a fool’s errand?

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I’ve been running a fool’s errand.  It’s impossible to actually define, specifically, what makes a person unattractive.  I’m not talking about soft (non-physical) traits like a nasty personality, meanness, or anything like that.  Nor am I talking about things like bad hygiene or being overweight, because while they certainly contribute to unattractiveness, they are things that can be rectified rather easily.  I want to know what specific physical traits make someone’s face (a woman’s, particularly) ugly.

If you google ‘ugly person’ you’ll get some very interesting results.  Porn, photoshopped images, hairless & toothless dogs, and images of fat hairy women in bikinis are a few examples.  But nothing about what would make an otherwise completely normal person ugly is to be found.  Why?

Is it because nobody really has an answer?  I mean beauty is totally subjective.  There’s not really a model of what, specifically, makes a face attractive either.  But we all know Brad Pitt and Scarlett Johanson are attractive.  How do we know that?  We all know Sandra Bernhard is ugly.  But why?  Like what it is about her face that makes it so unattractive?  And at any rate, some people must find her attractive.   I don’t know…  I just know that I don’t think she is.

I’ve heard about face symmetry but don’t really buy into that concept.  What if someone’s face is “ugly” but perfectly symmetrically ugly?!  So I don’t believe that symmetry is the deciding factor; symmetry does not automatically mean attractive and non-symmetry does not mean unattractive.  Maybe it contributes a little bit… I can’t really say.

I guess I don’t really know what I’m looking for, other than an explanation as to why I have been referred to as “uglier than dog shit” by Brad M. (those are some appropriate initials, huh?) in high school, for one example.  Here are the facts:  I have never been overweight at all, I’ve always showered, brushed my teeth, and have normal hygiene in all aspects, no scary or mannish body hair.

Posted on January 21st 2011 in Journal

6 Responses to “a fool’s errand?”

  1. Jamie Says:

    If you ever get an answer to this, I sure would like to know. I personally, find myself highly unattractive, but it would be great if someone else could tell me what it is about me that others find so hideous.

  2. J Says:

    OMG you are not unattractive 😛

  3. Jamie Says:

    Shut it. I meant to add to this the other day, but got sidetracked by a whining child/dog/husband. I don’t know how anyone could not think that you’re beautiful. I’m jealous as hell of you…not that I want to have your babies or make lesbian love with you. No, more in that jealous – I may have to smear preparation h all over your face in the middle of the night just for fun kind of way 😉

  4. J Says:

    Ooh kink-A, baby! oh wait…shit… you said you DON’T want to have my babies?

  5. Curtis Says:

    Clearly the problem is that most women find themselves ugly. So, while any study would not consider either of you ugly, you both want to lump yourself into the ugly side of the results. This is why any conclusions a study draws will not make any sense to you.

  6. Jamie Says:

    Well, maybe I kinda do wanna have your babies, but I didn’t want Curtis to get jealous…

    And Curtis, all I have to say is 😛