What Is Beauty?

Beauty is widely defined as an intangible aesthetic quality of certain objects that makes those objects aesthetically pleasing to perceive. Such items may include sunsets, beautiful landscapes, beautiful humans and creative works of art. Beauty, along with individual taste and aesthetics, is possibly the most important theme of aesthetics, however, one of the most neglected aspects of aesthetics is beauty, its definition. It is argued by some that beauty encompasses all of the aesthetic qualities that we see in nature, however, others think that beauty can be merely a subjective or emotional state.

The beauty standard is a statistical standard used to rate attractiveness across cultures, which allows people from different cultures to objectively rate beauty. This standard was created by anthropologists following World War II who wanted to objectively assess the level of beauty found in different cultural settings. However, critics argue that beauty only becomes an important concept when it is used in the context of beauty norms, such as beauty standards in politics and education, which exclude individuals from certain groups based on their racial heritage, gender, ethnicity or national origin. The beauty standard also varies between societies, with some cultures viewing more highly attractive bodies as key components of beauty, while other cultures place importance on more intangible traits, including a person’s sense of self worth. The beauty standard is therefore not necessarily tied to physical attributes, as defining beauty may be based on cultural norms, and not necessarily on physical attributes.

The beauty standard has a wide range of definitions, however, some common elements have been identified. Individuals who identify with beauty are generally intelligent and confident, and are physically healthy and balanced. They also value and respect their own body shape. People who believe in beauty standards are attracted to models and celebrities who possess the beauty that they identify with. The idea of beauty varies greatly between cultures and within different age groups, with some young people viewing highly attractive celebrities as a source of inspiration and proof that beauty can be attained through hard work and intelligence.