Beautiful People

[Tenjen]

I alway keep myself open to possibilities

[Scaramouche]

Doctor Ghoncheh Tazmini. She's incredibly beautiful, of course. Also very intelligent, published poet and noted academic, who has written extensively on politics and international trade related to Europe and the Middle East. If you've seen the film The 13th Warrior, then you saw her for about a second; she's the gorgeous Arabian woman with the great eyes. Although in reality she's Persian.

[stephaielikes]

This is an interesting one; when it comes to men, I've always found the stereotypical blue-grey Scottish eyes very attractive (perhaps it's narcissistic!). I also liked tall men, but only because I tended to dwarf boys during my younger teenage years.
Nowadays, the list of things I find attractive in men has somewhat changed; men who wear proper shoes, men who are well-read, men who can make a good cup of tea and a perfect whisky, men who behave like gentleman in the truest sense of the word (respect over learned mannerisms), men who know their Miles from their Coltrane and their Rachmaninov from their Shostakovich, men with a sense of humour, men who will never try to belittle me or my anger, bad dancers, men who know their Dante, Elliot, Nabakov, Auden, and men who know who Tank Girl is. With women, the list is somewhat different; if they can avoid the competitive nonsense that pervades so many female relationships, they instantly become a very attractive individual.
In terms of celebrities, Molly Ringwald, Winona Ryder, Elisha Cuthburt, Dita Von Teese, Carla Brunei, Mallika Sherawat, Robin Wright Penn...
and male celebrities, Ben Barnes, Viggo Mortensen, Gael Garcia Burnel, Antonio Bendaras (I know, I know...), Johnny Depp but only playing the Earl of Rochester.
Speaking of the Earl of Rochester, he's right up there, despite the somewhat off-putting syphilis... Sebastian from Brideshead (has anyone seen the film? Is it any good?), Mr.Darcy... I could go on with literary figures. The Count of Monte Christo is oddly attractive, too.
With that aside, my true take on beauty is this, however many attractive people I can name; that the people I find most beautiful in my life I do so out of love. Without getting too sentimental, even the most handsome of things doesn't seem nearly as beautiful to me as my loved ones do when viewed through the certain sentimental light that is achieved by loving beyond the skin. I'm not sure where it is founded- I cannot say in personality, because truely, 'love is not love which alters when it alteration finds'. It's not even a combination of looks and actions- perhaps it is grounded in experiences, but I know that if the people I truely care about were to become disfigured and lose their personality, I would still find them beautiful. I love without reserve even the things about my boyfriend that convention would dictate unnattractive, purely because they belong to him and to me that makes them beautiful- and he can't even make a decent cup of tea. I could talk about him in the way normally reserved for Mills and Boon, with liquid dark eyes almost rimmed with kohl, but I think this post has made me enough of a fool already. I suppose what I'm trying to say is I can't define beauty with a set of conditions, for, despite all my leanings to rationality, there is something in it which I do not have the necessary skill or intellect to understand, let alone explain.

[Don Alexander]

@Scaramouche: Wow. I love Persian women. They are often totally gorgeous. Is she the woman (well, the actress who play the character) who gets Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan kicked out?? Man, do I understand him...

@steph: Wow^2. That's pretty deep. The original purpose of this thread was actually just appreciation of physical beauty... I seriously envy your boyfriend. ;) Or, I should say, I envy anyone who has found a partner with such a deep dedication. Saying "I love your X, because it's your X!" - I think that's rare. A precious treasure.

[Scaramouche]

I tend to be a terrible judge of character. I trust the wrong people, believe them when I shouldn't. That's why the last two women I was involved with were such huge disappointments. I would like to also say that the people I love in my life are more beautiful than any images I could show, but that's just not true. I don't know that many people, and those I do know are just people, with good and bad facets. I can't think of any I'm crazy about. Thus I can only show some examples of people who have qualities I find attractive.

[Scaramouche]

@Scaramouche: Wow. I love Persian women. They are often totally gorgeous. Is she the woman (well, the actress who play the character) who gets Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan kicked out?? Man, do I understand him...

Yep, that's the one.

[Scaramouche]

Nowadays, the list of things I find attractive in men has somewhat changed; men who wear proper shoes, men who are well-read, men who can make a good cup of tea and a perfect whisky, men who behave like gentleman in the truest sense of the word (respect over learned mannerisms), men who know their Miles from their Coltrane and their Rachmaninov from their Shostakovich, men with a sense of humour, men who will never try to belittle me or my anger, bad dancers, men who know their Dante, Elliot, Nabakov, Auden, and men who know who Tank Girl is.

While I understand that it's beneficial if people can discuss things they both know about (such as Tank Girl, or whatever), personally I never place such restrictions or boundaries on whether someone is worthwhile. I mean, if I'm wandering in a third world slum in downtown Ethnia, or an expensive restaurant in Los Angeles, it's unlikely I'll come across anyone who knows my favourite composers and authors. But if I happened to stumble across Miss Right, that lack wouldn't factor into things even slightly. It just wouldn't be an issue. I never look for someone based on them knowing the things I know, or liking the things I like. What matters is that she's nice, smart, interesting, has some integrity. And obviously some measure of physical attraction will get the ball rolling initially. But even then, the physical attraction dies if she turns out to lack those other qualities.

[stephaielikes]

Scaramouche; I didn't mean to be taken so literally. Those are examples of things I find attractive because they are representative of other qualities- and of course, I'd never discard someone for not having them.
Except perhaps one or two.

[Scaramouche]

Sorry. I do tend to take people literally.

[Don Alexander]

Except perhaps one or two.

I first read "you two" and was like "WTF? :shock: "

But upon second take...

[Aren]

I know it's cliched, but it's really more about the person's personality. I'm not really particular, physically - the only things I care about can be easily changed to get my attention.

I like guys who are nerdy or who go with the emo style. On the other hand, I prefer guys who are in decent shape (but I can't expect them to be in better shape than I am, because I'm not a hypocrite). Past that, I don't really care, physically. Shorter than me, my height, taller than me. Blonde, brunette, redhead, hair blacker than the night sky. Whatever colour eyes they have.

The strange thing that I don't understand is (and I've been called a racist for it before) that I've never found someone attractive if they were noticeably non-white or non-Asian. It's not that I find other races repulsive... it's just that I've never found a black or First Nations guy attractive.

What I really find repulsive, though? Fame. The more someone has, the less I'm interested in them sexually. So, no Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Sarah Palin, whatever. No thanks, I'll pass.

[midgetshrimp]

The most beautiful thing I see in people is their ability to never get under the weight of the world. They always conquer it with a smile. And I mean that as in, someone who is perpetually happy is perpetually beautiful. Now I understand that no one can really claim to be 100% in love with life 100% of the time. And this brings in another dimension; what you do with those times that finally get to you. If you can't shrug it off, how do you deal with it? I know one person who impresses me every time. And one who comes so close, but seeing what he's been through, [half-joking]I'm still impressed that where he is isn't in cinders. That's self control.[/half-joking] Physical attraction only concerns me when it comes to sex... and it doesn't.

[harbino]

My type of girl would be in the skater/punk style. I hate chavs.

I'd prefer them to have black or brown hair, about the similar height, not too fat, not to skinny and shares the same interests as me; rock music, anime, games, etc... Breast sizes wouldn't be that important... I don't want her to be flat chested, I would like some cleavage, but I just think that 36DD cup is too big.

TBH I would prefer her to be English and white, although I like Japanese girls... they are sooo cute ^ ^

I don't know if there are any celebrities to show you an example... although I tend to think that celebs fake it.

@Aren: I am sure alot of people would agree with you that there would be no Sarah Palin.

[Don Alexander]

Sarah Palin!!!! DO NOT WANT!!!!!

Well... Let's say I'd hit Tina Fey.

But I can't see Palin without also seeing, well, the politician. And... that's... (turns green, retches)

[Bear]

Angelina Jolie... before she went nuts and married Brad Pitt yes... Sarah Palin... *breaks out the pitchfork cannon*