Ep 57: Judging Beauty- Arbitrary, Unsustainable or Outright Dangerous?

This week's podcast is all about evolving beauty standards. Cultural and psychological factors have shaped our past perceptions of beauty. Dr. Teo Wan Lin tackles interesting perspectives as surreal as beauty being associated with evil, physical torture in the form of tiny bound feet in ancient Chinese culture, as well as modern day “mean girls” who bully individuals who are perceived to be better looking than others. Is this all part of our evolutionary psychology? Dr Teo posits that beauty, when judged based on physical appearances alone, is merely a game of genetic lottery. Or, in some individuals, fuels an endless pursuit of physical modifications. Such pervasive societal perceptions can inadvertently enable these negative bullying behaviours and also fuel a mental health epidemic of depression and body image issues. On the other hand, can society in fact positively impact individual mental health by collectively setting positive perceptions of beauty regardless of physical appearances? Tune in to this week’s podcast and tell us what you think! Want more of our podcast? Episode Recaps and Notes:https://www.scienceofbeauty.net/; Instagram: @drteowanlin; Youtube: http://bit.ly/35rjbve Teo WL. On thoughts, emotions, facial expressions and aging. Int J Dermatol. 2021 Feb 9. doi: 10.1111/ijd.15443.h