David Hume Beauty

Well, firstly… What is beauty? By Oxford dictionary’s definition, beauty is defined by the “combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic

Is it possible to define beauty? The answer is seemingly yes, though agreement on said definition(s) is an entirely different matter. Some concepts have the luxury of general consensus. Of course, where there is consensus on definition, there will be debate on operationalization. Nothing remains unchallenged. Beauty, however, is in a class of the transient, the ineffable, and the ephemeral. The word is just a word, but the identity ascribed to it is of the mysterious. So how does one begin to define beauty if such an act is possible? Very simply, we look at people, places and things through a personal lens, which consists of social institutions, norms and values.

What does being beautiful really mean? It is the possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, or think about. It goes way beyond the looks but what is within. The media seems to have a different view on beauty. The concept to tell someone what they are or what they should be, is what the media exhibits to society with ideal females known as “models.” In Curtis Sittenfeld, “Your Life as a Girl,” she describes the life as a female and the way they are being viewed. Although all females are beautiful, they feel like they need to appear a certain way to be categorized as such. Living in a world where others opinions are more powerful than one’s own, makes it harder for women to actually consider themselves as being beautiful.

What really determines something to be beautiful. In Lucy Grealy’s narrative, “Mirrors”, she describes her journey of finding her own idea of beauty. As a child she had cancer in her face so she had surgery to remove but it caused her face to be deformed. Consequently, she was bullied because of the way she looked, which caused her self esteem to lower immensely. As a result, she had undergone many surgeries and even went as far as to travel to another country to try and fix her face. Therefore, as she gets older she not only alters herself physically but mentally. She finally realizes that how people see us should not influence how we view ourselves not only physically but mentally as well. So she decides to never look at a mirror because she feels she does not have to to know what she looks like anymore. She finally accepted the way she looks and started focussing on her personal well being and recognizes that's what is actually important. Society has a critical impact on the way we see ourselves because of the way social media shows us that we should look a certain way, people telling us we should look a certain way, your negative thoughts about how you look, and how society determines your value based on looks.

The term beauty applies to each and every person. Today, so much value is placed on a person’s physical appearance. Appealing girls and guys are known to be as gorgeous and captivating, and those individuals who don’t meet society’s standards of “beauty” are scorned or ridiculed. They have control over those who choose to listen, and those type of people are the reason why we haven’t come to realize what the true meaning beauty is. Their definition would be something plastic and naturally stupid, something relevant as a barbie. It is something with not enough common sense to know that all that fake material can potentially damage you. Those who do not agree with society tend not to be a part of it.

Beauty is constantly changing to fit every person, every situation, every possible rendition that could ever be thought of. Yes, the girl with legs that go for miles is a pleasant thing to look at, but once she opens her mouth her face seems less important. How is that beauty if she brings nothing but ugly into the world? No one considers the so called "loner" at the back of the classroom, who at best would be rated a four, beautiful, though every night they are up talking their friend out of suicide because the blonde told them they are meaningless. Building others up while you feel like you are falling, is beautiful. Lipstick and eyeliner is not

Beauty has always been defined outer appearance. Men and women of all ages and races spend time, money, and energy to bring out their outer beauty in order to gain acceptance and impress others. It is evident that one must look good in order to be accepted by society. This can be shown through how much people value makeup, Snapchat filters, and fashion trends The next time you find yourself watching T.V., pay attention to the commercials and count the amount related to makeup, such as nails, eyebrows, and facial skin.

In his novel, The Six Names of Beauty, Crispin Sartwell describes beauty in the simplest of terms, “beauty is the object of longing” (3). The Greek Goddess Aphrodite has been associated with beauty, love and sexual desire since seemingly the beginning of time, and the pure, Aphrodisiac ideas of beauty will never truly fade; therefore, Aphrodite will never fade away from our culture, “Her stay would be never-ending, her work never complete,” (Paris 13). The connection between the goddess and the ideas of beauty is clear, but is often overlooked in favor of labeling her as the goddess of love and desire. The relation of beauty to every other aspect of life is one that Paris mentions and one I find of particular interest, as without beauty

People have contributed to the physical and cultural view of beauty in societies all around the world. Each country has different beauty standards that reflect off of each other to display diversity: “Beauty is informed by values, culture, religion, background and societal influence. Concepts of beauty has change over time depending on environment, culture, etc”. Through the different standards of other cultures, societies are able to learn that there is not only one form of beauty. The evolution of beauty around the world allows people to compare opinions with another to form individual perspectives of beauty.

Mapping a Conversation on the Standardization of Beauty Many people in this world have their own definition of what beauty is. Beauty can come from inside or the outside. To me, beauty is not only something that pleases the eyes. Beauty is a quality that pleases or delights the senses or mind from one’s own perspective. Unfortunately, society makes it nearly impossible to see our own beauty.

Spoken wisely by Plato, ¨Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder¨ (Goodreads). In Alice Walker's short story ¨Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self,¨ the reader follows a young girl as she struggles to find the meaning of true beauty. As a child, she was always extremely full of herself, begging for attention and, most times, achieving her position in the spotlight. However, when she turns eight, an incident occurs that leaves her questioning if she'll ever be beautiful again. Much like this young girl, I experienced a similar situation that had me questioning my own worth in a world of beautifully powerful people. What such a self-analyzing question can bring to light is the controversy over whether beauty is in relation to appearance or in relation to a person as a whole.

Even though everybody knows what beauty is, it is hard to define it. There are many definitions of the term beauty, but in a constantly changing world, it is impossible to find the correct answer. One of the most famous quotes says: that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, the beholder can set the focus on inner or outer beauty. While defining beauty, three aspects are important for me; well-groomed appearance, intelligence, and humor. Many people claim that the appearance does not matter, but in fact, everybody knows that it is a lie. People tend to judge others by their physical attributes, without even having a conversation. The view of beauty is not universal. Everybody, male or female, is free to make up their own definition of beauty.

Society is full of ideas pertaining to the definition of beauty and has been controversial for centuries. Beauty is visually pleasing and can satisfy the other senses as well, but it cannot be fully defined through only the senses. It blossoms from the soul; it is an epitome of serene emotion. Beauty is imperative to the mentality our society maintains as if the world would transform to be completely dark without it. The word “Beauty” originates from the Anglo-French term beute meaning “physical attractiveness” and “goodness and courtesy” (dictionary.com, n.p.) Beauty is charming, mesmerizing, graceful, and captivating. Brutality is invaluable because beauty brings peace to the mind.

The definition of beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty has negative and positive influences on mostly people. Beauty is described by the inside and outside of us. Due to beauty, our self-esteem has been hurt dramatically, especially towards girls. Beauty is not always about our outside looks but it’s about our inside personality also.

What is beauty? How do we decide who is attractive and who is not? Society is full of information telling us what is beautiful, but what fact is that information based on? The topic of beauty has been studied, analyzed and controversial for centuries. We all know the feeling you can have when you hear a beautiful song that brings joy to your heart, stand in a field of flowers that excites your eyes, or admire a face that is visually pleasing. As human beings, we are all drawn to beauty, but what is it that makes something beautiful? The controversial issue that surrounds beauty is that some believe that true beauty is defined by someone’s outer appearance, while others believe it is something that is experienced through a person’s