I'm not looking for the obvious answer, because I asked plenty of girls and they usually go against the obvious and say something along the lines of "because it makes me happy" "or because its what they want to do". When I ask them about the obvious answer they usually say they don't do it for anyone. So I wanted to ask here, Girls why do you feel the need to be pretty? (I hope that made some kind of sense)

Also I'm not asking guys why they feel the need to be ... whatever because I'm pretty sure I already get that one.

For those who do not know what the obvious is (To Attract a mate)

Cause they don't want to look ugly? Girls just like makeup and stuff like that...

probably for many reasons (including the obvious one that you stated). One other could be the need to "fit in" and do it because of peer pressure. Some people are really shallow and they feel that to be able to keep friends you need to look extra pretty.

One of the reasons I put on makeup and dress up nicely would be.. because I want to look nice. I don't dress up to attract someone. It's not what I think about when putting on a t-shirt and jeans.. It may be a subconscious thing to dress to impress, so to speak. It's sorta like a tough question to answer. >_>; But yeah, I feel the need to be pretty because I just do. That's all.

Last edited by eccentrrick at 10:17 pm, Jul 16 2010

Because we live in a society where girls who aren't deemed 'pretty' barely get anywhere unless they're very skilled or lucky. /: Sad truth.

this.

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i know i am a guy and i prolly shouldnt reply to this but i think i have a pretty good grasp of girls, well of the ones i know they seem to think that i have a good grasp of girls.

girls feel they need to be pretty for assorted reasons but i think the most generic one is because they just want to or even to give themselves confidence but how true that is all depends.

but i think i would have to agree with the last comment simply because we live in that kinda world, sad but true

Even if you didnt I still would like to see your opinion, I want as many as possible from both genders (mainly girls though)

I guess our views on what is "presentable" are different. I mean no one wants pimples or huge pores, but guys can't do stuff like wear make-up because of societal reasons. Girls can. But not all girls of course, I don't wear make-up because I'm a tomboy and I don't really care, but that doesn't mean I don't use skin care like cream and lotion.
Guys have hot and girls have pretty. Everyone just wants to look their best. That's just my two cents.
I think wil2312 is right, both genders have a certain degree of self consciousness.

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It beats trying to be ugly.

guys dont usually give girls they dont know any attention unless they look pretty...its sad but true

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"when i'm sad, i stop being sad and be awesome instead."
- Barney Stinson

Yeah this~

For several reasons:

1. For decades (if not centuries) SOCIETY has made it out that girls are not pretty with out make-up. Complete crap, btw.

2. MEDIA has made it out that girls are not pretty with out make-up. Complete crap, again.
(And in case anyone doesn't know already; EVERY picture in adds found in magazines are photo-shopped, or "retouched" as they like to call it. It is not humanly possible to look like that. It is not "pretty")

3. Because the male gender is more easily swayed by...well, anything, THEY think girls aren't pretty with out make up (or at least the immature ones don't).

4. Because of this, girls feel that in order to be pretty they need to wear make-up or be scrutinized by the ignorant masses. Can you blame them?

HOWEVER. Some girls do like to wear make-up just because. It's the same reason we like to dress up nice once in a while, or paint our toenails. Just because we feel like doing it.

I also agree with the comment above mine. Society is a sad and disgusting thing. You would think a company would want employees based on their merits and potential. Instead, they hire based on how much espresso you had before the interview and how much time you put into your hair and make-up. VERY sad indeed.

Haha sorry, i did a psyc paper that entailed this subject once, so it gets me riled up when I'm reminded about society's darkside.



self-esteem issues much?



i agree, one of the main reasons is definately confidence and that is not a good thing. relying on make-up as a measure of self-worth is very sad. sadder, when society endorses that line of thinking.

Last edited by Dr. Love at 5:04 am, Jul 17 2010

Personally I don't think its sad to use make-up for a boost in confidence. It kind of like putting on your best outfit. You feel better about yourself when you know you look good, so a little bit of make-up is not necessarily a bad thing. Beside...its not just the make-up. Its the clothes you choose to wear too. I think most people automatically think make-up when asked this type of question. You dont need make-up to feel prettier. Sometimes its the clothes you wear, or the accessories you wear...not just make-up. Like if I feel the need to look pretty, I rather dress a bit nicer then grab my make-up kit.

Not to be "that" guy, but I find Reddit to be a great site for asking questions of humanity as a whole (though the answers will sometimes be skewed towards leftist/atheist views).

That being said, I believe that women and those who associate with that gender (not necessarily the sex) use physical attractiveness as a way to determine capability and place within the social hierarchy. It's similar to the way men compete using physical capability in that it is fueled by genetic instinct and practicality. Note that females who do not categorize themselves as "women" ("butch" lesbians, pre-op transsexuals, etc.) often do not use these methods of social identification. This correlates with many members of the queer community often having identity issues because they don't fit into society's role.

Men and women have formed subcultures with extra roles (otaku, punk, artist, etc.) because they don't feel rooted in the main culture. Within these subcultures, standards are still proliferate, but not required to participate in the community (i.e. you don't have to be hot to play halo, but it helps).

Ultimately, many people do not believe in the notions behind it (sexism, discrimination based on appearance), but if they are discontent with their identity, they will gravitate towards using methods they often see to try and define themselves (fitness, make-up, competition, what kind of bankai would have, etc.).

I'm a guy and I like looking "good" because, as an artist, I value aesthetics and, ideally, I want to embody the things that I value.(tangent) That being said, my aesthetic values are different from traditional values (my favorite kind of girls are sporty, baggy-clothes-type instead of models, my favorite kind of guy is visual kei). Though I can still appreciate the traditional sense of attractiveness (George Clooney and Megan Foxx are hot), I have a weird hairstyle and accessories and plan to get deviate more from societal standards because I like those better. (end of tangent)

In short, people like dolling themselves up usually because beauty is universally appreciated, and they do it with make-up because they genuinely identify with that kind of beauty or they're not confident in their ideal of beauty enough to go against the trend.