Thread: Plastic Surgery

Originally Posted by Black_Eagle

Show me a head-on picture of your face with your hair tied back, and I will prove to you you are not perfectly symmetric, and thus not even technically "symmetric".

Let me give you a lesson about facial symmetry. No face is perfectly symmetric. Facial symmetry is like a sliding scale whose possibilities extend infinitely off into the asymmetrical end but has a definite, yet impossible to obtain height on the symmetrical end. Nobody notices asymmetry unless it is really bad. It registers with one's brain on the unconscious level.

But anyway, it is true that symmetry is one of the weaker indicators of attractiveness. I was just making the point that any natural face with all the features society deems attractive could be outdone by plastic surgery on that level.

I'm not saying everyone I meet has perfect facial symmetry, if any of them. What I'm saying is that the vast majority have perfectly passable features that could easily attract a great number of acceptable mates.

If this is true, plastic surgeons could account for it by making whatever altered quality look flawed.

Hmm...very true.

Let me give you another lesson on human attraction.

Women are attracted to men who are leaders, who have money, who are sociable, who make them laugh, etc. Looks do matter, but are based predominantly on changeable factors like clothes, hair, and skin rather than facial features, body type, etc. Regardless of their looks, women will still give priority to men who have the traits listed in the first sentence. A 6'7 burly tank of a man with a strong jaw and piercing gaze isn't going to get any girls if he wears a coffee stained shirt and cries in the fetal position.

Right you are.

First and foremost, men look for women who they find physically attractive. Before they begin looking for an attractive personality, they must first have found someone with an attractive body.

I'm not entirely sure I agree with this generalization. Well, yes, people do have a bare minimum level of attractiveness before they start chatting someone up. I concede that. But, attraction is very relative, and more like a broad spectrum than a narrowly-defined set of preferences. For example, I may find brunettes attractive, but if a decent-looking redhead were to approach me, I wouldn't say no. Similarly, a person with naturally decent looks would be attractive to many others, even if not quite as attractive as some others.

That said, the more attractive men will go for more attractive women. He might go for average Jane if she has a great personality, but what happens when supermodel Lexi has a personality that is just as great?

That depends on how far into the relationship they are and how big a schmuck the guy is. If society ever gets to the point where a guy will "trade up" regardless of relationship status, it will be a cold world indeed.

Average Jane has lots of funny, nice, highly successful male friends, but they just don't seem interested. The men who are interested in her lack ambition, are needy, and are utterly boring. Average Jane knows she has a great personality, but she also knows, with her flat chest, flat butt, and featureless face, that she just isn't as pretty as all her male friend's girlfriends. She has two options: One, she can wait and hope for the right guy to come along even though he might not ever, and two, she can take the initiative and get those new gummy bear breast and buttocks implants along with a chin implant and rhinoplasty.

Hmm...granted, but as you have previously stated...

Looks do matter, but are based predominantly on changeable factors like clothes, hair, and skin rather than facial features, body type, etc.

Could there possibly some other factor that is keeping Average Jane from attracting a decent man? There are plenty of perfectly decent guys out there who go for the flat-chested look. Smaller breasts, by the way, indicate youthfulness over their round-breasted counterparts, which indicate maturity. It comes down to individual preferences once again. And I will personally say that I'm not a fan of giant butts, though if Jane wants to attract a man who is, a couple dozen Big Macs ought to fix the problem. For facial features, I personally do rank hair above all else, and hair is very easy to change.

So, if all the men Jane knows aren't quite right for her, perhaps instead of waiting around, she should go out and try acquainting herself with other gents instead of the pool of losers who seem to somehow all consistently have some major issues going on. Someone who really cares about her will love her for who she is. And if she fails to find this someone, would she really be that much happier with some jerk who only cares about her in the first place because of her new nose?

Women who get plastic surgery aren't necessarily shallow themselves, they just want to attract better men. Do you see how this could turn into a vicious cycle?

I can see how, especially if most of society is as knuckleheaded as I fear it is. In all reality, we probably can expect an increase in the number of plastic surgeries in the near future, but my point remains about eugenics, a technology that is here and growing. It is a much simpler procedure, too, ensuring a person with a near-flawless beauty from birth without all the messy slicing of the skin and long recovery times. I see this technology having a much firmer foot in the future over plastic surgery.

Originally Posted by Aquanina

want...lipo...

shut yo mouf.

I think there is a pretty clear line between reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery, although how do you differentiate cosmetic surgery from other forms of body modification; such as tattoos, piercings, brands, implants, etc? People will always be trying to customize themselves.

Average Jane has lots of funny, nice, highly successful male friends, but they just don't seem interested. The men who are interested in her lack ambition, are needy, and are utterly boring. Average Jane knows she has a great personality, but she also knows, with her flat chest, flat butt, and featureless face, that she just isn't as pretty as all her male friend's girlfriends. She has two options: One, she can wait and hope for the right guy to come along even though he might not ever, and two, she can take the initiative and get those new gummy bear breast and buttocks implants along with a chin implant and rhinoplasty.

If Jane knows no-one who she likes, she should go out and find someone she does. There's plenty of guys out there- even some who couldn't care less about plastic surgury! And would Jane like a man who only likes her for her new nose?

Originally Posted by Mario92

So, if all the men Jane knows aren't quite right for her, perhaps instead of waiting around, she should go out and try acquainting herself with other gents instead of the pool of losers who seem to somehow all consistently have some major issues going on. Someone who really cares about her will love her for who she is. And if she fails to find this someone, would she really be that much happier with some jerk who only cares about her in the first place because of her new nose?

Originally Posted by hgld1234

If Jane knows no-one who she likes, she should go out and find someone she does. There's plenty of guys out there- even some who couldn't care less about plastic surgury! And would Jane like a man who only likes her for her new nose?

Either you're excellent at restating arguments, or my subliminal messages are working.

The former, methinks.

Yes, plastic surgery is awesome. However, I do agree that it shouldn't be marketed, but that applies to everything.