'Beauty: Explained' on Netflix

I started watching a series on Netflix called Explained. It is a series that consists of short 20ish minute episodes on different subjects that humans question. There are episodes about cults, billionaires, the future of the meat industry and political issues. They have also now made a third series all based around sex which is quite interesting, covering topics of attraction, birth control and fertility.

The one I wanted to look into was about beauty. What the human eye is attracted to due to environment and how evolution has effected humans today and how our brains perception of beauty has never changed- just our social configuration has.

The episode started by discussing how humans love looking at all sorts of things, as humans we crave beauty. We all find different things attractive such as art, interior, architecture and of course other people.

Lots of different philosophers have tried to explain beauty and what it is and explain the true meaning of it. Aristotle said "beauty depends on magnitude and order", whilst Conch quotes, "the beautiful is that which pleases universally, without a concept." Which just means beauty shouldn't have to be justified, it is just itself.

I agree with Conch's philosophy, I think what we find beautiful is personal to us. The documentary did teach me that yes there is scientific explanation to why we are attracted to what we are but I think we all have unique attractions.

Something that was mentioned in the series was also mentioned in a lecture we had last semester. This is the 'golden ratio', a geometric law of beauty. Where this ratio has come up in architecture, art and nature for thousands of years. It is theorised that if something sticks to this golden ratio that it holds beauty and is in some ways 'perfect'. Although a lot of us now would disagree because in the modern world abstract art is becoming more popular using weird and wonderful shapes to create beauty.

In the same lecture, we also got taught that humans are attracted to rectangles. This is due to evolution. When we were tiny insects scurrying on the forrest floor all we could see was a rectangular view. Such as flowers, water, refuge and landscapes.

This documentary also taught me that beauty is a desire to live, how to survive and find a sexual partner. That is what it boils down to because of evolution. The brain works the same way as it did a million years ago, our brains haven't changed just our social structure and configuration has. Our brain has a section just for core pleasure. The default mode network (DMN) lights up when we aren't doing anything, when we are spaced out and chilled; this area also lights up when something moves you.

I found this episode very interesting and it got be thinking how these scientific explanations can be applied to fashion too. Yes our brains work the same all over the world but de to change of environment we had different ideas of beauty and different beauty standards in each country. No one wants an absence of beauty, if anything we all crave it. In toxic ways (social media) and in non- toxic ways (sexual partner).