Body Fascism: Why We Judge People by Appearance
American educator, activist The second wave of feminism and Oprah Winfrey's pet, Warren Farrell gained fame through his books, literally explaining on his fingers most of the problems of modern men and women, as well as everything that happens between them before and after the lights go out in the bedroom. His book "Why men are what they are" from the mid-80s is considered a manual for those who want to figure out what actually happens to these strange people. One of the questions Farrell clearly examines is: why are we cheating in partners and in people in general. The answer lies in the fact that the signs because of which we choose people are often accompanied by qualities that are quite unpleasant for coexistence. For example, those traits and habits that help make a career can be unbearable in the context of family life.
Farrell pays special attention to looks. He introduces the concept of "genetic star" (or "the triumph of genetics" - genetic celebrity) - this is how he defines physical beauty. As the scientist believes, those who won the genetic lottery, are accustomed to, that people positively evaluate them and all their actions, only on the basis of how they look. In his opinion, it deprives beautiful people of sober assessment of their personality. Given nature, they value their own merit. Spoiled by attention and flattering reviews, they often do not know how to appreciate truly deep human feelings.
The idea of evaluating people in appearance is not new and has its own rationale. This is part of our nature. Moreover, our ideas about "good" - beauty, pleasant smell or taste - are laid evolutionarily. We love sweet, because it is a source of high energy and the ability to quickly get enough. We smell nasty rot, because bacteria can pose a threat to our health. We can see the threat in those who are not like us (“stranger”), and strive to choose as partners “symmetric individuals” (beauty is a hostage of symmetry) as carriers of a successful gene set.
Beauty was recorded in virtue and quite meaningfully. In the sixth century BC, the philosopher Parmenides was entertained by making endless lists of "good" and "bad" things. Life, light, good, beauty - hit parade of positive concepts. Death, darkness, evil, deformity - confident leaders of the negative. In the European tradition, the principle “everything that is beautiful and fine, that’s good,” is also laid down. Therefore, in authentic fairy tales, all princesses and princes are certainly beautiful, all villains and destroyers are unbearably ugly.
Problems begin when the desire to evaluate everyone by appearance becomes a form of discrimination.
The Institute of Fashion has also at all times made its contribution to enhancing the role of visual personality assessment. Clothing has always acted as a social marker that allows people to recognize “their own” and stay away, or even wet others. Today, on the basis of the choice of wardrobe, people around are ready to make a conclusion about your well-being, ideas about ethics, range of interests and even readiness for sex.
In the household deduction, which we use when we consider new acquaintances in order to understand our attitude towards them, there is nothing bad. Problems begin when the desire to evaluate everyone in appearance becomes a form of discrimination. Lukizm (another name - face fascism) - a concept that was introduced in the 70s as part of the struggle for the rights of obese people. Individuals, whose appearance does not fit into the current notions of good looks, are often subjected to the same restrictions and bullying as victims of racism. Everyone knows how fat kids are bullied at school. Often it continues in adult life. Ugly people find it harder to make friends. An employee with a bright physical "flaw" is more difficult to move up the career ladder.
Because of this, one of the urgent problems of personnel management and business in general is to make effective decisions without taking into account cognitive distortions. For example, the halo effect (or the halo effect), by virtue of which one quality of a person - a bright or memorable detail - forces us to evaluate its other aspects in the same way. Under the influence of the halo effect, people with repulsive appearance are often given a low assessment of their intellectual abilities.
Managing the stereotype of physical attractiveness (beautiful = good) within the framework of its judgments is not so simple. When Vicky Houston and Ray Bull began to explore the phenomenon of beauty and deformity in 1994, they conducted a series of experiments. In the course of them, it turned out that a woman with scars on her face would be reluctant to sit down in public transport. It became clear that teachers often evaluate the motives of children’s behavior (the child did something bad on purpose or by chance) based on how cute their appearance was. The stereotype sits so deep that even newborn children prefer more likeable faces. All these decisions for the most part are made unconsciously.
By virtue of this, the one who says that he does not evaluate people in appearance will turn out to be to a large extent a hypocrite. By our own will or against it, we do this dirty work every time. Everyone likes beautiful and beautiful. Another question is that this should not be the main criterion for assessing the personality or become a reason for criticism. And here again, especially the unlucky “fat men”. It is shameful to mock at congenital or acquired due to tragic circumstances unaesthetic - and this is official. At the same time, pouring out a flood of criticism of overweight people is actually a social norm. At hand, as an excuse, there is always a sacred cow - the Question of Health, as well as the accusation that "people themselves have done this with themselves."
The whole injustice of these accusations lies in the fact that people are harassed on the grounds that the possible consequences of their weakness are visible. The fact that you have been cheating on your boyfriend for years, you are stealing papa’s antidepressants and buying stolen goods, people around you may not guess. But habits or physiology, which are reflected in appearance, give reason for any sleepy passer to give you an assessment. Your colleague may be lazy to visit his lonely grandmother. Even if it turns out, you will most likely come to the idea that it is his business. Why is the discussion of "laziness", which prevents to go to the gym, suddenly became a common place and such a popular object of criticism?
The first step towards liberation is to understand that we do not have to be beautiful to anyone and conform to their ideas of the beautiful.
Our generation, more than its predecessors, is focused on the visual perception of reality. We read less, listen less, speak less, more - like no one before us! - view photos and videos. This further aggravates the problems of lukizm. Sometimes it seems that everyone literally went crazy on the exterior. When you live under the magnifying glass of those who are considering your cellulite or age-related changes in the skin, it is somewhat difficult to abstract and do something really important. Close attention to how a person looks like becomes a source of many psychosomatic disorders, distortions of his own physicality, changes in character, life goals and fate. It seems that if you control your body, your appearance, then this may somehow order the chaos of the surrounding world. And, on the contrary, it seems that those who cannot quit eating bread at night are so worthless that they cannot do anything with their lives.
The first step towards liberation is to understand that we do not have to be beautiful to anyone and conform to their ideas of the beautiful. Socially approved, and especially attractive for the majority of appearance, of course, can be a tool to facilitate communication with people. Beauty is convenient to use to achieve their goals: personal, professional and any other, in which people are involved. Many do it unconsciously, someone deliberately manipulates. However, everyone is free to abandon this method in favor of his other interests.
It is also important not to forget that the desire to be and appear beautiful is quite natural. When five-year-old girls spin in front of the mirror in her mother's lace and imagine themselves to be princesses, they feel all the beauty and perfection of the world around them. It seems to them that everything around will change with them. Adult girls dream of expensive bags or plastic surgeries, feeding the same hopes.
Photo: 1, 2 via Shutterstock