How important is physical appearance?

[heids]

Physical appearance changes how others see and relate to us - how important do you think it is to spend resources (not just money) on enhancing it?  How much do you think it changes people's opinions of each other?

I'm a fan of dressing "nicely" even at home, being neat and put together to some level.  I feel better in decent clothing than in sloppy, extra-casual clothing - it feels like a basic part of respecting myself and being confident and comfortable, plus it shows my personality (I'm hopelessly feminine lol, almost always wear pink rather than all black because I feel the world needs brightening up and I'm just pink to the core)

And yet, for instance, even though makeup would make me look better, I don't wear any, because I'd prefer to spend the time, energy and money it uses on other things.  Plus my upbringing has taught me that too much obsession with appearance is narcissistic (in me, not judging others), and I find this belief hard to break.

What do you think?

[_____]

Physical appearance changes how others see and relate to us - how important do you think it is to spend resources (not just money) on enhancing it?  How much do you think it changes people's opinions of each other?

I'm a fan of dressing "nicely" even at home, being neat and put together to some level.  I feel better in decent clothing than in sloppy, extra-casual clothing - it feels like a basic part of respecting myself and being confident and comfortable, plus it shows my personality (I'm hopelessly feminine lol, almost always wear pink rather than all black because I feel the world needs brightening up and I'm just pink to the core)

And yet, for instance, even though makeup would make me look better, I don't wear any, because I'd prefer to spend the time, energy and money it uses on other things.  Plus my upbringing has taught me that too much obsession with appearance is narcissistic (in me, not judging others), and I find this belief hard to break.

What do you think?

I agree, it's unimportant, especially to the degree of plastic surgery and all that shite (taking care of yourself is fine like you said). I just wear the same pair of shorts and one of my 12 pairs of white t shirts every day lmao

[Aaron]

Personally, whenever I am presenting myself to somebody other than my family.. I make the effort to look semi-decent (whether that is replacing the trackies with jeans, or a nice shirt instead of a baggy daggy). For my job.. I am literally a presenter for 7 and a half hours a day.. so it's kinda hard not to care.

When i'm at home - I definitely don't care. I have 'at home' gear and 'at work' gear. There's a clear line between the two.

I think anyone who says looks aren't somewhat important are kidding themselves. We make assumptions about people based on looks on a daily basis - even if it's that 'slight second' encounter.

In terms of relationships and attraction: I think looks do matter in some regard - however personally they aren't my priority. Intelligence, personality and similarities are my key points.

I don't know about anybody else - but I find those who "overdo it" with makeup etc. a massive turnoff.

[peterpiper]

I really like expressing through what you wear. Most of my clothes are kinda modest, but a little uhh aristo (not really)-urb???, but it reflects a large part of me and who I come to represent myself as in the physical world despite how little value I mentally place on physical things and my surroundings. I think especially because of the fact that no one really gives a shit about what you wear, it gives us many liberties to showcase a snippet of each and every one of us: even if it's like you know - pjs at the supermarket with uggs. There's something wonderful about that. Because if you live in Singapore or a different country/city from Melbourne/Sydney, there isn't that same freedom we see in the streets in the city etc, with all the emos/goths/punk/sub-culture look. Or even just the expensive adidas/nike/sportswear/urban attire people walk around in. At home however, I'm a total mess and will just destroy every fashion guide out there with my total lack of respect for myself and my family's eyes hahaha.

[Dapuccino]

I hate how the world is so judgemental nowadays. I feel like plastic surgery is like a fake layer of confidence. I lose respect for those people who have plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons (of course some need it for medical reasons) because it shows that they are judgemental about others as well as themselves. I think wearing makeup is fine because some see it as art (but I think face painting is more artistic) or creating a better self (temporarily) but not to a degree where you don't even recognise them. I don't wear it because I want people to see who I am without all the fake layers of stuff.

I definitely like dressing a step out of basic because its just fun and it makes you feel confident and amazing, just spending time with yourself, picking out outfits, even at home as well! I find people who buy clothes from thrift stores and then transforming them to something like out of a shop, is really amazing. I would love to learn how to do that myself.

[Calebark]

I only just recently started wearing clothes other than old flannel and band shirts, and it's definitely given me that extra bit of self-esteem being able to go out and not look like total crap. While it's nice to have that extra boost, I suppose I'm just too lazy to be the kind of person who puts in a lot of effort into their appearance -- I'll put in a bit of effort to look presentable, but unless it's a special occasion, I don't do much. I don't find it that important. There are more important things within myself.

In terms of relationships, I'm not going to lie, it's important. I wouldn't date someone I don't personally find physically attractive. I should note, however, that I don't know how much of what I find physically attractive is actually physical. It's hard to tell if I actually think someone is cute, or if I find them cute because I also find them funny or something else, so I suppose it's impossible to actually know how important it is for me. That said, it's most definitely not a priority for me -- there are more important things within a person (oh wow, how poetic, that's how I ended the former part of this post)

[arunasva]

This is an important video please do not ignore it.  Some great ideas out there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrMFjcxkMo4

[strawberries]

I think there are 2 parts to this:
1. how well do you look naturally? (things you can't really change like your genes/hair/eye colours)
2. how well do you make an effort to dress/present yourself? (e.g. clothing, makeup, hygiene etc.)

yes, physical appearance is important to an extent. Like, when you go to a job interview, they're obviously gonna prefer to hire someone who's more "well presented". But personally, idgaf how well my friends/classmates/family/anyone in the street look - in fact, this sounds super mean but it makes me feel better if they 'look worse' than me (more so #2 in how much effort they put in).

I disagree with some posters above because I don't think there's anything wrong with cosmetic plastic surgery - not all of us are born naturally as the prettiest people, so I don't see anything wrong in wanting to change? It's sort of like wearing makeup, dying your hair etc. (obviously it probably can be a mental issue if it goes too far)

[Highway_end]

I think it really depends on where you live. In certain East Asian countries, appearance is considered almost, or just, as important as intelligence/skill when it comes to applying for a job. Many believe (and what I was taught growing up) that in order to be successful, you need to be both smart and attractive, for men and women. Brains won't get you the whole way. So a lot of people get cosmetic procedures eg plastic surgery done to, essentially, do well in life. It is also not uncommon for parents to persuade their kids to get certain procedures done eg. eyelid surgery, nose job, in the hopes that their child will be successful and financially well off.

Many western people are quick to call this out as fake, wrong, or a mask of deception over layers of insecurity/low self-esteem. I believe that you should always be critical before judging someone based on their history of cosmetic surgery/use of make up/fashion style, and always keep in mind the many many many possible reasons for their lifestyle choices.

Personally, I feel the obsession with physical appearance these days, especially amongst our generation, quite sad. But it is human nature to judge someone based on their looks (first impressions) and even if you make an effort not to, everyone subconsciously does it. I feel myself constantly comparing my body and appearance to others in a less than positive way. However, there has certainly been progress regarding the gradual acceptance of different body sizes and unconventional forms of beauty in the media so that's always good

[heids]

@Aaron: completely 103% agree with everything you said.

I hate how the world is so judgemental nowadays.

I don't think it's a thing of "nowadays" - I think it's a part of human nature that's always existed, unfortunately.  If anything, I feel we have more freedom than most generations.

I find people who buy clothes from thrift stores and then transforming them to something like out of a shop, is really amazing. I would love to learn how to do that myself.

As someone who works in an op shop, and hasn't bought a single piece of new clothing in 2-3 years - you don't even need to transform them normally.  We only put out clothing that has no stains or rips and is from a decent-ish brand - it looks like normal shop clothing, just environmentally sustainable and cheap!

I only just recently started wearing clothes other than old flannel and band shirts, and it's definitely given me that extra bit of self-esteem being able to go out and not look like total crap. While it's nice to have that extra boost, I suppose I'm just too lazy to be the kind of person who puts in a lot of effort into their appearance -- I'll put in a bit of effort to look presentable, but unless it's a special occasion, I don't do much. I don't find it that important. There are more important things within myself.

Putting on a nice piece of clothing requires no more effort than putting on a yucky one!  So yeah, agreed; I dislike focusing on appearance of it takes lots of time, effort and money, but respecting yourself on an everyday level doesn't need to take much effort.

Many western people are quick to call this out as fake, wrong, or a mask of deception over layers of insecurity/low self-esteem. I believe that you should always be critical before judging someone based on their history of cosmetic surgery/use of make up/fashion style, and always keep in mind the many many many possible reasons for their lifestyle choices.

My outlook on life - with very different definitions of success and worth to most people's - makes it easy for me to judge others' decisions as shallow, narcissistic and ignorant, and I definitely need the reminder to be less judgmental. :]

[princessofpersia]

Physical appearance changes how others see and relate to us - how important do you think it is to spend resources (not just money) on enhancing it?  How much do you think it changes people's opinions of each other?

No doubt that everyone would agree physical appearance of an individual is to how one perceives themselves and how we perceive others, but to what degree we should care about our looks really comes down to our own morals and ethics also why you value your physical appearance.

We all hear the cliché, its the personality that matters, not the looks, but I personally feel that to be a pressure to adhere to. In social settings, I'm not really the greatest at speaking to other people, and this really deems me insecure about my character. That's why I like to dress neatly and concisely, in comparison to casual tracksuits and singlets, I think its a way to redeem myself _{I have a twisted mind}.

That doesn't mean that I spend hundred of dollars in clothing and makeup, on the other hand I barely wear makeup, but that's just to tell everyone that I am a simple person. If someone does spend a lot money on their physical appearance, I got nothing against that, as long as they're content with themselves and not going broke, then go for it. They just want to send the message that they value their looks and like everything refined and polished. That sounds pretty good but you need to make sure that your physical appearance doesn't take over your mind, or you'll be losing yourself, your self respect and the respect from everyone (unfortunately) around you.

I think it comes down to how you want to portray yourself and your self value. I'm not against people that get plastic surgery b/c if you think about it, there must be a good reason why they got it, they are people that can think, why would they put themselves in that pain and long procedure unless they have a reason. is the reason valid or not, that's not for me to judge, but if they do decide to get plastic surgery for insecurity, then I have to blame the people around them or the media for bringing the size of lips, nose etc. to attention and not the individual who has a heavy weight on their shoulders saying their ears are disproportionate.

Also, I think people just like things that look nice, that's why people with aesthetically pleasing tumblr pages get the most followers. Even when you come home, everyone likes coming home to a neat and tidy house, but the effort to make it neat and tidy, heeheee, that's another story. Just like meeting a new person, whether you like it or not, first impressions happen in the first 7 seconds, so choose wisely what you do. I think subconsciously, when we choose to dress nicely, its a calculative move.

So, I think focussing on your physical appearance is really up to the individual, but they need to make sure that their other worldly activities don't get neglected.

[Maraos]

Although I strongly believe that somebodies personality and individual characteristics and traits must always come first whenever you make a final judgement about someone, in terms of relationships and that 'initial judgement' I do think physical appearance does play a big role.

I like to think about it from a scientific point of view. Our brains have been conditioned from a very young age about what is a 'healthy' look and what is considered 'attractive' also from an evolutionary stand-point our subconscious brain processes so much information when we meet somebody for the first time. I've read on various science articles that apparently our brains determine whether the person we are talking to will be the 'adequate' companion and from a relationship point of view whether they are healthy and would be the right candidate for a relationship (apparently our scent, body size proportions and various other factors are instantly processed but our subconscious minds when we meet somebody) . Now obviously we don't think these things but they are processes that most likely take place without us even knowing and they most likely effect our subconscious mind aswell which would in-turn affect the way we perceive a particular individual.

I personally think that physical appearance is an important aspect of human life and you should feel proud about how you look, but by no means should you try to alter your appearance because 'society' deems it unworthy or 'unattractive.' We also live in a very toxic environment with the media promoting an unhealthy amount of attention towards physical looks and appearance which I think is terrible.