Beauty DivineWritten by Advice Diva
The quest for beauty, age defiance and physical enhancement are at an all time high. The beauty industry, comprised of simple salons to mega-corporate giants, pulls in billions of dollars annually. People are obsessed with making themselves beautiful and more attractive for their own personal satisfaction and so others can see them they want to be seen. Not only do people search for ways to enhance themselves, but they also seek beauty and attraction in other things, most notably a dating partner.Some people might conclude that canvassing importance of beauty in dating world is a bit gratuitous. We all know its out there and it can even be considered nature's cruelest form of sexual selection. You either have it or you don't. However, I think it is a poignant topic of consideration whether you are just now entering dating realm or you have been in it for years and whether you are male or female. Today's society places heavy weight on good looks in work place and in social scenes. You can't escape it and you can not deny it. Amidst growing liberties, democracy, abolition of racial and religious oppression and rising demand for an open mind one would naturally assume that our advanced culture would not treat certain individuals better simply because of advantageous genetic facial features. But we all know that this is furthest from truth. We see it every day. Doctor Nancy Etcoff, a faculty member of Harvard University and a psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, has beautifully illustrated ageless hunt for beauty in her book Survival of Prettiest. I was enthralled with hundreds of references throughout history Dr. Etcoff found and adapted to importance of beauty. One of most interesting ones involved Eleanor Roosevelt. When asked if she had any regrets she remarked that she only wished she had been prettier. To hear a statement such as this coming from a heroine to women everywhere, it makes one want to examine why and how being beautiful or handsome plays such a dubious role in our every day lives. As Dr. Etcoff examines this very thought further in her book, I think it would be best if we just accept our idealistic qualities and move on to facing them. When it comes down to selecting new single men and women we choose to date, our very first assessment of potential mate is based on looks. Most people will say that they are looking for more profound qualities such as character, motivation, sensitivity, a commonality in activities, beliefs and a sense of humor and that looks, although important, are not at top of list. Of course everyone wants to feel as if he or she had more noble intents in mind. And although this may be true, nature tends to sway our first choice. Psychological tests upon tests show that we all gravitate towards more attractive person at first. This is not something that we can readily help, nor can we consider it malevolent behavior. It is simply programmed into us from commercials, magazine ads, celebrities and more. It is a learned responsive behavior. While not everyone looks like Naomi Campbell or Brad Pitt and there are only a few genetic anomalies in this world who apparently represent what we all should look like, we can all take steps and measures to improve way we look and how we appear to others. It is very first rule in dating!
| | AlibiWritten by H. Vanoy Barton
Alibi by H. Vanoy Barton We had nothing to with it. We never knew it was going to happen. We simply blindly elected disingenuous, contemptible and corrupt people to care for our world. We did not stand up for right, nor for our descendants. We allowed tyrants, bullies, zealots, spiritual harlots and outright murderers to seize control of nation after nation, church after church, city after city, block after block. But, our portfolios are flush, our bellies are full, our senses satiated and our retirement seemingly uncomplicated. However, we may have a bitter pill to swallow. A country and a world in throes of chaos. Rage, terror, stupidity, greed, bigotry and narrow-minded hostile intolerance ascend - beauty, grace, love and peace descend. It's not our fault. We are Boomers after all. How does it feel?
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