TED 2008 -- Nancy Etcoff (channeled by June Cohen)
(I'm liveblogging from TED 2008, in Monterey, CA)
Presenter:
(My old Wired pal and now TED producer) June Cohen presenting on behalf of Nancy Etcoff, who fell ill and could not present.
Nancy Etcof is author of Survival of the Prettiest. Beauty matters to us. We respond to beauty physically, we describe things "jaw dropping," "breathtaking," "stunning." We feel happy when surrounded by beautiful things. But why?
The dominant idea in 20th century was that beauty was a social construction. But many studies point to an innate sense of beauty that's consistent across cultures. Infants at 2 weeks respond better to beautiful faces (even babies are shallow!).
Why do we think that certain things are beautiful? Because our ancestors did; it connotes an advantage to survival and reproduction.
When people are asked to describe a beautiful landscape they say the same thing: lake, river, mountain trees. We evolved to think it is beautiful becuase it is safe with escape routes.
When asked to describe beautiful people: clear skin, bright eyes, shiny hair -- all of these things connote health fertility, protection.
Beauty is not everything, only one factor in choosing mate - intelligence, how they move, sense of humor, are important.
If we can understand and accept our attraction for beauty we can manage it and temper our desire for it.
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Is this Duck Dodgers reporting? How does he know what the concept of beauty is in the 29th century?
anyone who has ever known hunger feels happiest surrounded by piles of deli meats.
Just think of Rincewind and the canoe load of Amazon maidens: "Could I have them mashed?"
> If we can understand and accept our attraction for beauty we can manage it and temper our desire for it.
I would hope this last sentence is only in response to the unhealthy obsession for beauty modern society has. Otherwise, I find the sentence utterly inhuman. Why would I want to control and temper my desire for beauty?
Joke all you want, but I read this book when I was in school about 5 years ago, and it had a profound impact on my understanding of how one perceives beauty. This post reminded me of how great this book really is, especially for those looking to go into the apparel design industry. Lots of interesting stuff here and a great read.
Dude, babies are *nothing but* shallow.
#3: Keneke: you are correct, don't worry. As I understand that sentence, the point is to not "cling to" or "crave" beauty (or any other sensory experience).
That's a big difference between, for example, enjoying sex, without "clinging to" or "craving" the experience (as a person who habitually sleeps around or is addicted to porn, for example). The same approach applies to any sensory experience: eating as another obvious example.
It's actually a Buddhist concept; "craving" any sensory experience will lead to "suffering." It's a key concept for living which I am not doing justice to nearly as well as the many Buddhist authors and websites out there.
BTW, the cover of the book does not strike me as "beautiful" - that is an unhealthily narrow female waist. (Is that a corset?)
Why would we want to temper desire?
I can understand certain situations calling for a level head but assuming we need or should temper our desire is like saying we should temper our emotions, in some situations that may be true but as a rule its pretty presumptuous and I think thats a flawed stance to take.
What we should be saying is desire, like emotions, has advantages and disadvantages, we should understand them better simply to become better people.
As for desire, rip off your clothes and make like bunnies on any close vertical surface, itll probably make your day better!
Redmonkey: I'll tell you how he knows. Henry Starling told him.
Takuan: Anyone who has ever worked in a deli feels least hungry surrounded by piles of deli meats.
argue not with the revealed wisdom of the master
Beauty is a value that is paradoxical. We perceive beautiful traits as reflections of a health and youth but many who hold such traits are in fact more fragile than their ugly counterparts. Bodybuilders are very weak and prone to disease due to their unhealthy low levels of body fat. Models are the same. Men are attracted to frailty because it emphasizes their sense of power. Women are attracted to signs of authority and strength. Ironically the most robust examples of our human race are generally kind of dumpy looking, short, and ugly while the conventional beauties exist in tiny numbers. Perhaps it is scarcity we respond to.
#6: I can only assume that the point of the cover is to highlight something that most people would consider the pursuit of beauty taken too far. Yes, it is a corset, and yes, it is unhealthily narrow. It is a product of tightlacing, which is the practice of training one's waist over a long period of time into a permanently altered shape. Corsets are not terribly bad for you, in their usual modern form, since they only take off two inches, on average, and they are more special-occasion things rather than extended visceral abuse.
I apologize for the mostly unrelated tangent.
#10 >
Nonsense. You're just making things up here. Where's your proof? You obviously have no experience in this area.
Bodybuilders are very weak and prone to disease due to their unhealthy low levels of body fat. Models are the same.
Recommended BMI is 18.5. At 6'2", I should weigh about 140, which in fact, I did up to my mid-40s. As long as you get adequate nutrition, the thinner you are, the longer you live. Of course, I wear a sweatshirt when it's 90 degrees, but that's another story.
I would hope this last sentence is only in response to the unhealthy obsession for beauty modern society has. Otherwise, I find the sentence utterly inhuman. Why would I want to control and temper my desire for beauty?
So it never develops into an unhealthy obsession, perhaps?
Yeah, what's up with the 29th century? Twice now in only a handful of TED reports. I think there's something else REALLY going on there, and all this intellectualism is just a ploy to deceive us, and thereby distract us. From the aliens. 8\
Duck Dodgers indeed.
to #6 and #11: Corsets have been in use for centuries, and are becoming again popular today. They by no means harmful and rather give elegance and support.
The old myths surrounding them stem from fetishist writings and primitive medical knowledge of the time. Modern day research by several physicians confirm that these "ill effects" were based on myth. The simple analogy with a pregnancy shows physiological changes well beyond the tightest lacings. There are well published guidelines for the use of laced corsets, as well as for waist training. If these are followed, it has been demonstrated that there are no ill effects. Not following the guidelines by being overzealous or ignorant can cause temporary discomfort, but that is also a signal to moderate, as proper corseting should never cause discomfort.
I've worn corsets for decades and enjoy excellent health.
Today corsets have been rediscovered and if properly fitted and used, they are pleasant to wear. They give confidence and physical support. For background material, I suggest to study these links:
http://www.staylace.com/medicaladvice/medical.htm
or, from personal experience and other modern wearers:
http://www.staylace.com/textarea/&main.htm
Obsession no, but taking care of one's appearance and feeling good about it, sure, why not. That's freedom.