How Physical Appearance Figures in the Dating Arena

In the past, contemporary culture has been criticized by the spiritual community, for an omnipresent narcissistic existence – or, an abundant over-concern with the projection of attractive, ‘superior’ images and masks -- which characterize people in some form of ‘perfect’ state.
The supposition that a standard of perfection is actually attainable by the masses (which it isn’t, not only because it is generally unrealistic, but also largely genetically implausible) is also damaging, since it assumes a level of invulnerability that does not exist, as well.
To the contrary, numerous icons of pop culture, past and present, have proven that most of those portrayed as ‘perfect,’ or ‘best,’ for the most part, are all too human, and often much further away from any form of super-human aspect, on any level.
In earlier eras, a realistic conception of beauty, such as under Plato, determines that beauty is inherent in the object itself, containing an essence prior to and apart from human interpretation and reflection. As evidenced by Socrates’ musing in Plato's Symposium, "What if man had eyes to see the true beauty -- the divine beauty, I mean, pure and clear and unalloyed," physical beauty was treated as an access to higher qualities. Physical beauty, as it appeared to Plato, seemed more of an inspirational tool, rather than some ideal to strive for.

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