Beauty can be measured!

Our instinct tells us what we find beautiful, but it is often difficult to precisely define this. We get pleasure from the sight of beautiful faces, whether in glamour magazines, when looking at Hollywood stars and supermodels, when looking at other people around us or, of course, when looking in the mirror. We are constantly searching for beauty, trying to get closer to certain ideals. But when asked precisely what constitutes beauty or why certain faces appear beautiful, we are frequently at a loss for an answer. Instead of giving a precise explanation, we prefer to use comparisons e.g.  «A beautiful mouth like Linda Evangelista´s , eyes like Sophia Loren, a neck like that of Audrey Hepburn». Or we simply say, «Beauty is relative and is in the eye of the beholder».

Beauty is indeed relative - but relative to a certain purpose which is to be fulfilled.  Claims are often made that our idea of beauty is dictated by the media. Is it not the case that they merely present us with an excess of images of beautiful, attractive people, whom we instinctively find beautiful? The decisive factor here is our instinct, regarded in other situations as a reliable source of advice. Our Instinct is a pattern of behaviour which has proved beneficial in ensuring our survival.