Everyone knows not to judge a book by its cover, but we can't help it; we do just that, day in and day out, consciously and subconsciously. We often rate others on the basis of their appearance and compare our own looks with the enhanced images of beautiful women and handsome we find online and magazines.Beauty not only sells -- it pays off. Beautiful babies get more attention from parents and teachers. Good-looking guys get more dates than average ones. Pretty women get out of traffic tickets and into exclusive clubs. The list of pluses for being one of the "beautiful people" goes on and on.
So what makes a person attractive? Don't bother looking in the mirror; just get out a measuring tape. (It’s not what you’re thinking…read on.)
Last week when I was in California with my friend Julie, I had a conversation with her oldest son Dylan, in which he told me that he learned that people’s perception of beauty was based on symmetry. Now, Dylan is an actor, and a perfectly gorgeous, perfectly built one at that – so I’m taking this on the advice of an expert. I thoughtfully murmured to myself, ‘I think I’m symmetrical’…. Thinking of course, about my nose, my arms, etc….not on the fact that my boobs used to be so huge and un-even that I had to have surgery to minimize their effect on my neck and back. The perky, even, ta-ta's that I now possess are just a side benefit. Riiiiiiiight – at least that’s what my insurance company seems to believe, because they paid for it. I digress.
But think about it ~ nature confirms that beauty is simply balance: The more symmetrical a face, the more appealing it appears. (Dylan says his nose is crooked. If it is, I certainly didn’t notice ~ as I said, he’s a hunk.) Evidently, physical symmetry is subconsciously perceived as a reflection of a person's youth, fertility, health and strength. And although symmetry might not be a bona fide health certificate these days, it has been a marker of good health and genes throughout human evolution.
There is a book called "Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty", by Nancy Etcoff. She says "Our sensitivity to beauty is hard-wired -- that is, governed by circuits in the brain shaped by natural selection," also, "We love to look at smooth skin, shiny hair, curved waists and symmetrical bodies because, over the course of evolution, people who noticed these signals and desired their possessors had more reproductive success. We're their descendants."
Symmetry also is sexy. I just found this:
“In a study by biology professor Thornhill and University of New Mexico psychology professor Steven Gangestad, hundreds of college-age women and men were measured (including their ears, feet, ankles, hands and elbows). Questionnaires revealed that men who were more symmetrical started having sex three to four years earlier and had more sex partners than their asymmetrical counterparts.”
Right. I’m sure personality had nothing to do with it. Like we’re just going to throw ourselves at a guy because his arms are the same length. Whatever. And geez, who’d they query on this – Wilt Chamberlain? (Sidenote: Both of my parents went to UNM, and while they are both beautiful people, I soooo don't want to know if they were involved in that study.)
Symmetrical people smell better, too. Thornhill and Gangestad found that women prefer the scent of symmetrical men, and vice versa. So much for Old Spice and Chanel No. 5. This is getting more and more lame. Symmetrical or not, a guy is not smelling good after a run, a bike ride, or day in the yard. Period. Although, I must sheepishly admit that when Jason is sweaty I get all twittery...but we knew I was kind of a whack.
Okay, you guys have all seen or read the Da Vinci code, right? And all the boys and girls are now familiar with the Fibonacci Code, yes? (Also referred to at the ‘golden ratio’.) Well, some people actually make a living researching attractiveness. (Doing that while hanging out at the Bungalow doesn’t count) Stephen Marquardt, a retired California plastic surgeon who researches attractiveness, has moved from beauty's medical side to its mathematical side. He notes that a certain ratio has been found to recur in beautiful things both natural (flowers, pine cones, seashells) and man-made (the Parthenon, Mozart's music, da Vinci's paintings). This "golden ratio" is 1:1.618, with the number rounded to 1.618 known as "phi."
Using phi as his guide, Marquardt designed a mask that applies the golden ratio to the face. For example, the ideal ratio between the width of the nose and the width of the mouth is -- you guessed it -- 1:1.618. The closer a face fits the mask, he finds, the more attractive the face is perceived to be. "Even average-looking people fit the mask, just not as closely as really attractive people," he says. "A lot of this is biology. It's necessary for us to recognize our species. Humans are visually oriented, and the mask screams, 'Human!' "
Okay, Marquardt needs to get himself a life. You can check his Web site, though. It shows the mask on hotties throughout the centuries from Queen Nefertiti to Marilyn Monroe (it works on all ethnicities, with slight variations). There's also a mask for men -- a close fit on Pierce Brosnan, but not quite right on Tom Cruise. To see how well your face fits, go to http://www.beautyanalysis.com/.
Breast reduction aside (I said it was medically necessary ~ sheesh!) I’m not going to get carried away in search of symmetry. Nobody's perfect, and that's just fine. I know when I look at a beautiful face, I really seek the unique qualities, including the unevenness. I think a crooked smile is about the sexiest thing there is. Individuality -- now that's beautiful.
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