The glory of being ugly or average

[Nostalgia375]

How empty would be our world, if every woman looked like a supermodel and every man had charisma---who would they influence? Ugliness gives symmetry to beauty and I am referring to general concepts of beauty.

All the beautiful people of this world have to defecate everyday or make water several times a day. If they work-out they generate copious perspiration. Truly, it is not pleasant to see people defecating or urinating but these distasteful processes maintain their health and well-being; and a person's life is threatened if they are hampered in any way---they are a blessing.

In the same vein, the unattractive or average looking people create space for beautiful people by their presence in this world. This presence helps to converge the attention on the beautiful people. Alas! the beautiful do not realize.

From my blog: The Sensibilities of a logophile

[Alexander III]

No no, the ugly people are just there en mass, so that the beautifull and charming have a load of dullness around them to higlight their opulence. In essence ugly people and mediocre people are just there to make the beautifull seem more rare and beautifull.

Like all bad art and mediocre art is out there so that beautifull are shines out brightly in contrast to the mass.

http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/true-story-neil-patrick-harris.png

[Darcy88]

No no, the ugly people are just there en mass, so that the beautifull and charming have a load of dullness around them to higlight their opulence. In essence ugly people and mediocre people are just there to make the beautifull seem more rare and beautifull.

Like all bad art and mediocre art is out there so that beautifull are shines out brightly in contrast to the mass.


I don't know if you were joking, but I think you hit upon a truth there. Whether a person is deemed good-looking is often a relative consideration. A handsome man amongst a crowd of average-looking people seems all the more handsome, but stood in a line with a bunch of calvin-klein models he can be made to appear average himself.

[Paulclem]

I remember a discussion abut this topic before.

Although many of the women admitted they preferred the men ranked as 'slim' and 'muscular', there was no real consensus on which photos they found attractive and which they didn't. Factors such as confidence, grooming and an upbeat appearance were just as important as looks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1205387/Would-date-ugly-man.html

It's not such a simple beautiful v ugly issue apparently.

[Emil Miller]

I remember a discussion abut this topic before.

Although many of the women admitted they preferred the men ranked as 'slim' and 'muscular', there was no real consensus on which photos they found attractive and which they didn't. Factors such as confidence, grooming and an upbeat appearance were just as important as looks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1205387/Would-date-ugly-man.html

It's not such a simple beautiful v ugly issue apparently.

I don't remember that thread but it's hilarious:


Another woman lured Stan to her home only for him to discover she wanted him to take part in a low-budget porn film. She and her partner produced ultra- cheap porn films and sold them over the internet and in pubs. They were trying to put together a film featuring ugly men.

[Sancho Panza]

Sometimes beauty can be a curse for those that possess it as there are often negative stereotypes that "beautiful" people are expected to conform to, ie, all supermodels are unintelligent and are only good for looking at. TV programmes such as The Only Way is Essex or Jersey Shore perpetuate such beliefs. It seems that the media either sees that this is the majority belief and encourages it, or it is in some way responsible for the misconception.

Interestingly, it doesn't seem to be reciprocal and somebody who is described as ugly is unlikely to have automatic assumptions of intelligence thrust upon them, unless they happen to have a pair of glasses on.

[Sancho Panza]

Sorry, message posted twice.

[Paulclem]

I don't remember that thread but it's hilarious:

Aye. Poor old Stan.

I forget what the thread was called, and I used a different article which said basically the same thing.

Apparently there's some research on it.

[Emil Miller]

Sometimes beauty can be a curse for those that possess it as there are often negative stereotypes that "beautiful" people are expected to conform to, ie, all supermodels are unintelligent and are only good for looking at. TV programmes such as The Only Way is Essex or Jersey Shore perpetuate such beliefs. It seems that the media either sees that this is the majority belief and encourages it, or it is in some way responsible for the misconception.

Interestingly, it doesn't seem to be reciprocal and somebody who is described as ugly is unlikely to have automatic assumptions of intelligence thrust upon them, unless they happen to have a pair of glasses on.

I think the media are largely responsible for encouraging a belief in this as in so much else. A recent headline in a UK national newspaper declared that the English were the ugliest people in Europe and, while this is clearly an example of press hyperbole, it is sometimes difficult to travel around England and avoid a similar conclusion; especially if one has travelled extensively on the continent.

[Paulclem]

I think the media are largely responsible for encouraging a belief in this as in so much else. A recent headline in a UK national newspaper declared that the English were the ugliest people in Europe and, while this is clearly an example of press hyperbole, it is sometimes difficult to travel around England and avoid a similar conclusion; especially if one has travelled extensively on the continent.

It's funny considering we're the spawn of lots of other European countries.

[Emil Miller]

It's funny considering we're the spawn of lots of other European countries.

Yes it is strange. Perhaps I should stop going into Witherspoons.

[Helga]

I think the media are largely responsible for encouraging a belief in this as in so much else. A recent headline in a UK national newspaper declared that the English were the ugliest people in Europe and, while this is clearly an example of press hyperbole, it is sometimes difficult to travel around England and avoid a similar conclusion; especially if one has travelled extensively on the continent.

they say the most beautiful women are from the ice, I can't say I agree but I do own a t-shirt from a beer company that simply states in blurry words (in English) 'if you were from Iceland you would be beautiful too'. (the commercial is mainly about self-promotions to UK tourists)

[Emil Miller]

they say the most beautiful women are from the ice, I can't say I agree but I do own a t-shirt from a beer company that simply states in blurry words (in English) 'if you were from Iceland you would be beautiful too'. (the commercial is mainly about self-promotions to UK tourists)

Given that Iceland's population is around 300,000, the sample is too small to uphold the claim. Do you wear the T-shirt ?

[Darcy88]

they say the most beautiful women are from the ice,

I usually hear that about Brazil. I bet America has the most beautiful women just because of their high immigrant population. You got plenty of hispanics, europeans, asians, black, ect.

[Paulclem]

Yes it is strange. Perhaps I should stop going into Witherspoons.

That would explain a lot - I pass one in town regularly. Having said that, I'm no picture postcard.

[stlukesguild]

they say the most beautiful women are from the ice...

I usually hear that about Brazil...

My guess is that the number of individuals that are "beautiful" remains at something of an percentage across the spectrum. Then again... just as artistic "genius" is not egalitarian but often follows wealth and power, so those cultures with the time and the wherewithal to focus upon such luxuries as personal appearances will have a decided advantage. We all might look rather stunning if we, like Hollywood celebrities, had access to full-time chefs and dietitians, full time trainers, full time beauticians, hair-stylists, fashion-experts, plastic surgeons, etc...

My guess is that there is an illusion as to the number of beautiful women in Brazil as a result of the climate. With the warm weather and beaches there certainly must be a certain pressure to maintain a beach-worthy body. The same is quite likely true of Miami, California, and other major tropical cities. Us Northerners can hide our bodies under layers of clothing for 9 months out of the year.

[mortalterror]

I love science.

[Nostalgia375]

I usually hear that about Brazil. I bet America has the most beautiful women just because of their high immigrant population. You got plenty of hispanics, europeans, asians, black, ect.


If you are talking about the sensual aspect of beauty, Brazilians are certainly number one.

[Darcy88]

I love science.

Me too. I have a few experiments I'd like to conduct on those particular specimens, all in the dispassionate pursuit of scientific inquiry of course.

[qimissung]

I work with a large Hispanic population. The girls vary in size, but on the whole they are not often small people.