Beauty and the Beast: Society Shaping Our Self-Esteem

What is beauty?
Beauty is difficult to define because there are so many different things that we consider beautiful not only in our society but also cross-culturally. So, I searched for the definition of "beauty" and this is the first definition given at Google.com:

beau·ty

noun /ˈbyo͞otē/  beauties, plural A combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, esp. the sight

Breaking down this definition, we see that it is not one sole thing that defines beauty, but more than one quality of an individual. Also, in this definition, beauty says that it must be aesthetically pleasing to the senses. Note that "esp. the sight" is the last thing mentioned in this definition.

Social Psychologists' research has shown that beauty could have a lot to do with symmetry on the body, especially in the face of an individual, because this is where we find the majority of our social cues (Class Discussion April 4, 2012). When we socialize with others, we look for these cues to determine others' thoughts and feelings towards us; It is part of the socialization process (Discussion 4/4/12).

Beauty is one of the social factors that defines our attractions towards others (Discussion 4/4/12). In relationships and other social circumstances, we are motivated as social individuals to have a sense of belonging to carry on these relationships (Markus et al. 384).

This motive and drive can be helpful in determining how to maintain relationships, but it can also hurt our self-esteem when the qualities of beauty defined by social comparison are almost impossible to meet. Today, we have set such high standards for both men and women to define what is beautiful. We look to actors and actresses, singers, and other famous individuals to help us define what beauty should be. Sometimes these expectations are unrealistic to achieve and can bring our self-esteem down so low that it can affect our relationships with others.

My last blog about social groups showed how women are defined by society and how it affects who I am today. Considering these factors, they can reflect how I view myself compared with others and how this defines my interactions with other people. For example, it is not common to see women without makeup and so I usually wear makeup because of this standard our society has set. It can make me feel like, without makeup, I am not beautiful and motivate me even more to wear it as much as possible.

These standards affect how others "see" me or also how they interact with me. If I'm wearing makeup people might talk to me more or accept me in a social situation better. At job interviews, you have to look your best to keep up "appearances" and this can be a compromising situation to determine new behaviors because your behaviors may change because of this one social situation.

How do you determine what is beautiful? Do you believe that what society shows us about men and women and beauty is accurate?

Below is a shocking video of how our society determines what is beautiful. Watch, comment below, and have a wonderful Easter!