“What happens when everyone in a society is finally beautiful (and healthy)? When the final aesthetic surgery is developed that will make all visages and bodies "perfect"? Will everyone in that society be happy? In examining the discourses of the late nineteenth century on this question, we are confronted with the paradox of François Xavier Bichat, as paraphrased by Charles Darwin: "If everyone were cast in the same mould, there would be no such thing as beauty. If all our women were to become as beautiful as the Venus de’ Medici (de Milo), we should for a time be charmed; but we should soon wish for variety; and as soon as we had obtained variety, we should wish to see certain characters a little exaggerated beyond the then existing common standard.””

— Sander Gilman

The very search for the improvement of the body (and the concomitant “happiness” of the psyche) must lead to further discontent.
page 39.
Creating Beauty to Cure the Soul (1998)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Aug. 10, 2022. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "What happens when everyone in a society is finally beautiful (and healthy)? When the final aesthetic surgery is develop…" by Sander Gilman?

Sander Gilman 3

American historian 1944

Related quotes

“If everyone were not so indolent they would realise that beauty is beauty even when it is irritating and stimulating not only when it is accepted and classic.”

Gertrude Stein (1874–1946) American art collector and experimental writer of novels, poetry and plays

“One wonders what would happen in a society in which there were no rules to break. Doubtless everyone would quickly die of boredom.”

Susan Howatch (1940) British writer

“Everyone in my book accuses everyone else of being crazy. Frankly, I think the whole society is nuts — and the question is: What does a sane man do in an insane society?”

Joseph Heller (1923–1999) American author

As quoted in "Heller's legacy will be 'Catch-22' ideas" at CNN (13 December 1999) http://archives.cnn.com/1999/books/news/12/13/heller/index.html

“It was always late at night, when everything and everyone else was quiet, that those voices would rise like ghosts, soft and haunting, filling your mind until sleep finally came.”

Sarah Dessen book Keeping the Moon

Source: Keeping the Moon

“To see a man as beautiful – means to make him really beautiful. There is no cunning, no deceit; this happens every time, everyone knows that.”

Simon Soloveychik (1930–1996) Russia writer and philosopher

Book 2 part 3, ch. 10
Pedagogika dlya vseh (Parenting For Everyone) (1977–1986)

“Fitness is defined differently by everyone, but for me, the most important thing is being healthy. As tennis players, what we do is not the healthiest thing. We almost abuse our bodies.”

Sania Mirza (1986) Indian tennis player

In Zee News: I quit singles to prolong my career, says Sania http://zeenews.india.com/sports/tennis/i-quit-singles-to-prolong-my-career-says-sania_757389.html, 2 March 2013