Every Person Has Their Own Perceptions of Beauty - Essay Example

This essay is an evaluation of the biological aspect of beauty and the different perceptions that define beauty in people and other living things. The definition of beauty is best described in terms of biological factors for they are not commonly subjected to change though it can also be described by society's standards that are not static as they can change from time to time depending on the level of civilization or fashion change (Zuckert 2005 p 62). For example, in human beings attraction is driven by desires and hormones that are stimulated by the need to reproduce.

Beauty plays a key role in determining who among multitudes would best fit as a candidate. Physical appearance is very important as it creates the first impression. Biological factors such as face symmetry, the color of the skin, body shape, and the color of the eyes are aspects that attract or repel humans (Woodley 2001 p 37). This is because they vary in different individuals who have different preferences. A person who prefers a partner with light skin is likely to terminate a person with dark skin as ugly and vice versa.

The human face creates attraction in both sexes depending on its symmetry (Stewart 2006 p 26). The levels of symmetry in different people though hard to notice, vary with the individuals. A symmetrical face is considered more beautiful compared with an asymmetrical one (Stewart 2006 p 66). Men and women view beauty from different perspectives. Women are usually attracted to men who exhibit masculine bodies, and sharp squared faces which mostly characterize good health to them. Women's bodies mature faster than males and due to this, women get more attracted to men who are older than them.

This provides a sense of security and comfort to them which is essential to a woman (David 2003 p 42). Males on their part are more inclined to physical attraction with women having smaller and round faces getting more attraction. Males will tend to concentrate on the woman's hips, breasts, and body shape than on sociological and economic stability or age (David 2003 p 81). The biological nature of males makes them capable of appreciating and serving more than one female. Her scent and the level of pheromones she gives off also enable the males to determine her potential.
Apart from humans, other living things to do appreciate beauty. In their reproductive life, plants and other animals pair according to their looks which determine the chances of winning the attention of their opposite sex (Dimiijan 2003 p 12). In their stages of development, distinct features become visible as they grow up exhibiting the characteristics of their sexes. For example, males develop masculinity, and horns while birds get colored wings and development of breasts in female mammals. This creates attention to their opposite sexes as it acts as a sign of maturity and fertility thus triggering courtship and mating. There is also a tendency of physical battles of supremacy to gain dominance in males of a species where the winner gets the chance to mate with the females (Dimiijan 2003 p 16). This is a form of a show-off that is also portrayed in birds like peacocks that entice the females by spreading their feathers in a beautiful display. Read More