perceived. This is built into the primeval subconscious when selecting a mating partner who is the most likely to produce strong healthy offspring. Now I hate to shatter all the self-helpers and idealists that beauty is internal but that is false hope and false idealism. Beauty is external and it has a purpose to exist. The more physically beautiful on the outside one is the better chances and opportunities for survival and continuation of progeny for both male and female sexes and their genetic information. Of course it isn't everything, an individual needs to have some intelligence and sensibility but it cannot be ignored that beautiful people are on the whole more successful - Hollywood, the fashion industries, advertising and all material products are based on grabbing your eye and holding your attention because we live in a consumer-driven world. This is not utopia it is life and the better looking someone

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