Greek philosophers were the first people who asked what makes a person beautiful. Plato, who saw beauty as a result of symmetry and harmony, created the “golden proportion” in which, among other things, the ideal face width was considered as representing two thirds of its length, and the face must be perfectly symmetrical. Now, after more than 2,000 years, scientists have tested the theory of philosopher and concluded that he was right: we are attracted to symmetry.
From that day, we have lived through changing concepts of beauty. The change can be traced along with the position and perception of a female figure in society. Standards of beauty have changed over time, based on changing cultural values. And over the centuries, women have mauled and manipulated just about every body part – lips, eyes, ears, waists, skulls, foreheads, stomachs, breasts and feet – that did not fit into the cookie-cutter ideal of a particular era’s ideal of beauty and perfection.
The Beauty of Being You!
Today, women continue to engage in extreme measures to achieve the beauty ideal. In addition to contributing to the booming cosmetic, diet, and exercise and fashion industry – more and more women are having surgical procedures to obtain that perfect look. In the past, liposuction and breast augmentation were the most sought after procedures. Today women are getting face, neck and eyelid lifts, nose reshaping, chin augmentations, brow lifts, thigh lifts and tummy tucks. Some go so far as to have injections of fat to have shapelier bums and calves. Others have their toes removed to be able to wear ultra-pointed shoes.
Would you ever go to these extremes to achieve the beauty ideal? Can you see how fickle is the definition of beauty shifting and changing over time? Who decides and defines the beauty standard? Why do we let them? What would happen if women rebelled against the tyranny of beauty and we came up with our own standard? What if it were a standard we could all achieve without having to manipulate a body part or put our lives in danger? What if we’re already beautiful, but can’t see it because we’re blinded by all the lies that tell us we aren’t? What if we decided to see the good and the beautiful in all of us instead of competing for some arbitrary standard set by someone trying to make money?
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