The Human Obsession
In most television programs or magazines, depictions of an unrealistic population are portrayed. The images of clean-cut suburbanite family life, portrayed by television in the middle of the twenty-first century, can certainly be joked about now, however, this was only the spark that lit the flame. Families like the Cleaver’s, the Nelson’s, the Osmond’s and the Brady’s were put on screen to show our world what everyone’s life should be like. They had good children, nice homes, and every episode taught some lesson in mortality. Every wife wanted to be just like June or Harriet. Every teenager wanted to be Greg or Marsha. Society felt that they could be like one of these unrealistic characters, possibly have
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Many search for perfection by undergoing surgery to construct their ideal figure or shape. Due to distorted expectations many are not happy with the results of the surgery. The concept must be understood that surgery will not save a marriage or make someone a super model. The psychological well being of the individual must be evaluated by the physician to determine if the surgery is appropriate for the patient (Sevinor).
A major factor of self-esteem is being comfortable with outer appearance. Another major factor of self-esteem is feeling good mentally. Lack of confidence and/or self-esteem due to unsightly features or irregularities drives many people to surgery. The want for cosmetic surgery starts with a quest to change the outside to help satisfy inner feelings. Sevinor points out that “there is a relationship between self-image and the desire to change one’s looks.” Gaynor’s statement “beauty may be only ‘skin deep,’ but that thin layer of skin is awfully important in almost all our interactions as human beings” (18) is a bitter reality. The world tends to give attractive people the upper hand. Gaynor declares “looking as good as possible can remove an often secret barrier to success” (3). He tells of observations when patients underwent surgeries such as face and eyelifts, then received higher paying jobs. Typically, the better-looking person of two people equally qualified that are up for the same job will result in the
Some examples of poor candidates for cosmetic surgery are the Idealist, the Chaotic, and the Jumper. The Idealist patient has unrealistic expectations of surgery,for example, an idealist patient may want to look like a famous person. The Chaotic patient is in a crisis and feels the need to be “fixed.” Most “chaotic” patients have been through a divorce , have experienced rejection, or have experienced some other type of life changing event. They often believe that having surgery will heal their grief. The “jumper” patient goes to surgeon after surgeon looking for the doctor that will tell them what they want to hear. Lastly, there is the pleaser. The “Pleaser” patient is the person who gets surgery because they believe that it will make someone else like or accept them. In other words, make them more pleasing to the eye.
Everyone has a desire of being better than the others in many ways. The most common wish of many is to look physically beautiful. This is the reason why physical attraction and presentation is seen as an important element of a candidate's profile at the time of recruitment. Where the discrimination favors physically attractive people, it has a tendency of causing mental trauma to those with average or to be more precise normal looks. The bias in favor of physically attractive people is robust, with attractive people being perceived as more sociable, happier
In recent years plastic surgery is something that has become a very popular trend, and also where many young people are even lining up for it. Plastic surgery is to reconstruct or repair parts of the body, especially by the transfer of tissue it can be used for treatment of injury or cosmetic reasons. It enhances one’s physical appearance, allowing him or her to achieve a look he or she desires. For example, a women’s buttocks can be enlarged or reduced, or a nose can be straightened or lifted. Many people find themselves changing their bodies and wondering if perfecting their appearance would make life a bit more perfect. Plastic surgery can enhance someone’s level of confidence and boost their self-esteem, but it is something that can have very serious consequences people need to be aware of.
Over the years there has been a significant amount of people who have gotten cosmetic surgeries due to unrealistic images the media portrays to us. Statistics say someone gets a cosmetic surgery every half an hour. Due to these unrealistic images, it has resulted in anxiety, low self-confidence, and low self-esteem in many men and women, but especially in women. Attractiveness directly affects people’s quality in life and what their ‘worth’ is.
Thesis: The cosmetic, issues, and beauty. We need to understand every possible outcome while considering plastic surgery
A main motivator for getting cosmetic surgery is the desire of being more satisfied with one’s own appearance and improving self-esteem. However, research has shown that this is not always the case. There have been variable results showing whether cosmetic surgery will improve psychological variables such as body image, self-esteem, and mental health. Body image specifically has been suggested to be a crucial factor in the desire to undergo cosmetic surgery. This is based off two important components including body image evaluation, referring to how satisfied a person is with his or her own body, and body image orientation, indicating how important body image is for a person. A person with a low body image evaluation combined with a high body image orientation increases the likelihood of a person wanting plastic surgery. Mental health aspects have also been addressed in research literature. The general question here is whether cosmetic surgery improves mental health despite previous psychological state.
As a result, attractive applicants are hired more often compare to the candidates with average looks and personality (Marlowe et. al., 1996). The difference is not limited to hiring and selection but it also affects the pay scale as attractive employees are hired at high salary compared to the unattractive employees. Furthermore, this is not the end; even after the hiring, attractive employees are sought more by the co-workers for training and new project assignments as compare to the unattractive counterparts.
With the growing of cosmetic surgery, individuals are stepping back and forth to determine whether the cosmetic surgery is a lifelong choice. Some people are totally opposed to this procedure, while others believe in its positive benefits. Therefore, the three positions that most dominate over people’s mind on this issue is extremely controversial. First, the factors that lead people to cosmetic surgery. Second, the consideration is whether the surgery really improves self-esteem, satisfactions,
Are you considering cosmetic surgery? The numbers of individuals electing these surgeries are growing rapidly each year. Much of this rapid growth is because of advances in technology that have made plastic surgery techniques both safer and more affordable, as well as cutting down on recovery time. Cosmetic surgery improves body image and self-esteem and reconstructive surgery fixes irregularities such as hereditary disorders, birth defects, or other health issues. These surgeries are an extremely popular method to enhance self-esteem but there are risks an individual should know before having a surgical procedure. Although these surgeries have been practiced for years, they
One of the biggest determinants towards the consideration of cosmetic surgery is self-esteem. Self-esteem can be defined as a mental assessment of one’s worth and value. But not all people who suffer from low self-esteem will undergo the knife. According to a research paper based on a theory by Sarwer et al., “those whose self-esteem highly depends on their appearance and those who have significant body dissatisfaction levels will consider cosmetic surgery” (Kalantar-Horomozi et al. 360). This is perceived by many people as finding a temporary fix for one’s insecurities. However, some people would argue that the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery is a statement of empowerment. An example of this is a paragraph in Kathy Davis’s book “Reshaping the Female Body: The Dilemma of Cosmetic Surgery”, where she describes a conversation with her friend for her
Research has shown that there is a 'halo effect ' in the corporate world when it comes to job interviews. The effect can often sway the interviewer 's decision (Griswold and Driscoll 2). In the 'halo effect, ' those that are more attractive or younger looking often get chosen for the job because they are recognized to be more knowledgeable and have more social skills (Griswold and Driscoll 2). Many people think that having a cosmetic procedure done can help get and keep a job (Beggan). Seventy-three percent of women believe that beauty is an important role in the job world, especially during rough times in the economy. In fact, thirteen percent of women say they have considered going under the knife in order to help further their careers and three percent of women say they have already had cosmetic surgery in the hopes of guaranteeing their spot in their workplace. Another way that cosmetic surgery could help in a person’s life, is through their relationships (Griswold and Driscoll 2). Many times, people are judged based on their looks and first impressions. Because of this, cosmetic surgery is often necessary. Studies have shown that people tend to pursue a relationship based on how appealing the other person is, or how beautiful they make themselves to be (Griswold and Driscoll 2). It is in human nature to pursue an attractive person in order to continue the human race. Of course, inner beauty is also important in a relationship, but the fact is, looks
“Don’t like the way you look? Ready for a quick and easy change? We can help you with one simple cosmetic surgery.” We have all heard or seen advertisements like this on television or in magazines, but why is cosmetic surgery so appealing to people, especially women? Cosmetic surgery is used all over the world to enhance one’s features and make people “happy,” but is it worth it? Is it beauty or is it a beast having cosmetic surgery done? There are many options and things to consider when thinking about getting any kind of surgery. Body image is a huge aspect especially when there is a demand for beauty by society. The cost of cosmetic surgery and the dangers are also something to take into consideration, but there are many positives in getting this type of surgery.
Just like someone walking into a hair salon and flippingh through the pages of a magazine to inform the barber how they would like their hair to be styled, many people walk into the offices of cosmetic surgeons to do the same; asking for an enhancement or removal of physical features. Patients come to cosmetic surgeons with all sorts of fantasies. Many of these are very realistic but a few are unrealistic. Psychologists Ericksen, William and Billick encourage surgeons to use screening questionnaires and explain that they are “key in identifying patients for whom surgery was appropriate.” (345.) Though cosmetic surgery helps boost self-esteem and may bring a feeling of meeting the socially accepted standards of beauty, many people who pursue cosmetic surgery have psychological disorders such as narcissism, BDD, bulimia, depression, and anxiety, that would be much better treated through psychiatric help rather than seeking to transform their body image. According to Nikolic, “A “perfect” candidate for the surgery has a healthy body image, and the desire to improve upon a specific feature (e.g. breasts), not the entire body and mind.” (944.)
Messages within the media indirectly contribute to the rising rate of plastic surgery. Desires to meet the idealisms of media representations are often so consuming that people demand plastic surgery despite all of its associated risks and controversies. To compensate for this up and coming surgical trend, technology has developed more reasonable and attainable options for the public. Millions of operations are now able to be performed on those wishing to fulfill specific gratifcations toward their own personal appearance and/or self-esteem. This is a serious problem in that people are unaware or just simply
In the creation of our beings, we are blessed, and sometimes cursed with features we, as freethinkers, might not otherwise have chosen for ourselves. Certain circumstances however, may arise on the journey known as life, forcing us to reconstruct these features in an effort to construct normal, healthy, lives. Often, we are compelled to reconstruct these features in an effort to enhance an otherwise normal, healthy life. For the individual unaware of the pros and cons, in regards to the acquisition of cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery; I produce this composition in an attempt to inform you, the reader; as well as to expand upon my limited knowledge of this field.