CULT OF BEAUTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 229, 27 September 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

CULT OF BEAUTY.

THE ELUSIVE MALE.

ARE MEN VAINER THAN WOMEN?

(By A BEAUTY SPECIALIST.)

Are men vainer than women? Certainly they are more self-conscious, and more conventional than women, on the whole, and self-consciousness often argues a sub-conscious vanity.

1.1 If women arc vain, it is not to be s wondered at, when one comes to think h of their up-bringing. Little girls arc always being dressed up, photographed, y made to sell programmes, act as bridesr maids, and take part in tableaux vivants, ii so that if their thoughts turn unduly e upon themselves, and their personal apr pearance, they can hardly be blamed. I Besides, it is all part of the great unie versal cult of the feminine, for while - not ignoring or belittling intellect, -• beauty -will remain woman's greatest ° asset. But with men, this is not so. s Little boys are not brought up with the r idea, as little girls so often arc, that f their looks, their hair, their clothes, their manners are immensely important— r simply because they arc not. Men arc 3 in such a minority, that they do not " need to be particularly beautiful, clever, ' or amusing, to find plenty of partners at dances and games —which is possibly the very fact which makes them vain. The preponderance of girls —in Europe that is to say —is a rather tragic phenomenon, in its way, and needs no statistical demonstration tlieso days. Girls go about everywhere together, to race meetings, to theatres and to dances, at all of which they sit disconsolately like "Patience smiling at Grief." Men—As Slippery as Eels.; Can it be wondered that the pessimistic woman regards eligible men as being as rare as the great auk's egg, and as slippery as eels? As dances loom in the distance, the cheeks of hostesses grow pale at the difficulty of collecting men for their party, and the greater difficulty of inducing them to come when they have accepted. Girls always turn up, but men, you can never be sure of them till the very last moment, and even then, one need never be surprised at the receipt of a larconic telegram. As young men, whatever their sins, still receive dozens of invitations, is it any wonder that most of them grow terribly vain, insuperably vain ? A couple were once arguing as to which sex is the vainer, and the woman said she would prove that men were. She was the last to enter the draw-ing-room before dinner that night, and as she came into the room, she said in a loud voice: "The best looking man in the room has his tie under his left car." Every man's right hand flew to his left ear! What Makes a Girl Popular? A question to which Du Barry, Cleopatra, Nell Gwyn and Marie Antoinette, probably gave a great deal of thought! Also, our grandmother's grandmother undoubtedly gazed with ill-concealed wonder, when all the men crowded around one particular girl at a social gathering, unless she happened to be the fortunate girl. But, never lias any one lieen able to give a specific answer, so why not approach it from a different angle, and ask what makes a girl unpopular? No matter what other sterling qualities she may have, she cannot lay even a distant claim to popularity if she bo selfish. Not only selfish in the material things of life but all of the under-cur-rents of selfishness that mean so much, and come so close to egotism. Being selfcentred to such an extent, that she monopolises everyone's time by. talking about herself, and licr troubles, is unforgivable. She must be a sympathetic listener if she wishes to head everyone's calling-list. Disagreeableness and surliness are the dwarfed twin-sisters of graciousness, and, in spite of their tearful pleas, they have yet to be included in one of their lovely sisters' parties. The super-sensitive girl who is forever pushing her toes under someone's feet, and then disappearing with her nose in the air, her lips quivering, and her heart a steaming cauldron of bitterness, is too much trouble to have constantly about. *

The Greatest Secret of Popularity. Why is it that a person with a bad temper can control it among strangers, only to let it burst forth without check on her family or dearest friend? Probably, because the family and friends are understanding enough to forgive, while a stranger just won't be put out. A vicious temper is a mild form of insanity that no one can overlook. But, the greatest secret of popularity lies in liking other people, then they can't help liking you! A person without flaws isn't human. Do realise that' if Mary Jones has a fault you dislike, you, in turn, have one that she dislikes, and let the two strike the balance. If she is bad tempered, try your most dazzling smile on her, and if it doesn't work the iirst time, try it agafn, after she has had time to think it over and be ashamed of herself. She will be the iirst victim of your charm. Don't lash back at the quick-tempered person. Smile at her and say yon are sorry, even if you aren't. And you'll have another helpless worshipper. Study people and know their shortcomings. When they manifest them in your presence, realise that they are only human and overlook them. To be popular, you must be beautiful, yes! But, real beauty comes from within, and to have it, you must cultivate those self-same things within yourself. That's what makes a girl popular.