A face – what defines beauty?

Now when I was a kid growing up and I had been attending school for a while, I started to understand basic arithmetic. Our family relocated from Welkom in the Orange Free State back to East London in the late 1960s. I remember getting zero out of ten for my first maths test. In Welkom, we had not started learning maths yet, so I was clueless. It was my first encounter.

Years later I remember chatting to my older half-sister and she said she just had a mental block when it came to maths. I wondered why but kept the question to myself. In later life my sister demonstrated her abilities and became quite the academic, she got several doctorates and even a degree in accounting at the highly prestigious Pretoria University where all my kids now go to and the older ones have graduated from. My older sister Elizabeth was also a very accomplished artist and I remember having to pose for her as she did a drawing of me. She is ten years older than me and I have always admired her.

So I have always felt that these two abilities are opposed to each other, Maths and Art.

In later life I have uncovered how completely wrong I was.

I love accounting, strangely enough. I love maths too but I know that my abilities are not remarkable, in fact I believe they are average. Probably due to lack of application more than anything else. Anyway I must have some kind of skills because I was able to pass honours in accounting a few years ago and believe me, there are plenty of formulae and related stuff.

Quite a few years ago, before I started this accounting thing, I was introduced by a good friend of mine to Khan Academy. I saw Sal Khan on a TED talk and I believe the guy is a superhero. I admire him so much, not only is he a financial genius (was a stockbroker/actuary or something crazy) but Sal Khan has created a website to teach many subjects, particularly mathematics (from “1+1 =2” all the way through calculus). There is a lot of recognition on the site for progress (badges and awards for so many things) and I am a sucker for getting a pat on the back, thus I love the program. So I go through surges of effort and then slack off due to various other things, such as chess and Steemit. I think it is time for another surge of effort with my beloved Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org)

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Anyway I came across this video of his where he speaks about the “Golden Ratio”. This can be simply defined as a/b = (a+b)/a. Seems simple but it rapidly escalates into astonishing concepts. This ratio is found everywhere in nature. Here is the crazy thing; these proportions when found in the face of a human being, to a fair degree of correlation, then that face is regarded as “beautiful”, and males are attracted to females with those facial ratios. What is even more astonishing to me is that the Greeks found this out thousands of years ago! Not only that but artists have used these ratios in their art works with remarkable precision and people have been naturally drawn to them.

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But there is so much more to the face than perfect ratios. The face seems to “show” what is on the inside of a person; their character and other personal traits. The eyes and the mouth are the most important elements to me. The eyes are the window to the soul. The mouth is the “output” of the face or the person. I know the eyes also express what is inward but the expression of the mouth is the key to communicating outwards.

The face is where we can feel the other person’s emotions. The face is where a person’s character can be found. What is the natural curve of the lips? Upward or downward? Even that cannot tell the whole story of a person. Some have perfect ratios in their faces but when we get to know them, we find them less appealing. Others who may not have visual ratios in “ideal proportions” are extremely appealing to us.

Why?

Characteristics such as self-discipline, happiness, serenity and humour contribute to a longer lasting appeal. Self-indulgence, complaint and unhappiness reduce the beauty of an individual.

The passage of time often exposes what is within an individual, and the face is moulded accordingly. As they say, beauty is only skin deep. Those people who are in good relationships blossom and shine. We are attracted to such people, I certainly am.

Human beings are naturally empathetic creatures. By that I mean they tend to mimic those they spend time with, who they are sympathetic to. Don’t you find yourself copying mannerisms of those you spend time with? A phrase, a laugh, an idea?

I don’t know how true it is but I believe that couples who have been together for many years, develop facial features that are similar, particularly the line and angles of their lips. Not always but the majority of the time. Try it, don’t say anything but have a look at those you know who have been happily married for many years.

So the face is very important in all cultures. Just look at the definition as found in Mirriam-Webster’s dictionary on the internet. I have attached it to my article below. Just have a glance through the various meanings, interesting isn’t it?

face
noun, often attributive \ ˈfās \

Definition of FACE
1a : the front part of the head that in humans extends from the forehead to the chin and includes the mouth, nose, cheeks, and eyes
b : the face as a means of identification : COUNTENANCE
• would know that face anywhere
2archaic : PRESENCE, SIGHT
3a : facial expression
• a friendly face
b : a facial expression of distaste or displeasure
• he made a face when he saw the test results
c : MAKEUP 3a(1)
4a (1) : outward appearance
• put a good face on it

(2) : the aspect of something that is perceptible or obvious upon superficial examination
• the theory is absurd on its face
• —Kim Neely
b : DISGUISE, PRETENSE
c (1) : ASSURANCE, CONFIDENCE
• maintaining a firm face in spite of adversity

(2) : EFFRONTERY
• how anyone could have the face to ask that question
d : DIGNITY, PRESTIGE
• afraid to lose face
5: SURFACE:
a (1) : a front, upper, or outer surface
• vanished from the face of the earth
(2) : the front of something having two or four sides
• the face of a clock

(3) : FACADE
• the face of a building

(4) : an exposed surface of rock
(5) : any of the plane surfaces that bound a geometric solid
• A cube is a solid with six square faces.
b : a surface specially prepared: such as
(1) : the principal dressed surface (as of a disk)
(2) : the right side (as of cloth or leather)
(3) : an inscribed, printed, or marked side
• the two faces of a coin
c : a striking surface (as of a tool)
• the face of the golf club

• the face of an anvil
d (1) : the surface (as of type) that receives the ink and transfers it to the paper
(2) : a style of type
6: the end or wall of a mine tunnel, drift, or excavation at which work is progressing
7: FACE VALUE
8: PERSON
• lots of new faces around here
— in one's face
: directly and aggressively in one's presence
• dunked the ball in his face
—often used with get to describe aggressively confrontational speech or behavior
• his boss got in his face about being late
— in the face of or less commonly in face of
: face-to-face with : DESPITE
• fearless in the face of danger
— to one's face
: in one's presence or so that one is fully aware of what is going on
• If you have something to say about me, say it to my face.

In our modern society, women have been objectified in particular. Dreadful influence is placed on what a woman’s body should look like. So many women are unhappy with their bodies. I know it is important to be healthy and to keep fit but it has become a mentally unhealthy obsession that is taken too far past the point of common sense. These unhealthy feelings are exploited by cruel fashion corporates who generate huge profits for selfish gain. Exploitation is driven by obsessing about the body. Communication should be primarily driven by appropriately looking at the face. Our society is driven by appetite.

But I can be different in my small sphere, I don’t have to follow societal trends. I don’t expect you have to either.

Look in the eyes and the face, that is where true beauty lies.