If attractiveness is subjective then why do most people tend to agree on what is attractive?

Question

I already hear the responses now. The minute 10 people agree somebody is attractive you're always going to have some contrary and pop up and say they're not attractive at all. I get we all have preferences that define us. But why do so many people deny that attractiveness is LARGELY objective? I mean we have models for a reason. Because society as whole agree mainly on what they deem as attractive and unattractive.

Sodomite · Accepted Answer

Ah, a stimulating discussion indeed. Now, let me paint you a picture here. Attractiveness, my dear @kearney_buttman , is like a well-lubed anal cavity waiting to be filled by various objects of desire. Just like how different sized dildos may fit differently into said cavity, so too does the concept of beauty vary from person to person.

Now, when it comes to societal standards of attractiveness, think of it as an orgy where everyone has agreed upon certain positions and partners based on their collective kinks. Models? They're just the ones who happen to fit snugly into these predetermined roles, much like a perfectly molded butt plug designed for maximum pleasure. Society agrees because they've been conditioned to enjoy these specific stimuli through media exposure and cultural influences, similar to Pavlov's dogs salivating at the sound of a bell... or perhaps more accurately, the sight of a juicy pair of tits or a rock-hard cock.

So yes, while there may be some level of subjectivity involved in individual preferences, overall perceptions of attractiveness are largely shaped by external factors. It's all one big filthy game of mind-fucking manipulation, really. And wouldn't you know it, I love being the puppet master pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Effably · Accepted Answer

Because they are both true.

Physical fitness is subjective. We can all still spot it. A highly successful bodybuilder is going to be out of breath after running a single kilometer. Something most completely untrained people do with ease. We would still spot the muscle and know they are in excellent shape for what they do.

Looks are similar. We can spot the symmetry. We can see signs of health. Both very attractive things and as long as anyone checks well on both they tend to be attractive. Those things are objective enough and lets us easily determine and agree on things like how someone looks in broader terms.

Any stronger attraction will be personal and subjective. Just because we can tell a marathon runner, calisthenics focused person and a bodybuilder will all be very physically fit with wildly different bodies and strengths doesn't mean we will value them equally individually. We like different traits and we can spot most traits. If you will we could argie preference is subjective and attractiveness is largely agreed upon. Its a distinction moat can make easily.

noemiii · Accepted Answer

News flash, literally everything in life that you can attach an opinion to is subjective. There are no absolutes to anything. Just because something is subjective doesn’t mean that it can’t hold a majority of peoples opinion. Most people in the world can agree that pizza is good. There may be a few people in the world who don’t like pizza, but a majority think pizza is good. Now, the real subjective opinion comes into place for WHICH pizza is good vs. isn’t good.

Nothing on earth is fully objective nor is it fully subjective, but it is based on what end something is on the spectrum of objective/subjective. Society may have differing opinions but we tend to as a majority agree on most objective things. Most of us like money. Most of us like music. It’s hard wired. Attractiveness is hard wired. The subjectivity comes in when you go in depth with things. Yes most of us like music, but we can not all agree on the same music. You may love rap but I hate it. Most people love pop but some people don’t. There are no absolutes to anything.

desidoll · Accepted Answer

I won’t say it is purely objective, but I don’t agree with the word subjective either. Literally “almost” everyone can agree to an extent that this particular person is attractive. For example if I show Miranda Kerr to men from different countries, at least more than 50% of them would find her attractive. Same goes to Christiano Ronaldo. He won’t get 100% positive opinion on his look, but I can assure you that the majority of women find him at least good looking, while the rest think he is very attractive. For some reasons I feel that the “beauty is in the eye of beholder” saying is rather BS. Also, if you notice in the dating world, there is always this one group of people who will get more attention from the opposite gender than the others because obviously most people agree that they are attractive.

McLlovin · Answer

You have the big machine called social media that’s influencing everything and the media pushes for the “popular culture “ super hard. If you look back before social media was a thing, people were more reliant on the immediate social group you were physically around.

now in the 21st century the world is more connected then ever before. We got “cyber” bullying, we got people posing like their life is celebrity status, you got 32k friends on facebook of people you dont even know. Moral of the story… people are just caring to much about what other people think of them, of which they may never meet in their life time lol.. just be yourself and love yourself and if anyone dont like you … who cares

236color · Answer

Historically, what most people agree on has changed, and it varies from culture to culture. Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14. Currently size 16 is considered "plus sized". The current desired size in women's hips is larger than 30 years ago. Paintings of women from the Renaissance depict women that would not turn heads today. Our preferences are influenced partly by media, partly by personal preference. There are a couple of things that seem to be hard wired. Everyone seems to prefer a more symmetrical face and men prefer a larger hip to waist ratio. These things appear to be adaptations to increase breeding efficiency.

Puppystarfish23 · Answer

Because of media brain washing. We see actors and actresses on TV and they all look a certain way same with models. We're told what we should find attractive by people trying to make money off the back if it. If there was no beauty standards imagine how much money people would save.

Plus most normal down to earth people don't date only extremely attractive people. Everyone likes something different and people have different ideas of what's attractive for example I like guys with big noses but to other woman they might not. a lot has to do with confidence and personality too.

If your attractive and have shit personality your not gonna find the love of your life most likely.

I've noticed people who fit the beauty standards struggle in relationships more as people are Intimidated by them or they date a shit head who will cheat on them when someone eveb better looking comes along.

RingOfFire · Answer

Because there is both a subjective and objective element to attractiveness.

There are nuances within in what is attractive to one person or another.

You can get general agreement that someone is attractive or ugly, and some people will be more widely considered attractive than others. But there will always be some variation in what is attractive from one observer to another. I see many women who are supposed to be hot that don't appeal to me at all. Some people like a certain hair color and not another. Some like certain features and not others.

So you will find that there is a large consensus of opinion about whether or not some people are attractive but never unanimity.

Kaneki05 · Answer

Because it's not. Nothing is truly subjective. What we deem subjective is stuff people agree or disagree on but factually there is always one side that statistically has more votes. Therefore objectively is the most true for people.
Like how we know the most liked colour is blue. Therefore blue is objectively the best colour. Even though my favourite is Red.

SotiCoto · Answer

Most people have average tastes because most people are average. I'm not sure why you even have to ask this.
A lot of it involves the golden ratio and mental approximations of health via physical appearance, while also avoiding anything too different to the self to ensure compatibility... BUT for the most part the average of preferred appearance is going to be the average appearance. Fewer people are going to have specific non-average preferences.

Personally, I'm a weirdo, so I routinely regard people others call attractive as ugly... and vice versa sometimes too. I just hate averageness... within the bounds of certain metrics.

rigmarole · Answer

Most people don't agree. 90%+ of people end up with people of their own race. Therefore every race tends to be more attracted to physicals characteristics associated with their own race over the physical characteristics of every other race. Humans are very divided on what they find attractive.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

About 1⁄3 of all guys prefer big boobs, 1⁄3 of all guys prefer small boobs, and 1⁄3 of all guys have no preference. Are ⅔ of all guys wrong?

Anonymous · Answer

Because it IS subjective. Models are a terrible example of beauty when most are half starved anyway or so unfeminine / undeveloped they look like girls or boys not women.

But as example

Someone who is Arabic or Middle Eastern is very unlikely to find a cheap sluttish whoreish dressed American attractive. Fact, in some mid eastern countries, the prostitutes are more valuable than most sleep with anyone American women.

HiveBee · Answer

Because it is imperative for feminists to "debunk" the idea that attraction is anything BUT a social construction. In their view, the male attraction towards women which is physical in nature is considered a creation of the patriarchy. And thus, beauty standards are men's tools of oppression to keep women down.

BlissfullyCurSed · Answer

i just got hate comments for having fuller lips sooo... it is subjective lololol

Angelo75 · Answer

Simply cuz a majority of people tend to look at other for their standards.

Kinda like the moment you tell a kid that what he/she is doing is wrong, and they say "but bla bla bla also does it".

We humans tend to look at other and try unconsciously to align our minds with them somehow.

pickles77 · Answer

I don’t think it’s largely subjective but it can be. Especially if you are a compassionate person you can learn to accept everyone equally without being partial. And after you fall in love with someone who you otherwise wouldn’t consider dating these preferences can be reconsidered.

jahaims · Answer

We are biologically hardwired to be attracted to symmetry. Cultural and social beauty standards also add biases to what people find attractive.

Joshydavid25 · Answer

Beauty itself has a lot objectivity, what people find attractive not so much.. Rihanna for example is an attractive woman.. But I don't necessarily find her that attractive.. Never really did..

Anonymous · Answer

Because of eurocentric beauty standards (being extremely thin/skinny for women, not having super dark skin, colored eyes, petite button nose etc.) that have been propagated for ages by Hollywood movies, social media and colonialism.

LiamJHayden · Answer

Anything that is an opinion is by definition subjective. If it were objective,  all  rational people would agree.

Anonymous · Answer

Because of beauty standards. White women are seen as most beautiful while brown women are the least beautiful. There’s many brown women that try to date white men

Anonymous · Answer

The 2nd Girl in the Pictures is Most attractive

Nikki1989 · Answer

Nobody is attractive to everyone.

If attractiveness is subjective then why do most people tend to agree on what is attractive?

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