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The Psychology of Beauty

On the different theories of beauty and the role of perception in the judgment of beauty. The psychology of beauty is complex not just because the concept of beauty is as yet undefined but also because it is largely true that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder or how individuals perceive other people or things. Beauty can be attributed to everything that appeals to our senses and all objects compatible with our personal preferences.

Beauty as we perceive it is largely a projection of our needs. Beautiful objects or persons cater to our idealizations or fancies and reflect our natural need to relate to all that is appealing. The senses control human beings, and we tend to repeat processes or experiences that appeal to the harmonious senses and have structure and form. Beauty appeals to our sense of sight, so there is a preference for repeating the experience of beauty. But how do we perceive beauty, and why are some people or objects considered more beautiful than others?

beauty

Psychological tests have considered symmetry and proportion as extremely important in the perception of beauty. Beauty is also more holistic than specific as a beautiful object is judged as a whole package that is appealing rather than judged based on its parts.

Freudian or psychoanalytic explanations of beauty are scarce. Still, psychoanalytic concepts could be used to consider our judgment of beauty as a projection or wish fulfillment. Hence, people attractive to us are typically ones we admire or represent our own desires and fancies in some way. Psychoanalysis can also be compatible with the idea that beauty is a preferential perception when there are similarities with a parent.

Most people are also considered beautiful when they have baby-faced features or a particular innocence on their faces. Beauty can also be culturally motivated, so in certain eastern cultures, women with beautiful feet are considered attractive. In contrast, in the Victorian era in England, women with elegance and grace were the ones with smooth necks and tiny waist, and modern western women are judged based on their breasts, bottom, and lips.

The perception of beauty can change, and studies have found that women may prefer softer features of men during particular times and more masculine features at other times, depending on the stage of their reproductive cycle. So there are actually several theories of beauty which are discussed here one by one.

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1. Beauty as Symmetry and Proportion – As you might have noticed, symmetry was fundamental in the case of ancient architectural marvels. Whether it was the great pyramids in Egypt or the architectural wonders in Greece, symmetry and perfect dimensions played an important part in the history of aesthetics. This whole idea of symmetry also applies to every other object or person we perceive, so a perfectly symmetrical face would also be considered an epitome of physical perfection.

Perfectly shaped and sharp features are attractive to most people, and the most beautiful faces are the ones that have very proportionate features. The same applies to the body. The low waist to hip ratio giving a curvy lower part of the body in women is considered more attractive than a straight shape which usually does not indicate fertility. As human beings are finally looking for an evolutionary advantage, women with curvy shapes are considered more fertile and are thus more attractive to men.

Similarly, men with athletic and muscular bodies are attractive to women. However, many men might not prefer extremely voluptuous or curvy women, just like many women may not prefer extremely muscular men. This suggests that proportion is also about moderation, or maybe human beings are more comfortable with certain moderation in what they perceive than excess. That way, the perception of beauty may even depend on some social programming.

2. Beauty as a whole rather than parts – When we consider something beautiful, we usually try to take a broad, holistic view. Thus when we consider a rose as beautiful, we are less attentive towards each petal and consider the symmetry of the flower as a whole. Similarly, when we consider the face of a man or a woman, beauty is the composite quality that represents the entire face of the individual rather than the parts or particular features. Our senses prefer a holistic view and perception of things. Thus, a person is considered attractive only when all features add to something enjoyable to the senses.

3. Beauty as projection and wish fulfillment – The perception of beauty is a mental process and a deeply personal one. If your lover has blonde hair, you might find other blonde-haired people very attractive because you tend to project your inner fancies onto other people. The ‘he’ looks like my lover or ‘she’ looks like my lover is a common syndrome in our perception of beauty, and people who are remotely similar to our mates are suddenly more beautiful to us than others.

The same projection applies in the case of selecting a mate who resembles a parent. If a man looks like your father or a family member, he is obviously far more attractive to you than to others. The wish-fulfillment theory is also equally true. When we want to be like someone in terms of talents or certain qualities, we naturally consider that person absolutely perfect and beautiful. Some teenagers may idolize popular actors or actresses, and the need to be like them also determines their own perception of beauty.

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