[LMB] now somewhat OT: and veered away from: SciFi vs Fantasy

[Mark Allums]

Raye Johnsen wrote:
> I have long held the opinion that, as a whole, the
> average person is pretty.  People who were/are
> egregriously ugly do not tend to attract mates and,
> when they do, are often unwilling to produce
> offspring, so we are all the descendants of the people
> who were deemed prettier than others, and that got
> passed down.  So I wouldn't say that Ista, Umerue or
> Joen were ugly.  Perhaps they are simply women who
> would benefit from modern cosmetics.  (I know I am! 
> I'm much prettier with foundation to smooth out my
> skin tone and mascara to draw attention to my long
> eyelashes.)

Sorry Raye, but I must disagree.  What you are thinking of is the bell 
curve.  Most people, about 60%, are "average", and by average, I mean 
reasonably decent-looking, possibly cute in some way, but nothing to 
write home about.  Then there are the 15% or so that are very 
good-looking, and this is where the Hollywood types fit.  Finally, there 
are the 15% who are really not good-looking at all.  (It doesn't add up 
to 100% because I am ball-parking.)  "Prettiness" is a measure that, 
like height, weight, or intelligence, is something that falls in a 
predictable pattern.  Unlike height or weight, but very like 
intelligence, it is hard to define, but we know it when we see it.  I 
would say that *I* am *not* very good-looking, and fall below average, 
but within one sigma of it.  In other words, I won't make a baby 
cry---probably.  However, if you were to see me, you might find the 
bridge of my nose cute.*  This is true of 75-80% of everyone, and this 
explains your feeling that no one is really ugly---because most people 
aren't.

--Mark Allums

*Hypothetical example.