Is it bad to love beauty intrinsically?

BusyNAbroad · 04-10-2009, 08:23 PM

Physical beauty (and I mean anything you may consider beauty, regardless of whether it is in the eye of the beholder or not) can be deceiving.

It can evoke perceptions about the other person that aren't necessarily true, but aren't also necessarily false. In general though, beauty is often used to judge people positively and that may be a reason why beautiful people may have more success at dating (and other areas) at least in a first moment.

While it may be wrong to love a person solely for their beauty, I wanted to ask whether it is that bad to appreciate beauty itself, for its intrinsic traits, like an artistic value?

I feel that many people who have experienced beauty in a negative way (e.g. being jealous of those who have it innately, e.g. having formed too high expectations from beautiful people that were not met, etc.) generalize beauty as being somewhat "evil" and thus avoid it completely.

What I am trying to say is: Just because a physically beautiful may be superficial, uptight, stupid, arrogant, [insert any negative attribute], doesn't mean he/she shouldn't be admired for his/her beauty.

What do you think?

Don't you feel that physical on its own, regardless of every other trait of personality a person might have, can have its own intrinsic value?

la'isla · 04-10-2009, 08:31 PM

of course, there is nothing wrong with admiring beauty just for its own sake. i know people who are aye holes but are hot looking. i still think they've got nice features, but i don't like them.

Crazyaboutdogs · 04-10-2009, 08:33 PM

I admire a beautiful painting, I admire beautiful flowers, a beautiful house etc. Those are inanimate objects. While I may notice a beautiful or handsome person, I would not admire them in the same way I would an inanimate object. People are just people...some are blessed with a pretty face and some aren't..but I don't think it is anything to gawk at. With a painting what you see is what you get...you can't delve any deeper..but with a person, the face is just the superficial part of the person...the real substance is beneath..to admire beauty in a person, the beauty, in my opinion, should go beyond the outer layer.

purpleduckie · 04-10-2009, 09:14 PM

i think you can tell a lot about a person by their face. i think that people's personality shine through their faces.

catfeeder · 04-11-2009, 12:03 AM

Nothing wrong with appreciating beauty as long as you're not blind to the factual things a person says and does. Those are the things that will either enhance beauty or corrupt it. Pay attention.

Goldilocks · 04-12-2009, 01:40 PM

Of course you can appreciate the beauty of a person even if you think they are a horrible person.

I do find though at times the better I get to know someone's personality they get worse or better looking depending on how much I like them or find I dont.

Sometimes a second glance might change your mind. I have friends whom I found stunning when I first made there aquaintance that I now find less attractive, and vice versa.

04-10-2009, 08:23 PM	#1
BusyNAbroad Offline Bronze Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: European Union / Southern Asia Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 652	Is it bad to love beauty intrinsically? Physical beauty (and I mean anything you may consider beauty, regardless of whether it is in the eye of the beholder or not) can be deceiving. It can evoke perceptions about the other person that aren't necessarily true, but aren't also necessarily false. In general though, beauty is often used to judge people positively and that may be a reason why beautiful people may have more success at dating (and other areas) at least in a first moment. While it may be wrong to love a person solely for their beauty, I wanted to ask whether it is that bad to appreciate beauty itself, for its intrinsic traits, like an artistic value? I feel that many people who have experienced beauty in a negative way (e.g. being jealous of those who have it innately, e.g. having formed too high expectations from beautiful people that were not met, etc.) generalize beauty as being somewhat "evil" and thus avoid it completely. What I am trying to say is: Just because a physically beautiful may be superficial, uptight, stupid, arrogant, [insert any negative attribute], doesn't mean he/she shouldn't be admired for his/her beauty. What do you think? Don't you feel that physical on its own, regardless of every other trait of personality a person might have, can have its own intrinsic value?

04-10-2009, 08:31 PM	#2
la'isla Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canadian Gender: Female Posts: 2,308	of course, there is nothing wrong with admiring beauty just for its own sake. i know people who are aye holes but are hot looking. i still think they've got nice features, but i don't like them.

04-10-2009, 08:33 PM	#3
Crazyaboutdogs Offline Platinum Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Canada Gender: Female Age: 46 Posts: 15,631	I admire a beautiful painting, I admire beautiful flowers, a beautiful house etc. Those are inanimate objects. While I may notice a beautiful or handsome person, I would not admire them in the same way I would an inanimate object. People are just people...some are blessed with a pretty face and some aren't..but I don't think it is anything to gawk at. With a painting what you see is what you get...you can't delve any deeper..but with a person, the face is just the superficial part of the person...the real substance is beneath..to admire beauty in a person, the beauty, in my opinion, should go beyond the outer layer.

04-10-2009, 09:14 PM	#4
purpleduckie Offline Gold Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Canada Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 1,309	i think you can tell a lot about a person by their face. i think that people's personality shine through their faces.

04-11-2009, 12:03 AM	#5
catfeeder Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Northern New Jersey Gender: Female Posts: 2,546	Nothing wrong with appreciating beauty as long as you're not blind to the factual things a person says and does. Those are the things that will either enhance beauty or corrupt it. Pay attention.

04-12-2009, 01:40 PM	#6
Goldilocks Offline Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Gender: None Specified Posts: 39	Of course you can appreciate the beauty of a person even if you think they are a horrible person. I do find though at times the better I get to know someone's personality they get worse or better looking depending on how much I like them or find I dont. Sometimes a second glance might change your mind. I have friends whom I found stunning when I first made there aquaintance that I now find less attractive, and vice versa.