Inner and Outer Beauty :: Sociology, Power, Attractiveness

Beautiful is a praising and admiring description which most people would love to hear about themselves. Although some people believe inner beauty is more important than outer beauty, the truth is that most people love outer beauty. As stated by Emerson, â€Å"if eyes were made for seeing, then beauty is its own excuse for being† (â€Å"Ralph Waldo Emerson,† par. 28). People not only want to be beautiful, but they also tend to seek physical attractiveness. In fact, this is a culture consumed by beauty and attractiveness (Bennett, par.3). From mass fairy-tale stories and Hollywood movies, most people have learnt the stereotype of being beautiful is good and being ugly is bad. The stories and movies always show attractive actors and actresses defeating wicked, ugly villains. This strong stereotype, which powerfully influences each person’s concept of beauty, causes people to believe a beautiful person is more successful and superior. Dr. Herron states that â€Å" the ‘Beauty = Power’ formula is deeply entrenched in our psyches† (Herron 109). To be sure, beauty is a capital power which can determine and improve one’s life (Bennett, par. 1) since it can influence the clubs they join, the friendships they make, the people they marry, the jobs people get, and the salaries they earn (Berry 3). Attractive people are able to have many advantages and positive outcomes, such as having more popularity, greater confidence, more dating opportunities, more promotional chances, and higher salaries (Patel, Utpal, and Rebecca, par.4). Being attractive is important nowadays because it affects people’s interpersonal relationships and workplace experiences. First of all, attractive people are more likely to have better relationships in societies. The author of the article â€Å"Women’s Beauty: Put Down or Power Source?† mentions that â€Å"beauty is a form of power (Sontag 94),† which is true, especially in building relationships. To have good social and interpersonal interactions, the essential factor is physical attractiveness (Patel, Utpal, and Rebecca, par.1). Of course, inner beauty is necessary, but most people would not want to understand and know others deeply who are unattractive or give an unpleasant first impression. For example, I am one of those people who choose their friends by their good looks, and I would say even though some of my friends are plain, none of them would be categorized as homely. In fact, attractive people can have more benefits and positive outcomes than plain or unattractive people in interpersonal relationships.