2021年英语四级美文赏析：The Power of Beauty思维导图

Oneofthemostsuccessful,influentialandbelovedwomeninAmericanhistory,EleanorRooseveltoncesaidthatshehadoneregret:shewishedshehadbeenprettier.Whohasn’tfeltthesameway?Wearealltooawareofourphysicalimperfections.

Toovercomethem,wespendbillionsuponbillionsofdollarseveryyearoncosmetics,dietproducts,fashion,andplasticsurgery.Whydowecaresomuchabouthowwelook?Becauseitmatters.Becausebeautyispowerful.Becauseevenwhenwelearntovaluepeoplemostlyforbeingkindandwiseandfunny,wearestillmovedbybeauty.Nomatterhowmuchweargueagainstitorpretendtobeimmune,beautyexertsitspoweroverus.

Thereissimplynoescape.Aristotlesaid,“Beautyisagreaterrecommendationthananyletterofintroduction.”It’snotfair,butit’strue.Wesimplytreatbeautifulpeoplebetterthanwedoothers.Attachaphotographofabeautifulauthortoanessay,andpeoplewillthinkthatismorecreativeandmoreintelligentlywrittenthanexactlythesameessayaccompaniedbythephotoofahomelyauthor.

Oursensitivitytophysicalbeautyisnotsomethingwecancontrolatwill.Wearebornwithit.ExperimentsconductedbypsychologistJudithJ.Langloisshowedthatevensmallinfantsprefertolookatattractivefaces.Beforetheyhavemetasinglesupermodel,beforetheyhavewatchedasingleTVshow,beforetheyhaveopenedupasinglefashionmagazine,theyaredrawntothesamefaceswhichadultshavejudgedtobeattractive.Therearemoreimportantthingsinlifethanbeauty.ButasEtcoffsays,“Wehavetounderstandbeauty,orwewillalwaysbeenslavedbyit.”Ifyouaimtobewiseandkindandfunny,itdoesn’tmeanthatyoucan’talsotryyourbesttolookbeautiful.There’snoreasontofeelguiltyaboutbeingmovedbybeauty’spower.Itmovesusall.