Historical Importance of Beauty

Abstract

Beauty's effect on life satisfaction is, both, indirect and direct. Direct effects impact women more, affecting happiness independent of its impact on income, marriage prospects, and other outcomes. History and research has shown us that there are clear advantages to being beautiful, which has prompted the response of the mass market as we are continuously met with new products, devices, and procedures that attempt to provide some form of beautification. People will go to great extent to try and increase their attraction. Concern with beauty is not just an aberration of modern culture and western society. There is a scientific and evolutionary basis to theories of why the human mind finds certain attributes aesthetically pleasing, of why we stare longer at pretty faces, and of why we seek the friendship, companionship, and leadership from more beautiful people. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)