Given that the whole point of the post you're responding to seems to be precisely that cosmetics do in fact take you quite far, and substance isn't, in his experience, as important as he was led to believe... I rather doubt simply asserting that looks don't matter is going to change his opinion.
> I don't see what's wrong with wanting hair or looking attractive either.
Neither do I. My point was made in earnest. Women are judged negatively for dressing up and actually making an effort in looking attractive. Men aren't judged negatively.
If we start selling makeup for men and encourage a society to use it, it will equalize the notion of "vanity" - using economics and generating desired behaviour in form of externalities is a favourite armchair hobby of mine.
The article treats the subject as an immutable law or truth, with sweeping statements like "The reality is that all women look better in makeup."
What seems to be completely absent is any realization that we are the masters of our own reality. One doesn't have to submit to this tyrannical notion of inescapble universal beauty, but wake up to the possibility of changing the rules of the game or indeed refrain from playing it at all.
After all, beauty is a proxy. Stop focusing on the proxy and start thinking about what makes you a good human being, then construct a beauty identity around that. Not the other way around!
The most successful people get to define beauty standards.
I mean, if you're a desperate, toxic person looking for a mate above all else, then sure, follow the article's many advice. But if you're looking to rewrite history, you're better off developing your own damn personality and growing as a human being.
> As a male, I'll never understand how cosmetics are so entrenched in the lives of females.
really? same reason people like nice clothes. looking "better" is a competitive advantage to help you get the "best" mate. makeup is a means to that end.
There are a lot of products and techniques that help people look more beautiful. However, at its core beauty relates to both age and heath and as such it's less superficial than is generally portrayed.
Taking this back to buying experiences. IMO, there is basic expenses like buying gas or shampoo which don’t cheapen things. But the further extremes you go like plastic surgery or renting out a hotel not just a room you’re inherently worse off.
Beauty in the world really matters. Both people and things.
But expectations being set to high on oneself is bad.
Can you have one without the other and how much are each weighted.
You can also throw in beauty is a service industry that creates jobs and personal satisfaction. Which every UBI talk says is what we will be doing when we can't work.
Beauty is not simply a privilege. There are a lot of things that someone can do to enhance their aesthetic appeal. Broadly, this includes exercising, dressing well, and maintaining a positive demeanor.
I suspect the author fell for this when he was describing how his "beautiful young (friend) in her mid twenties who runs a makeup and lifestyle instagram account" has been "blessed with naturally perfect, glowing, caramel skin, infectious smile," etc. It sounds like he's not seeing her without makeup because she's great at applying it. Granted, I could be wrong, but it seems unlikely.
But how would you know beauty if you did not also know the lack of beauty? In the same way as, what is light without dark? You can't truly appreciate one without the other.
You could be right about the "everyone is beautiful to someone".
I agree, the fashion industry is not much better. If I was king, I'd have everyone aim for athletic/fit. I suppose that's just one person's preference though.
Attractiveness overall seems a more valued trait in women, though, to a rather catastrophic degree. I think men should be allowed to use makeup, and I think the small amounts that would help others wouldn't notice, but, overall, I don't think the fact that women are supposed to constantly worry about their makeup or their hair or their fashion so disproportionately is an advantage. I got the impression that men don't wear makeup mostly because it doesn't really matter. That's a lot of time better spent doing almost literally anything else.
Why cosmetics? Why not pick on smoking, drinking, or even religion? Anyone can pick some thing they don't do/like and claim those wasted resources could be better spent on their dreams. Frankly, I'm betting that a great many people would rather have makeup than a men on Mars. Every time someone buys a fashion mag instead of mailing cash to NASA they make that choice.
Firstly, the article doesn't talk about confirmation bias. The fact remains that if you think you're pretty, but you're actually ugly, all of the effects that come from being perceived as ugly will still come into play, which the article goes into to great detail about.
Yes, feeling confident about yourself is helpful, but as the article said, "the increased confidence of attractive workers only explained 15% to 20% of the beauty premium."
The fact that women basically have to spend hours dealing with makeup only reinforces the OP's post. I don't see how that's a response to what he said.
If you look at the picture, the overall facial structure plays a great role in the transformation. Thinning of the face is not just about losing weight/fat. There is bone structure at play and there are other bodily tissues at play that you can't just remove with exercise.
Look. Your response seriously comes off as one of those banal "If you think you're ugly you are ugly. It's all about self-confidence. You can improve yourself if only you wore better clothes and better grooming and went to the gym." Etc etc. etc. Completely uninsightful and nothing the parent doesn't already know.
Your post doesn't contain an argument regarding my claim that beauty is to a substantial degree a life-style choice.
The style of your post is typical for white-knights who, in my considerable experience, reflexively hit-out against any man who doesn't defer to the feminist/misandric party-line that woman must not be held responsible, that women have only rights, no responsibilities. The great Africa-American philosopher and gender-researcher Christopher Julius has pithily summarised the underlying motivation for this disposition.
You missed my point. I elaborated in this comment [0]. I'd call the malleability you're talking about cosmetics in comparison. The examples I gave are human-centricity and sexism embedded in the very way we refer to objects.
Sure it is! Cosmetics are an enormous industry for this reason. For men, it's more about having a proper haircut, facial hair that suits your bone structure (which is kind of men's makeup), clothes that fit, and good posture.
If you don't believe me, consult with some of your more attractive friends, and have yourself a makeover day to try it out. You can look like a million bucks for the cost of a haircut and a new outfit. Even if you're out of shape, you can present yourself just fine.
If you're feeling really brave, doll yourself up as nicely as you can, and consult a forum (not HN) on your appearance. Reddit has a few communities that do this sort of thing. You can dial yourself in to what most people would considered "beautiful" pretty quickly if you want to do it.
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