Beauty: a combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that please the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. For such a simple definition, this word has great implications on the way we see others and ourselves, thus having great consequences on societies and our own self-esteem.
But what is the science behind the beauty standards that we set? Why is it that we find certain features attractive? Does beauty really lie in the eyes of the beholder? Philosopher David Hume made the argument that “beauty is no quality in things themselves: it exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind contemplates a different beauty”. This article will delve into the neuroscientific and evolutionary aspects of the way that our brains decide on the beauty of a face.
Averages: This doesn’t necessarily mean a mediocre-looking face, but instead means the extent to which a face resembles the majority of other faces within a population. This discovery was first made in 1878 when Sir Francis Galton combined photographs to produce composite portraits. He initially came up with this technique with the intent of margining faces of violent criminals, to discover the “face of criminality”. To his surprise, the resulting portrait was, in simple words, beautiful. Computers have improved upon these techniques by creating digitally blended composite faces. It is thus found that, generally, the more images in a composite, the more attractive it appears because more imperfections (such as lines or blemishes) are smoothed out.
Symmetry: Though this may seem like an obvious indicator of beauty, there are quite a few reasons why people prefer symmetric features to asymmetric ones. Primarily, asymmetric features are associated with developmental abnormalities (usually arising from parasitic infections in plants, animals, and humans), thus become indicators of bad health. If you’ve heard of the widely successful makeup brand, “Max Factor”, you might also know that its founder, Maksymilian Factoroicz designed the beauty micrometre in 1930. This device functioned by measuring minor asymmetric flaws. These flaws were then rectified by “make-up” products sold by his company. The rule of symmetry doesn’t only apply to humans, however. Researcher Molly Moris found that female swordfish prefer symmetrical males (males with an equal number of ark vertical bars on both of their sides) to mate with. Similar behaviour can be associated with zebras, finches, and lizards too.
It is easy to underestimate the far-reaching effects of beauty in our everyday lives. Our brains seem to automatically associate beauty with goodness of character, even in experiments wherein the physical characteristics are not being tested. Experiments additionally uncovered the ugly truth that people with developmental abnormalities or facial disfigurements are seen as “less good or intelligent or functional or competent”. Most of our popular villains, too, are shown with facial disfigurations or features that go against conventional beauty standards. These standards, which are hugely magnified by social media, play a big role in how we perceive individuals. It is thus important to understand and become aware of the biological aspects that come into play while judging beauty, to show that the reasons behind why we consider faces attractive are neurological and not linked to the character or competency of a person.
Written by: Ishani Patil
Edited by: Unnathi Kumar and Nitya Khirwar
Designed by: Pourush Jindal & Aradhya Poddar
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