In the study of biology there is something called the “unfakeable signal” - a physical skill that displays to others they are the strongest and healthiest of them all. Imagine the roar of the leading lion, smaller adolescents couldn’t physically produce a roar of the same quality - it’s unfakeable.
However, it's not so clear cut with humans. Due to our fascination with beauty, we, like moths to the light, attribute all kinds of other qualities to the good looking, such as health, intelligence and the ability to produce “grade A” offspring.
Those who are labelled as beautiful, are generally more successful, they get it a little easier in life, exchanging their good looks for other things. So it comes as no surprise then, that the cosmetics industry is a major contributor to the global economy (current global sales figures are at a whopping $2,278,000,000).
Beauty is considered valuable and scarce, and therefore, in high demand. But can you fake an unfakeable signal? and what signals are we trying to fake? In an over sexualised culture, have we been brainwashed enough to over-ride our genetic intuition in the selection of the ideal mate, and instead look for the media projected ideal of beauty? one that is increasingly easier to artificially create?
These are some of the questions currently being explored in my independent research project investigating how physical beauty affects the romantic relationships woman form, and the career choices they make.
I will be posting regular updates on my findings, and your comments are very much welcomed.
Happy Monday
RG x
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