Beautiful people are more intelligent - Essay Example

Beautiful People Are More Intelligent I. Introduction A. What is meant by beautiful Scientific standpoint 2. Historical standpoint 3. Universal standpoint B. What do the experts say about this issue 1. Purely myth 2. Based on experimentations 3. Both perceived and scientific II. It is purely myth that beautiful people are more intelligent. A. Not all beautiful people are smart. B. Not all smart people are beautiful. 1. Albert Einstein 2. Emily Dickinson III. It has been scientifically proven through research that beautiful people are more intelligent. A. Kanazawa and Kovar's theory 1. Four assumptions 2. Results of experiments B. Other write-ups in agreement with Kanazawa and Kovar IV. Conclusion A. Myth B. Proven by research C. Based on perception only D. More research needed Beautiful People Are More Intelligent Beautiful people usually get the main attraction whether they do it intentionally or not. Individuals are always positively drawn to beautiful things. Although an abstract term, beauty can be defined by taking into consideration the different positions and points of view. Generally, beauty refers to something that is pleasing to the eyes and that which gives a feeling of relief and satisfaction. What is really meant by the word "beautiful" What is it in the scientific, historical and universal standpoints Beauty may mean many different things in various contexts and in various minds. According to Tobias, beauty cannot be limited to sensory pleasure and is "above being judged by the senses," quoting Immanuel Kant (236). Moreover, he continues that beauty is a combination of the qualities that leads to a "judgment from a wholly different part of yourself" (236). This claim supports the idea that beauty is a universal idea or feeling that is aroused in an observer. In addition, Stendahl, as quoted by Tobias says, "Beauty is the promise of happiness" (242). Although it is possible that a list of "beautiful" characteristics might be compiled based on popular opinion, an all-inclusive characteristic that makes an observer proclaim beauty will never be found. Accordingly, one knows what is beautiful when one feels it (http://www.physics.oregonstate.edu/stetza/ph407H/A%20Beautiful%20Theory.pdf). In Greek mythology, Paris was asked to judge who among the goddesses Athena, Aphrodite and Hera was the fairest. He judged in favor of Aphrodite who bribed him with Helen, the most beautiful woman on earth. It was the first record of beauty pageants that is still practiced annually, globally. At present, beauty is defined through different perspectives likee the healthy body, the athletic body, the muscular body, the natural body, the aesthetically pleasing body and the like (http://www.answers.com/topic/beauty-owen). In the foregoing definitions, one may ask: What do the experts say about the issue that beautiful people are more intelligent Or what is the relationship between beauty and intelligence Some people attest that the statement is purely myth or that beauty and intelligence do not come hand in hand. In other words, beautiful people are not really more intelligent than the plain looking ones. Since not all beautiful people are smart and not all smart people are beautiful, then the assertion is weak. There are a number of intelligent people who are not good-looking, thus this statement for some is a myth. To prove that it is purely myth that beautiful people are more intelligent, it would be wise to look at real situations of people who are not beautiful and yet smart. Two famous and remarkable individuals come to mind when talking about geniuses. They are Albert Einstein and Emily Dickinson. The former is a well-known scientist who has brought the world great benefit through his inventions. If not for him, no one would know what e=mc is. The latter is much loved and read for her soulful poems and literary lines. Who would not be touched by the lines of Emily Dickinson On the other hand, studies have been conducted that attest to the statement that beautiful people are more intelligent. For instance, Satoshi Kanazawa and Jody L. Kovar of the London School of Economics assert that "beautiful people also tend to be smart people-and vice versa" (Morin, 1). In this connection, can it be said that the statement that beautiful people are more intelligent can be both perceived and scientific This will be discussed in the succeeding paragraphs. Through the study of Kanazawa and Kovar, it has been scientifically proven through research that beautiful people are more intelligent. The following assumptions guided their research on this matter (227-243): Assumption 1. More intelligent men are likely to occupy higher status than less intelligent men; Assumption 2. Higher-status men are more likely to mate with more beautiful women than lower status men; Assumption 3. Intelligence is heritable, such that sons and daughters of more intelligent men are more intelligent than sons and daughters of less intelligent men; and Assumption 4. Beauty is heritable, such that sons and daughters of more beautiful women are more beautiful than sons and daughters of less beautiful women. Both Morin and Pleiades agree to the above-mentioned theorem and assumptions of Kanazawa and Kovar. They believe that more beautiful people are more intelligent. The study of Kanazawa and Kovar, however, seems to be the only recent study about this issue. Moreover, they have based their study on the perceptions of certain subjects whose responses are mostly personal and subjective. In addition, their idea of beauty may vary since beauty is abstract and can be defined relatively and in a case-to-case basis. Remarkably, with the present technology, anybody can just modify and beautify himself/herself with the help of science so he or she cannot necessarily bear good-looking children because their beauty is artificial. With regards to intelligence, it can surely be inherited through the parents' genes. There will still be more intelligent people who are not good-looking and more beautiful people because of scientific advancement. An intelligent person can therefore beautify himself through his inventions and his increase in income and success in his career because he has an advantage over the others intellectually. In this case, the theorem would be reversed and be stated as: Intelligent people are more beautiful. In conclusion, through my research, I have come to realize that the statement: beautiful people are more intelligent is more of a myth than a fact. Though a study has been made on its veracity, I still find it lacking. I think, more studies should be conducted to prove or disprove this assumption. Kanazawa and Kovar's study was based on people's perception and not much on scientific experiments like the recessive and dominant genes that the offspring inherits from its parents. These too are very important points of considerations. A related study would be on the assertion that intelligent people are more beautiful. In the over-all picture, this study is a good exercise of the mind since it gives us something to discuss and really think about. I still believe that nature is not bias. Man is still in control of himself. He/she can make the best use of what he/she has been endowed with in order to become a better person physically, intellectually and spiritually. Works Cited A Beautiful Theory: The Relationship between Beauty and Scientific Truth. (21 July 2008) Buterez, Diana. Beauty and Brains - True Or False (21 July 2008) Kanazawa, Satoshi. and J.L. Kovar. Why Beautiful People Are More Intelligent. Intelligence. (32: 227-243). Henslin, James M (Ed). (2003). Down To Earth Sociology: Introductory Readings (12th ed.). New York, NY, US: Free Press, (pp. 313-320). Pleiades. We Think Beautiful People are Better at EverythingBut are They You May Be Surprised by the Answer. (17 July 2008) Morin, Richard. Beauty and Brainy. The Washington Post. 30 May 2004, p. BO5. (17 July 2008) Tobias, Michael, et al. A Parliament of Minds: Philosophy for a New Millennium. State University of New York Press, Albany NY. 2000. Read More