There is big business in beauty for one reason: demographics. Every human being who isn’t otherwise killing neighbors for food and shelter cares about how they look; more so for those with access to computers. The quest to better one’s life is eternal, universal, and ordained. Yet still pathetically amusing.
The pursuit of beauty determines our lifestyle. We style our lives the way we style our appearance. Groups of women are similarly attractive as groups of men are similarly successful. That's why we have sororities and sports teams. Which ones we pay dues to or cheer on Monday nights is predicated on our looks.
We associate among those whom we most identify with, clustering together socially along the lines of looks. We seek to move to places where we best belong. Where the people look and live most like us. Yet, we belong where we already are. This is why when trailer park lottery winners go broke, they move back to where they came. Same with wealthy people who cling to their country club memberships while eating cat food just to afford the annual dues. Private agonies to support a public appearance.
Social groups converge in collectives called neighborhoods. Neighbors live alike as much as they look alike. The greatest differentiators in the pursuit of beauty gives rise to urban and rural settings. There is no point to wearing mascara when milking cows. Conversely, there's no showing up to work in a corporate setting without a "full face" and suitable attire. Dressing inappropriately is grounds for termination according to that company's dress codes. What we do for a living determines how we dress and where we live, although its determinant ultimately rests on our appearance.
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