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A PHILOSOPICAL DISCUSSION ABOUT BEAUTY STANDARDS OF HUMAN PHYSICAL

APPEARANCE

TERM PAPER

TITLE: A PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSION

ABOUT BEAUTY STANDARDS OF HUMAN
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

In The Subject Philosophy

Submitted to: Anthony D. Barri

Submitted by: Regie I. Samalboro

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A PHILOSOPICAL DISCUSSION ABOUT BEAUTY STANDARDS OF HUMAN PHYSICAL
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ABSTRACT

Beauty is a natural phenomenon that outlines the presumable standard for

physical attractiveness and is often devoured by the unrealistic manifestations of
societal points of view regarding the pleasure brought by the human senses. Moreover,
this paper will help us determine whether the humanistic approach of every individual on
beauty standards amplifies their personal senses or can be based on the overly
changing society that may distort their judgment.

Furthermore, various research shows that mass media and collective innovation made
by technological advancement play a huge role in the rampant distortion of beauty
specifications. According to Roy, P. C. A. (2010) “women want to improve their
appearances by purchasing beauty products or resort to cosmetic surgery. It was found
out too that Western ideals of beauty propagate through local television and magazine
advertisements. Thus, the media influences women’s ideals of beauty. Also, most
studies focused on certain products or campaigns when exploring the females’
perception of beauty such as skin-whitener commercials and other TV advertisements.
Moreover, most studies explored the females’ point of view when it comes to beauty,
not exploring the perception across gender.”

Consequently, individual beauty proposed the idea of how we exalt beauty based on
how pleasurable it is to our human senses. It is our personal senses’ work. For
example, a painting can be aesthetically appealing for a person for there was an
emotional attachment found to it. Or a person can be beautiful, for there was something
unique that a person felt towards him/her. On top of that, this paper used a purposeful
random sampling technique that collects data on surveys and interviews among various
people. With that, the findings of the study perpetuate the idea that mass media disrupts
the idealization of beauty standards among people across their environment. It distorts
the individual preference of every person to be like this or to look like that, which we
may find very intriguing since we have in no control over how we naturally present our
biological appearances by birth.
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To conclude, this paper aims to differentiate our views regarding the factors of personal
and interpersonal (peer) influence regarding beauty standards on human appearance. It
can help to explain whether our views are part of the uncontrollable influence of these
societal changes or if there is something more that was found in our personal senses.
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INTRODUCTION

Human physical appearance and human beauty standardization are what we first
keep an eye on, while every people purports that they prefer to like inner beauty, not
everyone tends to be the same. You may say that a person can be beautiful for it is
what your society portrays you to believe. It is like believing “white and fairer skin” is
more beautiful than having a “dark skin tone” that being taller is more attractive than
being a short person and that being fit is thin and not those who are stout. And with this
kind of mentality, the idea of individual beauty is devoured. Furthermore, social media’s
definition of beauty standards in society creates doubt and hesitation in showcasing
their beauty and talents.

Furthermore, the standardization of beauty in the 21 st century will become

shallow and be based on what they saw on social media and the influences of people
around them. The modernization of our society today will be our baseline of so-called
beauty also others undergo surgery just to make themselves beautiful and belong. The
vulnerability of human society is sometimes will push them to the wrong perception and
distortion of the true meaning of beauty and this belief will lead them to destroy their
uniqueness created by our heavenly creator. On the other side, some individuals rely on
their self-confidence in their physical appearance when they are applying to any field of
work and industry because they believe that you are accepted and belong if you are
pretty and beautiful. In this perception we tend to forget the first ingredient of true
beauty is our characters, behavior, and attitude toward others’ physical appearance is
just secondary. In these modern technologies become the life and foundation of the
young generation where they can grasp different knowledge, the lens they use to view
the world is very different it is very hard for us to stop them and differentiate what we
believe and what they saw and heard in social media, what they saw now is how they
view the world.

With the lens the new generation is using today, it is very difficult for us to
convince them that our world today is creating a wrong perception of true beauty.
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Fashion, trendy, hot topics are just created to feed our insecurities, lack of attention,
and curiosity towards life, and this perception become sometimes becomes a fairytale.
Another thing is feeling beautiful is complicated when in terms of self-esteem. Those
who are blessed and grow up in a loving family can define what true beauty is. Beauty is
not one-sided it is balanced and expressed in different ways, cultures, and norms.

In conclusion, the personal plan for resolving this issue can be projected by how this
paper may display an awareness about the problem stated in line with unrealistic beauty
standards sets by our society over personal attribution. This may also show the
significance that, “it is natural to be like that, and it is okay to feel as such that” for there
are several reasons that will explain. To sum up, human appearance is what makes us
as an individual, it portrays who we are and where we came from, and that one is
beautiful.

BODY

In recent years, society’s beauty standard tends to be more unrealistic. It grows

drastically and incomparably, that most people’s intent is to undergo countless surgery,
wear strip clothing, use heavy makeup, and use chemically produced products just to
achieve fairer and smoother skin. It is where most of us lose our identity. During the
prehistoric years, most women were described as demure, feminine, and reserved,
though there were times that they also make themselves look beautiful, but in a much
more different way. In contrast, today’s generational beauty trend acts as if it is a
prerequisite to be followed. Like, it seems to be a problem when you do not look exactly
what they expected, and that made the greatest number of people lose their confidence.

Every individual has their own uniqueness, we vary on many different phases, and no
one has the right to judge us with that. Truly, those who manage to degrade other
people just by their appearance were ignorant, for you cannot say that this was right
and yours was wrong just because you find it unappealing. People are born with it, and
we should not compare other people on that, for you also have your own traits that you
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do not want others to compare to. Furthermore, our personal senses can also contribute
to how we deal with the standards of beauty. It is something that is much deeper like,
our sense of sight can give us pleasure when we see things like when a person smiles,
it gives us also a sense of satisfaction whenever we see other people’s sense of
fulfillment. The sense of hearing is when a person knows how to play instruments or if
they were a skilled singer and can slay it on their own. The sense of touch can be
shown whether a person is caring and softer or if they were being to be gripped. The
sense of taste whether they were a good cook or not.

On top of that, having the word “beauty” does not necessarily mean that you are
attractive just by your face or body, because physical appearance also underscores all
your assets, traits, and parts. Appearance is a denotation of upbringing or how you
present or showcase yourself. To support this, Evolutionary psychology studies note
that “physical features and dimensions that suggest youthfulness, physical health,
mental and emotional well-being, strength, and fertility are considered physically
attractive since those are desirable qualities in a mate from a biological and
reproductive standpoint.” However, since mass media and technology play in here, the
focal point of understanding about this matter is distorted and shallow.

Our senses perceive beauty in many ways, from the visual to the aural. While beauty
may indeed be in the eye of the beholder, it also relies on certain cultural norms,
dependent on one’s location and time.

Fortunately, what constitutes beauty continues to evolve in our country. From the color
of our hair to the color of our makeup, our concept of beauty is clearly changing with the
times. During the 60s, Twiggy-thin was in. Centuries ago, Botticelli voluptuousness was
the norm. These days, if you asked 10 different people around the world what they find
beautiful, you’d probably receive as many different responses (Calabasa style
magazine)

Beauty is commonly described as a feature of objects that makes these objects

pleasurable to perceive. Such objects include landscapes, sunsets, humans, and works
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of art. Beauty, together with art and taste, is the main subject of aesthetics, one of the
major branches of philosophy. (Wikipedia.org.)

RESULTS

Further studies help us explain why we believe things in such a way, as for me
who penned this paper, what led me to believe is that I personally experienced how
disruptive it is to be mocked just by the superficiality of the so-called “beauty standards”.
Before when I was too naïve about certain things, I felt ashamed by just how I should
look, that having smoother skin and having the tip or bridge of your nose that is high
and pointed is what we should consider as beautiful, but then it changed I realize that
the lens that they are using to view the true beauty of themselves and the world is
different from the lens I am using to view myself, now because of this research it help
me appreciate my uniqueness and worth from others. We just need to accept who we
are and what we have is worth to be valued. By starting the project, I encountered and
cited several articles, blogs, books, and studies about this, and that beauty standards
do not solely reflect on the symmetrical view of a person’s face, how healthy a person if
he/she is thin or fat, or how curvy a person’s body just to be called as sexy or fit. And
that being mentally attractive, emotionally attractive, etc. can also be its definition.

Beauty is an advantage in all realms of life. It is important to realize the

magnitude of this advantage. Social psychologists have found that attractiveness has
an impact in many areas, including business choices, romance, and education, to name
a few. Beauty has the power to imply qualities such as goodness, sanity, and success
that a person may not otherwise possess. There is a definite relationship between our
outer appearance, the development of our social traits, and an observer’s response.
Thus, body image shapes one’s behavior, alters perceptions of the self and others, and
defines our feeling of worth and value in the world. The social benefits of attractiveness
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have created a bias against those who are deemed “beautiful” throughout history.
Beauty assists in the selection of a mate, higher self-esteem, and superior education
thus leading to a better occupation, social dominance, and a greater chance at the
opportunity in general. Beauty is said to be “skin deep,” however, today, it is a great
factor in the quality of life. (free-research-paper.blogspot.com)

Moreover, based on the interview and survey conducted that were picked randomly
among my colleagues/peers, this paper shows no indifference to what I ought to believe
even before the said topic was given. Most people lose their confidence because of the
generalization of beauty qualifications that most of us tend to follow or to be compared
with. Furthermore, technology is what makes this standard for beauty to be more
unrealistic, toxic, and comparable, which led people to feel ashamed of who they are
and decide to undergo several cosmetic surgeries, just to feel the belongingness they
aim for.

Furthermore, several sites across the internet show a great disturbance in the effect of
social media when it comes to a beauty standards, where many people believe that
having fairer skin is still the norm, the pointed nose is what makes them beautiful, and
that using excessive filters can make them feel accepted. Resulting on this, a standard
that is unrealistic and unattainable can be society’s norm, and that prejudices,
judgment, and discrimination will be normalized. Hence, An encouraging discovery
includes the fact that 82 percent of Magdalene’s survey (internet group) believe that “a
good personality (such as being confident and friendly or having a great sense of
humor) is a better definition of beauty today, followed by being presentable (525
respondents). “

Why have beauty standards shifted? The answer is increasing awareness and
exposure to the concept and messages of equality, representation, inclusiveness, and
social activism. Even Victoria’s Secret which has for decades defined beauty as slim,
Barbie-like angels for decades, has shifted: now featuring athletes, LGBTQ+ activists,
and plus-size models to represent the brand. Other brands like Nike, Gucci, Prada, and
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Zara have shown more inclusive marketing strategies, offering gender-fluid fashion as
well as unisex clothing ( Ryzky & Pelaksana, 2022 ).

DISCUSSION

Overall, we cannot deny the fact that in a rapidly changing world, beauty tends to
be more and more unrealistic and unattainable, despite the truth that technology can
reach millions of people to be more knowledgeable and literate regarding the fallacies
and realities of beauty essence and standard, on that we should be considered on
everyone’s differences and not be premeditated and distorted based on our reliance on
social media. Being beautiful does not solely revolves around having a perfect face and
a perfect body, it is also about having beauty in all our aspects like; intellectual,
emotional, reinforcement, and body language that make someone more attractive and
interesting. In today’s changing times, the definition of beauty is too shallow and too
ambitious which led people to believe that this is the norm that should be followed.

On top of that, I just want to end this topic with a question; As for you, what makes a
person beautiful? — researcher of this term paper allows you to digest certain insights
that may help. As a future researcher, I encourage you to take an in-depth
understanding of the said statement about beauty standards, so that may this paper can
reach out to those who understand. To conclude, beauty is something that is innately
given to us, it is something that is true and not being forced. It’s just that, we live in a
time full of unjust and inequitable preferences on beauty specifications that made us
think that it is not normal.
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Modern beauty standards are out of touch with the concept of beauty involved
significantly over the years. Due to this evolution, beauty is no longer seen as a unique
and natural concept. Instead, it is perceived as an artificial ideology that must meet a
specific set of standards. Currently, there is a precise description of what beauty should
entail. For instance, the beauty of women is seen as being slender, light-skinned
possessing an attractive bodily appearance. This modern standard of beauty has forced
some people to undergo surgery to alter their facial and physical appearance. Despite
their widespread acceptance, the modern standard of beauty is out of touch with reality
since they fail to capture the biological attributes of beauty and used the views of the
majority to define beauty (Scribd). As individuals how can we stop and fight this modern
definition of beauty? How can we show them the true meaning of beauty and inculcate it
in the 21st generation when it is already defined by the world and social media and
already registered in their minds? This is the biggest responsibility of generation x and
the millennials to help generation z discover the deeper meaning of beauty in norms,
culture, beliefs, and individual uniqueness.