What makes a person beautiful?

[Bakiryu]

O.K. I was viewing some old threads for times past when the thought occured to me: What makes a person, in general, male or female, beautiful?

Is it only appearance or something deeper? For y'all what makes someone beautiful? and how does this change or affect your oppinion on beauty?

[kiobe]

Beauty, being subjective, I would have to say goes very deep. Commercial beauty, like first glance attractiveness quickly goes away if the person is morally, ethicly, or socially obnoxious. On the other hand a person with a beautiful heart that may not be pretty in a vogue kind of way outshines the supermodel with a bad attitude.

example, pretty face, UGLY person. She is no longer pretty to me.http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w312/kiobe/tyra.jpg

[Bakiryu]

most people I know now and growing up tend to classify beauty with a beautiful face and body and criticize those who do not fit their standards. Even torturing them from years until the person's self esteem is barely non-existant.

[kiobe]

most people I know now and growing up tend to classify beauty with a beautiful face and body and criticize those who do not fit their standards. Even torturing them from years until the person's self esteem is barely non-existant.

Is that a girl thing?

[Bakiryu]

not really, I also know guys who have taken this form of abuse until they ended up depressed and tried to kill themselves. Some actually achieved this.

[Niamh]

actually no. Guys are just as bad as girls with things like that.

[kiobe]

actually no. Guys are just as bad as girls with things like that.

Wow, I guess I missed that part growing up. Is it me or is it worse now than it was 10 years ago?

[Niamh]

now more than ever. I think its caused by the youth of todays unhealthy obsession with celebs, the trashy magazines they read like Heat, Now, New, and closer, mags that are obsessed with pointing out the most rediculous flaws in someones beauty. Their heads are being filled with rediculous propogada.

[Haven]

O.K. I was viewing some old threads for times past when the thought occured to me: What makes a person, in general, male or female, beautiful?

Is it only appearance or something deeper? For y'all what makes someone beautiful? and how does this change or affect your oppinion on beauty?

Beauty is a word that I think has been distorted by things like the media. Beauty in a person for me is yes, someone whose physical attributes are appealing to me. This would most likely be defined by yes, the media and by my own personal [innate] choices about physical beauty. But to become involved with that 'beauty'... I would need more. Most importantly someone 'sympatico', someone with similar life experiences, someone who understands 'where I am coming from' and I would like someone who had a good if not superior intellect to myself. In fact I think intelligence and humour and good nature in terms of kindness and tolerance would be my definitions of beauty.

[applepie]

For me beauty is caused by something within. It is the innate goodness in someone, compasion, and even a confidence within themselves. The most beautiful woman doesn't seem so if she doesn't believe it. Just as someone who is, at least by stereotype, less attractive can seem exceedingly so because of the person that they are.

[Mortis Anarchy]

I agree. A lot of it is confidence, personality but some parts, the physical attributes don't have to be the "in" look/trend or whatever. I'm a big fan of eyes! and smiles...and hair...yep thats what I like physically...but personality and confidence are a big thing in what I think makes a guy handsome and for girls as well.

Also in response to the whole image and how it can destroy people...BDD or Body dysmorphic disorder...thats intense.

[Bakiryu]

For me being teased about it while growing up brought a whole lot of issues: bipolar disorder, depresion, cutting, emo-ness. Still unresolved.

For me beauty is kindness. How a person, male or female, acts when he or she isn't aware of beimg observed. Looks to me, have nothing to do with it.
The most beautiful woman in the world if she isn't kind, would be hideous to me.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Oh I'm in full agreement...wow I feel like I sound shallow. I don't dismiss a guy if he isn't good looking...and I don't dismiss a guy if he is good looking. I like getting to know people...if I like the guy as a friend or in a romance type of way its only because I've gotten to know him and found that he is a good guy...

[Bakiryu]

yes, i don't really relationate with people my age that much, I just did a search on BDD and I think I have almost all the sympthoms. People just tend to judge me for my looks and after a lifetime of being called "ugly" the word beautiful just feels like an insult.

I dislike shallow people, sadly all those I know, even my closest friends judge others by their appearance in a way I'd never could.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Well I don't think I'm shallow...I don't judge people by their looks or what kind of click they are in or what they want to do with their lives or money or anything really. People are people either way, some you like and others you don't.

[Bakiryu]

I know. For some reason I CANNOT get along with preps. They all hate me. I see cliques as a ridiculous invention.

[Mortis Anarchy]

I have had problems with preps as well as many other types of people. I've always been known as that weird artsy chick. But I get along with all kinds of people...even preps.

[Virgil]

O.K. I was viewing some old threads for times past when the thought occured to me: What makes a person, in general, male or female, beautiful?

Is it only appearance or something deeper? For y'all what makes someone beautiful? and how does this change or affect your oppinion on beauty?

Were you looking at my photo when this thought came to you? :p I am rather beautiful, ain't I? :blush: :D :p

But seriously, by definition, physical beauty refers to appearence, doesn't it? If one refers to a deeper beauty I think they are talking in metaphor, not actual physical beauty.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Were you looking at my photo when this thought came to you? :p I am rather beautiful, ain't I? :blush: :D :p

But seriously, by definition, physical beauty refers to appearence, doesn't it? If one refers to a deeper beauty I think they are talking in metaphor, not actual physical beauty.

I agree. I think when you love someone, there is obviously something you like about them, both physical as well as personality.

[Bakiryu]

I have had problems with preps as well as many other types of people. I've always been known as that weird artsy chick. But I get along with all kinds of people...even preps.

Weird Arsty Girl? Does you have paintings I may see? *Curious* I'm known as the Strange Emo Girl who Carries Too Many Books and May or may not be Gay.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Weird Arsty Girl? Does you have paintings I may see? *Curious* I'm known as the Strange Emo Girl who Carries Too Many Books and May or may not be Gay.

I'll see what I can do...most of my stuff is sketches or mixed mediums...art supplies are expensive!! SO I just use what I got. I'll pull some up and send them to you. Hows that? Its all really weird/surreal...

[Bakiryu]

Thank you!

Do you have a deviantART? Most of my simpler stuff (like sketches) is there, the other stuff is too big to be scanned.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Nope...what is it?

[Bakiryu]

It's a website for Artists (link: www.deviantART.com)
You can talk to artists all over the world, some experienced, some beginers, and view their art. You can also search for an specific theme or mode of art and scan your own piece to recieve critiques and commennts on how to improve.

(I'm in there by my own name: BAKIRYU as well)

[Mortis Anarchy]

cool, I'll have to check it out. What kind of stuff do you do? To stick with the topic, but is it beautiful?? And what makes it beautiful or if not why?

[Bakiryu]

I tend to sketch characters from my books or oil pastels, I'll be adding a LOT of new stuff tomorrow. I'm also into creative photography.

To me all art is beautiful but it's beauty is determined by the number of hours the artist put into it and the amount of effort.

If someone just creates something in 5 minutes, it's not art, it's a sketch. but if you patiently labor for 2 to five hours, or even days painstakingly working in your creation IT'S ART and it's beautiful, even if it looks strange. It you put your heart into it, it rocks.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Well, yeah...but sometimes I'll do something that will blow me away and it only took 20 minutes...most of the time that doesn't happen. I think that art like people reflect personality and its own beauty, even if it is dark and twisted looking.

[kratsayra]

For random people I see on the street -- For women, I often find them beautiful if they are dressed in a way that looks confident and together and interesting and shows off the best attributes of their body. For men, it would mostly be how well their body is built - if they look healthy and slightly muscular, but not overly so (I'm a straight female, if you couldn't guess ;) )

For people I know -- they all start to look beautiful to me after a while. With most of my friends or close colleagues, I will probably find one part of their body or face or some mannerism of theirs or their hair beautiful or physically appealing, just because I like them as people and appreciate them.

[Mortis Anarchy]

For random people I see on the street -- For women, I often find them beautiful if they are dressed in a way that looks confident and together and interesting and shows off the best attributes of their body. For men, it would mostly be how well their body is built - if they look healthy and slightly muscular, but not overly so (I'm a straight female, if you couldn't guess ;) )

For people I know -- they all start to look beautiful to me after a while. With most of my friends or close colleagues, I will probably find one part of their body or face or some mannerism of theirs or their hair beautiful or physically appealing, just because I like them as people and appreciate them.

I agree...more girly, flowy earthy look, not trampish or at least for girl. I TOTALLY agree with you about men.

[higley]

I have difficulty stamping "beautiful" on anyone who simply has a straight nose and clear skin. They may not have tangible physical flaws, but nonetheless I don't consider them lovely. 'Flawless' doesn't cut it; some of the most beautiful people I know fall short of perfection but are much better looking in my opinion than others who techinically have nothing wrong with them! To me a beautiful person has real character in their features, whether it's the shape of their face or the line of their brow or any other memorable characteristics. Of course as a schooled artgeek I tend to place emphasis on these things because they're what we're taught to look at. I think my friend quite handsome because of his cheekbones!

Of course a bright smile can make anyone beautiful. :)

[Countess]

For me beauty is caused by something within. It is the innate goodness in someone, compasion, and even a confidence within themselves. The most beautiful woman doesn't seem so if she doesn't believe it. Just as someone who is, at least by stereotype, less attractive can seem exceedingly so because of the person that they are.

I like the way you phrased this. I appreciate the sentiment.

[QUOTE=Bakiryu;398298] O.K. I was viewing some old threads for times past when the thought occured to me: What makes a person, in general, male or female, beautiful? [QUOTE]

The human being is a very complicated creature, so I don't think I can efficiently summarize "human beauty" in a single statement that will be truthful in most cases.

I won't deny I have an eye for the male form and face, and utterly appreciate masculine beauty on a grand scale. Very rarely does total facial symmetry and proportion intrigue me, however. Brad Pitt is too perfect; consequently he is boring. Orlando Bloom has a crooked, pointed nose, thin lips, small beady eyes and a weak chin, yet when God tied all that in with a sublime if not fragile bone structure, he created a masterpiece of divinity.

So, for me absolute flawlessness is empty. I look for walking, talking 3-D art.

That covers the physical scale.

Spiritually, Rogue from The Cruxshadows is perhaps one of the most beautiful men on the planet. When I listen to an especially poignant Cruxshadows song, one that reaches down inside my breast and touches my innermost soul, I experience the most profound and overwhelming love for him, that I wish he were present only so I could hug and kiss him profusely.

Then there are emotionally beautiful people - though no one immediately comes to mind - I think of my little Ana Vercini (fictional character) who loves Jules through thick and thin, through self-destruction and self-elevation, almost to the exclusion of herself. If her death would somehow save him from himself, she would have gladly sacrificed herself for the cause, for her love is unconditional, exceeding the contraints of human bounds into the divine.

Though I don't know what Jesus looked like, his character included both a spiritual and emotional beauty that spurred an entire religion. Likewise, Buddha also had a compassionate heart and gorgeous spirit.

Maybe Jules said it best: "I'm an artist at heart and have a heightened appreciation for beauty, so I tend to see the world in terms of aesthetic pleasure or offense. When I look at something or someone, I'm searching for beauty in all its myriad forms - in the colors of a rainbow, in the contours and lines of a face, in the love a mother has for her child."

[motherhubbard]

It is so easy to look at someone and think that they are attractive, but I don’t think that physical beauty is what really makes a person beautiful. So, it’s no secret that I’m a big dork and I’ll just say that in my opinion having good fruit makes a person beautiful.
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self control

[brokenheartpoet]

I think a beautiful person is sensitive,companosite, helpful, caring and has a heart like gold

[Lioness_Heart]

Were you looking at my photo when this thought came to you? :p I am rather beautiful, ain't I? :blush: :D :p

But seriously, by definition, physical beauty refers to appearence, doesn't it? If one refers to a deeper beauty I think they are talking in metaphor, not actual physical beauty.

It seems to me as though beauty has kind of taken on a new meaning, and has become more metaphorical as a concept.

It might just be peculiar to where I live, but most of the people I know (generally at school) don't really use the word 'beautiful': rather, they will describe a girl as 'pretty'. I always think that 'pretty' sounds a bit bland and wishy-washy in compparison, perhaps because the word does only describe someone's physical appearance, and isn't at all inflluenced by what they are like as a person.

The way I view the word, for someone to be beautiful, you generally have to know them, and see an inner beauty and depth. It's like when I first met the guy that's now my boyfriend, I didn't think that he was particularly 'beautiful' (is that the right adjective to describe a guy?), but the more I got to know him, the more attracted I was to him, and even now, every time I see him I think he looks even better than the last time. Although I guess with some people, you see them and something makes you think that they're really beautiful, and it's just something about them that insinuates depth. I suppose that suggests that the perception of beauty has something to do with how you carry yourself.

The trouble is, true beauty isn't always a good thing, because other people fear it. Being pretty isn't always so much of a threat, because of its inherent lack of substance, but beauty can be threatening, because of everything that it means. That means that other people can be jealous, but also that they can act strangely, not necessarily in a negative way, but just differently around you because of something that you can't change.

It also really annoys me HOW superficial people can be. Like when you wear a skirt and all of a sudden people that would never normally notice you start staring at your legs. But that's just a general, unrelated point.

I rambled a bit. I hope it makes sense.

[BlueSkyGB]

Confidence is the key to beauty IMO :)

[Brigitte]

Hm, this doesn't define what I think is beauty, but it was a conversation I had with some friends.

They were talking about some girl that they HATED because she was annoying. And then the comment slipped out, "She's not even pretty." So then the conversation shifted towards, "If she was hot I wouldn't care how she acted, I'd still try to be nice." I think this is a generalization, but it's pretty much true... a lot of people will tolerate stuff if it's coming from someone attractive.

As for me, above all I cherish intelligence. If I hear someone saying something I really understand/think is intelligent I'll glance toward the person. Er... but if they're not good-looking then it's very whatevers. I'm only 18 - I like to look at pretty things, and that's me being entirely honest.

[livelaughlove]

I also wonder what people see when they think they see something beautiful. Do they say it is beautiful simply because it pleases the eye, or do they see something else, an innate sense of purpose or character? And is it possible for people to look past physical beauty and feel someone's inner beauty right away and be able to connect? Is this called love at first sight?

At the risk of sounding egotistical, I'll say that a lot of people tell me I'm pretty. But when I look in the mirror, I don't see anyone particularly interesting or beautiful - I just see me. How do I know that they are seeing the same person that I see? And is it different because I am looking at myself in the mirror versus someone looking at me? And how am I supposed to tell what part of me they are calling beautiful - the real me - or just the image?

Sorry for all the questions... I just never seem to find any answers.

[Bakiryu]

Different things are beautiful to different people. A person can never be truly beautiful unless they're kind, selfless and giving. The most beautiful woman in the world or the most wanted bachelor with a heart of stone isn't beautiful. To me, althought my opinion may differ from all you guys, beauty consists of not thinking of yourself but of others, offering to the world your best.

But I'm not saying I can't appreciate a good pair of legs or a wonderful pair of brown eyes ;D

[jon1jt]

O.K. I was viewing some old threads for times past when the thought occured to me: What makes a person, in general, male or female, beautiful?

guys i wouldn't know anything about. females...good skin, definitely. :p

[Bakiryu]

Good skin is definedtly important, I mean what does it say about yourself I you can't take care of your own skin. Of course there are some things, like scars or illness which are beyond a person's help to fix.

[Scheherazade]

It is surely in the eye of the beholder... and in the amount of alcohol consumed by the afore-mentioned beholder. Don't forget 'the mystery bus' and 'the mystery cab'!

[Sancho]

Amount of scar tissue is sometimes an indication of a full or interesting life. As is how many wild animals you’ve been bitten by – but then those two sorta go together eh?

[Bakiryu]

My life is quite boring but ever since I got a cat my arms are more mangled than before. Thank the gods I don't scar easily!

[Mortis Anarchy]

Mm, I have a thing for smiles, eyes and hair. And good pair of strong arms...this may sound weird, but that crease right on the hips...eh.:blush:

Is it just me and my friend that like crease and veiny arms??

[Moira]

I also wonder what people see when they think they see something beautiful. Do they say it is beautiful simply because it pleases the eye, or do they see something else, an innate sense of purpose or character? And is it possible for people to look past physical beauty and feel someone's inner beauty right away and be able to connect? Is this called love at first sight?

At the risk of sounding egotistical, I'll say that a lot of people tell me I'm pretty. But when I look in the mirror, I don't see anyone particularly interesting or beautiful - I just see me. How do I know that they are seeing the same person that I see? And is it different because I am looking at myself in the mirror versus someone looking at me? And how am I supposed to tell what part of me they are calling beautiful - the real me - or just the image?

Sorry for all the questions... I just never seem to find any answers.

I don't believe in love at first sight, that is attraction not love.

You have an interesting point there......
I believe that the way we SEE and percive ourselves differs from the way other people SEE us.

[Nossa]

Erm...I don't know if we're talking about what makes a person 'look' beautiful or 'be' beautiful. I mean, if you're asking about physical features, then I normaly focus on the eyes and smile actually...I don't exactly care that much about the appearance anyways. If you're asking about the personality, then I'll probably just say that a person is beautiful and attractive to me, if he/she is understanding, has a radiating spirit, someone whom I can have a conversation with, without looking at my watch.

[dramasnot6]

An appreciation for life

[BibliophileTRJ]

Amount of scar tissue is sometimes an indication of a full or interesting life. As is how many wild animals you’ve been bitten by – but then those two sorta go together eh?

If that's your standard of beauty...... I'm drop dead gorgeous!!

[dramasnot6]

Our slightly deformed super model Biblio! :p
Taking the run way with a fishing rod and steel toed shoes :)

[PrinceMyshkin]

A question I've contemplated is Do we love someone because they are beautiful, or

Are they beautiful because we love them?

[BibliophileTRJ]

Our slightly deformed super model Biblio! :p
Taking the run way with a fishing rod and steel toed shoes :)

LOL Drama, you're a pip!:lol:

And thank you for the modifier "slightly" I truly appreciate it! :p

[Bakiryu]

A question I've contemplated is Do we love someone because they are beautiful, or

Are they beautiful because we love them?

If you love someone because they LOOK beautiful, then it's not really love. But if you love the person so much you THINK he/she is beautiful (even if they're not) then they are beautiful: to YOU.

[the silent x]

but then there might be someone who fell in love with someone because they appeared beautiful, then fell in love with the same person again because they were internally beautiful

[Bakiryu]

Yeah that could be true but in reverse order.

[the silent x]

yea, i'll agree with that, it was represented in my dream last night, i dreamt a girl called my name and asked if i was doing anything, this girl was dressed like an emo, (no offense ryu and all other emo's but i want a relationship that's gonna last) so i think no, but answer yes, we talk awhile and i find out she's a beautiful person on the inside, so i say that i can go out with her, the moment i say that, she takes off her hat and her clothers, to reveal a regular girl, ( she was wearing other clothing beneath the ones i saw) and i realized she was a girl i wanted to go out with for a long time.

[Lyn]

What they say and what they think. honesty.

[Bakiryu]

yea, i'll agree with that, it was represented in my dream last night, i dreamt a girl called my name and asked if i was doing anything, this girl was dressed like an emo, (no offense ryu and all other emo's but i want a relationship that's gonna last) so i think no, but answer yes, we talk awhile and i find out she's a beautiful person on the inside, so i say that i can go out with her, the moment i say that, she takes off her hat and her clothers, to reveal a regular girl, ( she was wearing other clothing beneath the ones i saw) and i realized she was a girl i wanted to go out with for a long time.

I hope she's real.

[NikolaiI]

For me beauty consists of both inner and physical beauty. I am attracted to people who are kind and generous. I think if someone possesses those qualities, they will also possess other qualities I admire. I believe characteristics correlate both positively and negatively in people, and someone who is kind will less likely to be ignorant, etc.

As for physical beauty, health is the biggest factor for me, after that the face and the body, about equally. So mental and physical well-being, if you consider mental to include emotional and spiritual experience.

Friendly and open-minded and intelligent and strong character and all that, too. :)

Anyway.

[Annamariah]

Good skin is definedtly important, I mean what does it say about yourself I you can't take care of your own skin. Of course there are some things, like scars or illness which are beyond a person's help to fix.
I hope no one judges me because of my skin :sick: I spend a lot of time trying to make it better, but nothing seems to work. :( I have atopic dermatitis. My skin is very dry and nothing seems to work. My hands look quite bad, though they are now in much better condition than they were a month ago.

I think people can be good looking without being really beautiful or handsome. Almost every one have something in their looks that makes them look good, if they want to. It might be their smile or eyes or hair or some facial expression or something like that.

[Abdulbagi]

Beauty is amixture of physical body and spirit of a person. However in my opinion the real beauty is the person being clean, loyal, big heart, always smiling, harmless, share others their happiness and sorro, fear God, helps others, never say bad words, good friend, accepting what he/she is but working the better, etc.

[Lyn]

Has anyone ever thought they ddidn't fancy someone, then got to know them, and because of their mental characteristics/personality/actions started to fancy them? I think that charisma and intelligence are incredibly attractive. I'm not sure if that's beauty though.

[Bakiryu]

Has anyone ever thought they ddidn't fancy someone, then got to know them, and because of their mental characteristics/personality/actions started to fancy them? I think that charisma and intelligence are incredibly attractive. I'm not sure if that's beauty though.

Of course Intelligence is beauty, look here's list of the name of all myc hildhood crushes (they're all dead anyway): Einstain, Bethoven, Michaelangelo, Darwin, Newton.

and I ddidn't even know what any of them looked like!

[Petruchio]

I belive that real beauty is the inner beauty!
A person might be beautiful on the outside,but if that person treats other people like dirt then where is the beauty in that?
Besides that,there are people who are beautiful on both the outside and the inside........and then there are those who don't even know what real beauty is!!
my concept of beauty is associated with how a person is with other people in thier dealings!How he treats others,how he feels others pain,how he is there for someone, how he can lend a shoulder to others in times of need .....and most of all......how he/she is!!!
And keeping a few of the things in mind,i would like to say that there are alot of beautiful people around here!:)

[Bakiryu]

I agree with your view Petruchio. THAT'S what real beauty is!

[farnoosh]

to me a person is beautiful that has a great heart
not the things she/he put on or how they look!:)

[smartgirl]

i agree Farnoosh. that's what it is

[quasimodo1]

As tiresome and outworn as they may seem...the so called "boy scout list of great human traits is great...with the possible exception of their religious prejudices. quasimodo1

[Scheherazade]

Looking at some of the answers, are you guys really saying that looks do not matter?

[kilted exile]

I think people are too scared of appearing shallow. Physical Characteristics are important, all this nonsense about "inner beauty" - someone could be all the things you describe, but are you going to pay attention to him/her if at first glance they have dirty/unwashed/greasy hair, bad breath etc? No you're not and it doesnt even have to be to that extreme.

[Scheherazade]

I think people are too scared of appearing shallow. Physical Characteristics are important, all this nonsense about "inner beauty" - someone could be all the things you describe, but are you going to pay attention to him/her if at first glance they have dirty/unwashed/greasy hair, bad breath etc? No you're not and it doesnt even have to be to that extreme.What he said.

[*Classic*Charm*]

I'd have to agree. I don't think it has to do with the clothes a person wears, etc, but physical characteristics are undeniably a part of beauty. Again, that's not to say that one must have a "perfect" body or face or toenails, whatever, to be beautiful, but one cannot say that one's physical being is not a part of his or her person.

The whole person must be beautiful. This means that he or she must be good to others and all that (I won't list everything again because it already has been), but it also means that such a person must take pride in his or herself, that is, show that he or she is beautiful inside by expressing it on the outside. A person does not have to be what is generally considered "Beautiful", but can still make him or herself attractive by taking care of themself. That is, being healthy, repecting his or her body, and taking pride in hir os her own presence. I think that how we appear on the outside is a reflection of how we are inside. How a person treats him or herself is a reflection of how he or she treats others.

[farnoosh]

Looking at some of the answers, are you guys really saying that looks do not matter?
i think it doesnt matter ,because many people have bad diseas and there sick ,
but truly they are great inside

[Pensive]

I think people are too scared of appearing shallow. Physical Characteristics are important, all this nonsense about "inner beauty" - someone could be all the things you describe, but are you going to pay attention to him/her if at first glance they have dirty/unwashed/greasy hair, bad breath etc? No you're not and it doesnt even have to be to that extreme.

To some extent I agree with you. I have seen people on one hand rambling about how they don't give a damn about appearance of things, then finding themselves attracted towards 'physically beautiful people'. What a hypocrisy!

I also think that physical appearance does matter (though I personally find it's difficult for its standard to be set even more than one's nature), but I would stick to it that one's nature is more important. After all, most of the people like decoration-pieces at home, jewellery, beautiful furniture, etc, etc.
But how can you enjoy a beautiful home with no food in it? A beautiful house but lonely and with no one with whom you can share your happiness/sorrow/whatever. I don't care if anyone thinks I am writing this down because I think in this way people wouldn't consider me shallow, but I would rather have seem-ingly (by majority's physical beauty standard) ugly people as friends who are good-natured rather than pretty friends with whom my mind doesn't meet up.

As for people having unwashed hair, they can wash up their hair. It's what they can manage. Not to give other people any trouble, this also in a way tells us about their good-naturedness! :p

And anyway you would rather have friends whose hair would be smelling rather than those physically attractive ones who would cheat on you, wouldn't you?

[farnoosh]

i have seen those people too pansive.there discusting!

[Redzeppelin]

Looking at some of the answers, are you guys really saying that looks do not matter?

I would say this is not fully true. Looks do matter - we are visual creatures and it would be absurd to pretend that physical beauty is totally unimportant to us. We are all struck by beauty - it has an undeniably powerful effect on us.

Having said this, I would qualify it by saying that looks cannot be the sole arbiter of beauty, nor should they trump the other, more substantial and meaningful marks of beauty: attitude, outlook, intelligence, personality. If kept in its proper position, physical beauty will enhance the person's innate inner beauty - to the point where an "unattractive" person may be quite desireable to someone. But to fully discount the power of physical attraction is silly - it does matter - the question is does it matter too much?

[Domer121]

beautiful thing to me in a person is the ability to see how they can love others no matter what.....nothing is more beautiful to me.

[mheartin]

Beauty is simplicity. Enough said.

[XY&Z]

Q. What makes a person beautiful?

A. Answer is IT factor.
Either you have it or not. And that it does not have and need definition.

[*Classic*Charm*]

I would say this is not fully true. Looks do matter - we are visual creatures and it would be absurd to pretend that physical beauty is totally unimportant to us. We are all struck by beauty - it has an undeniably powerful effect on us.

Having said this, I would qualify it by saying that looks cannot be the sole arbiter of beauty, nor should they trump the other, more substantial and meaningful marks of beauty: attitude, outlook, intelligence, personality. If kept in its proper position, physical beauty will enhance the person's innate inner beauty - to the point where an "unattractive" person may be quite desireable to someone. But to fully discount the power of physical attraction is silly - it does matter - the question is does it matter too much?

Redzeppelin, you're my hero.

[tulysg1982]

"what makes a person beautiful"? I think a well groomed smily face with good sense of humour, intelligence, politeness, good human mind, good expression in the way s\he talks.

[Redzeppelin]

Redzeppelin, you're my hero.

Here I come to save the day! (Hey, where'd I leave that cape with the big red RZ on it?)

Thanks - you're too kind. :)

[Riesa]

the expression in the eyes. and a sensual smile.