Summary of the debate

Basically the motion of this debate is ‘does your outer appearance(looks) affect your inner self?’. There were 2 people on the proposition side and 4 on the opposition side. The people are as follows:

Proposition (YES):  Mallika, Megan Lim

Opposition (NO): Megan Ashley, Sheryl Tan, Cheryl Leow , Priyadharshini Suresh

The centre  point of the debate was on whether outer appearance is more important to a person, rather than their inner selves.

These are the main points of what the proposition party discussed on:

- Mallika said that it is the facial expression and the aura in the eyes that determines and reflect your inner self. Your smile and the liveness on your face can tell that you are very full of yourself and proud to be who you are.
- Megan Lim said that how one person look affects their confidence level and their inner self as well. She said that if people especially celebrities did not care about how they look, why is plastic surgery needed? They do not feel confident of their original looks and this shows that the person is inferior.Their main purpose is to look prettier and hopefully gain more popularity and fame which brings us to our topic of Acceptance.
The main stand of the  case on self-confidence being portrayed by the outer appearance and that people could read the a person’s personality by looking at their eyes. Moreover, the case used the example of celebrities gaining popularity by their looks.


These are the main points of what the opposition party discussed.

- Sheryl: Judging a person by their looks is a wrong perspective as looks could be deceiving.
-  Megan Ashley: People don’t have the rights to judge other people as not we see is not they are.You may be pretty on the outside but what you are on the inside is greatly unexpected.Therefore, looks does not affect your inner self
- Cheryl : Use of make-up has greatly altered a person’s looks and features. So, it is not accurate to judge people by their looks as it could be untrue.
- Priya: For the most renowned people like scientists, their looks are not important as they have wisdom and knowledge which are praised by the people , rather than their looks which plays a lesser important role.
- The main stand of the case is that looks could be deceiving and not reliable as it would be an artificial one and what you see is not what they are. Furthermore, looks are of a lesser priority when compared to your wisdom and knowledge. Most importantly, do not judge a book by its cover.

Socratic Questions we asked:


Sheryl: 
When someone gets plastic surgery or wears heavy makeup, does it mean that their personality and who they are on the inside changes?


However, is it fair, that we are judged by our looks?


Although I agree that the outward appearance does give give a person higher self esteem, does it necessarily mean that it changes their personality to one worthy of their outer appearance?


This, then is my question to you, if we have to change what we look like to “fit” into your group of friends, then are they considered to be TRUE friends?


Megan Lim:
I know that it is impossible to reach perfection but honestly everybody wants to look the best they can be, right?


Doesn’t how you look give you the confidence?


Don’t you think that looks affect something inside of you?


How would you feel?


Do you agree?


Firstly, I agree with you that looks can be very deceiving at times and you may wonder does their personality concur with how they look as well?


If not, why do people especially celebrities choose to go for plastic surgery? 


Why do majority of the people who can afford choose to put braces to straighten their teeths?


What about make up? 


Why is it necessary?


Mallika: 
But is there another way to look at this situation?



Does this not reflect that that person is a weak-hearted and unconfident person?


According to you, who would seem to be a more approachable person, A or B?


Does this not mean that our outer beauty does reflect our inner self?


Megan Ashley:  
If people can go to large extends to undergo plastic surgery to get their pretty face, why can’t they do it on their eyes?


Are we perfect enough to make fun of how others look, and start to mark them according to their looks? 


Some people might look shy, reserved and quiet, but who knows?


Who knows that they actually have the brightest personality in class/company/clique? 


Some people look fierce, scary and might even seem like a bully, but, in actual fact they wouldn’t even hurt a fly?


If people can go to large extends to undergo plastic surgery to get their pretty face, why can’t they do it on their eyes?


Priya:
However, is it fair and justified to be judged by the looks?




Overall, the debate was a well-discussed one as by using socratic questioning, we were able to rebut each other’s opinions and it was a well explored topic.


The link to the whole debate is as follows:
English Debate

Interview taken

These are the interviewees interviewed. The questions asked were as follows;

1. How do you choose your friend? By their looks or their personality? Why?
2. Would you modify your looks for people's acceptance? Why?
3. Have you ever been judged by your looks?
4. Does your appearance relect your inner self?

Research~

Cheryl :

'A painter paints the appearance of things, not their objective correctness, in fact he creates new appearances of things.' - Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Actually, 'painters' are everywhere. Unknowingly, you might be one too. People judge one another through their appearance, 'painting' an image of the person through it. 'Painting an image' refers to the impressions people make of you. What has it to do with appearance? A majority of people make first impressions through other people's appearance. Due to that fact, people have a mindset that if someone has a more glamorous appearance, they would be a more pleasant person to be with. Thus, more and more people thinks that 'All animals (people) are equal, but some are more equal than the others' - George Orwell. However, because of this mindset, ways to altene'r one's appearance has been rising and increasing. Some methods like plastic surgery and using cosmetics are used. Even though these methods are detrimental to one's health, like causing cancer, people are willing sacrifice their health just to make themselves acceptable to this society and to their peers. 
I feel that being yourself is better than being who you are not. People should accept one through their personalities, character, and not just their appearances. 'Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.' -Abraham Lincoln. That does not apply to only one's reputation, it also applies to one's appearance and the way they present themselves. Thus, I feel that one's outer appearance does not reflect one's inner self.

Research~

Priya :

Personal Reflection:

Beauty has many meanings it is not limited to the appearance of things only. Though the appearance creates the first impression but first impression is never the last impression. Physical beauty lasts for sometime this is why it is time bound. We see beautiful faces appear and appreciated then one day they lose their importance and charm and another face takes their place.

The Clairol What is Beauty? Survey, conducted by The Harris Poll surveyed over 3,600 women (age 18-60), men (age 18-60) and teen girls (age 13-17) to explore current perceptions about beauty in America today. What emerged from the survey is a multi-faceted definition of beauty, which reveals that while beauty is considered important, it is also considered extremely
individualistic. Roughly 90 percent of the adults surveyed believe that every woman creates her own image of beauty.

A Beauty All Her Own
Half of the women and girls surveyed believe that their beauty is something they created on their own. And it's personal preference, not media influence that shapes what that beauty is. While three in four women say the media decides what is beautiful, almost an equal number of them say they are only somewhat or not at all influenced by the images they see in the media.

My Personal Opinion:
I personally feel that outer appearance does not reflect your inner self. Quoted from wiki answers, ‘’ Your inner self is the person you are inside. Like when someone asks you how you are doing, and you say "good" even though you feel crummy inside. You inner self is who you are not in front of others.’’ , I would like highlight the point that the outer appearance is different and does not reflect the inner self. An instance of my experience, I was judged in primary school by my outer appearance, not my inner self. Even if I was a excellent student and teachers praised me, my classmates would instead envy me rather than befriending me. However, in Cedar, I was valued for my knowledge and I shared the same values with some of them, yielding me a group of best friends which I really enjoyed working with. So, I really feel that no one should be judged by their looks, rather their inner self.

Research~

Megan Ashley (18):

"If I am going to die, I wanna still be me" -Peeta Mellark

Accepting yourself is a hard task, most might say. Maybe because when everyone is watching, judging and criticizing, it is hard to even have self confidence. In my point of view, I think that accepting oneself is a very important thing to do before anything else. If one wouldn't accept themselves, boost their self confidence, who would accept them? One should be confident on how they look, dress, and behave. What rights do other people have to judge you and to criticize you? Even if they criticize you, are you going to force yourself to fit in and flow to the status quo? This question, most people might say yes. However, I feel that one should stay the way they are, and should not be afraid to accept criticisms. One needs to accept themselves for who they are, and I don't think anyone has the rights to judge people. Other than accepting yourself, I also feel that US, the human race, should not judge others by how they look, what they wear, and how they behave. Since nobody on this Earth is perfect, what gives us the right to criticize how others look? That's right, we have no rights to do so. 

In my opinion, people need to accept others for who they are, weather young or old, ugly or pretty, different people have unrecognizable personalities. If one is judges wrongly, wouldn't it be unfair for that person? In fact, the person will then start to have low self esteem, which then makes the situation worst. To conclude, one should not judge a book by its cover, and think before you speak. 
All in all, I feel that this English PT has allowed the class and myself to further enhance the emphasis of judgement. 'Judgement' is a sensitive topic, where people need to realize that judging people by their outer appearance is unfair. By the performance task my group and I have also realized the situation of judging people, and reflected on ourselves as well when we did the debate. Other than our topic, we have also learnt from other groups about for example, friendship, stress, CCAs, and so on. Personally, I felt that I have learnt something from my other friends while they were presenting. For instance, stress due to school work and parents' expectations. I myself had also experienced such situations, where I needed to meet my parents' expectations for exams and common tests. After my friends have presented, I realized that there were ways for me to cope with such stress, and it really helped me to reflect on my daily behaviour on work. As such, I would like to conclude that I have had an enjoyable Performance Task experience that has allowed me to bond with my fellow team mates and reflect on ourselves. 

Research~

Sheryl Tan (33):
My opinion:
In this modern society, we are judged by how we look, dress and behave. Our future employers will not only be looking for grades, and certifications, but for our outward appearance.


However, is it fair, that we are judged by our looks? Well, I for one, think not. For example, I was feared in my Primary School (and for a period of time, Secondary school), because everyone thought I was scary and unfriendly. After my friends got to know me, they told me what their first impressions of me, and I was utterly shocked. I was unable to believe that I looked unapproachable and cold. Now that I think about it, I feel that my friends were wrong to judge me from my outward appearance, and once they got to know me better, they got to know the person who I am on the inside, who is much different then I might appear.


From this personal encounter, it has led me to believe that no one, regardless of gender, race or religion should be judged by their outward appearance!

Research~

Mallika (17):




Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical. — Sophia Loren
Appearance is important in society. Having a positive outlook creates a more attractive appearance. There are different aspects about inner beauty that make it affect a person’s outer beauty. Also, being a beautiful person on the inside is important because it makes good things happen in the world.
Inner beauty is reflected through a person’s appearance. A beautiful personality—one that is vibrant, lively, optimistic, and caring—creates a gorgeous person on the outside. For instance, a confident person stands up tall, smiles and laughs, looks other people in the eye, and carries an aura of self-worth. Inner beauty affects how beautiful a person can really be.
For example, a smile and a positive attitude instantly brighten a person’s eyes and flush their cheeks. The person suddenly looks much more attractive. An optimistic person always looks the most beautiful.

However, what fashion can't do is define who you are.  A brand or label on a piece of clothing doesn't make you superior or better than anyone else.  It will make you feel good for a little while, but those feelings can fade if you see someone else with something you believe to be cuter, prettier, or shinier than what you have.  In that case, you have allowed your clothes to define you.  Living in Southern California, I see many women who walk around in their designer label handbags and clothing thinking they're too cool, but what they end up looking like is insecure little girls hiding behind fancy clothing.

http://www.feelgooder.com/how-a-positive-attitude-affects-your-looks/

http://beautyfool.com/what-is-inner-beauty-to-you/

http://www.projectinnerbeauty.com/Your-Clothes-Dont-Define-You-19312518

My opinion:

It is definitely widely accepted that looks can be deceiving. However, looking at it from another perspective, I personally feel that your outer beauty does reflect your inner self. Your eyes, your smile and the look on your face are the best means to know what kind of personality you have.

I feel that physical features, do not define your personality; but it is the look in your face and eyes and type of smile you have that do.

 For example, you are a very humble, confident, soft-spoken and good-natured person, but may not have such attractive features. However, the gentle look and gleam in your eyes and wide smile will show your inner beauty to others. Your pleasant inner self will be portrayed by the flush in your cheeks. You will also stand tall and upright, which is a physical attribute which will show your confidence.

On the other hand, a person who is cunning and rude, but has attractive features, will in contrast not have clear gleaming eyes or such a beautiful smile. Instead, they may not meet others’ eyes and may have a dull, or even, in some circumstances, a cold look in their eyes. Their eyes will keep darting around.

So, I am of the opinion that your outer beauty does convey your inner self by your eyes, or your smile. So whatever sharp and attractive features you own are no reliable guide to your inner self, but your eyes and the look on your face definitely are.

Research~

Megan Lim (16)

We are judged by our appearances. Everything that we wear, from the way our hair is combed to the brand of shoe, is being watched and judged by people all around us. We say that it doesn't matter how we look, but in reality, we take many precautions so that we look our best.

The way we perceive ourselves is an important factor to the way we feel about ourselves. If we aren't comfortable with what we are wearing, we might feel reluctant to go to the place that we had first planned to go. We judge the way we dress prematurely, thinking that what we think of ourselves is what others think of us. But we have to understand that every person thinks differently. My opinion on the way I am dressed might be different from the one from another person. People should dress and look in a way that they feel comfortable.

Even though we are comfortable with the way we dress, it might make another person uncomfortable. For example, a man dresses up in his best suit and goes to a restaurant, Applebee's for example. That man is going to the restaurant to meet another person. The other person that he is going to meet is dressed in jeans and a shirt. The man dressed in casual clothes might feel uncomfortable around the man in the suit. He might think that the man in the suit is trying to impress him with his fancy appearance. This will cause him to get the impression that he is snobbish person. We judge by the way people look, there is a saying that goes "The clothes make the man" in part that is true, because what we wear and the way we look tells other people about us. Even though the clothes and appearance tell others something about us, we have to wary that the clothes don't send the wrong message, and the people around us might get the wrong impression about us.

Should we worry about the way others see us? In part yes, but most importantly we should worry about the way that others see inside of us. On the outside, we might look like the nicest people in the world, but deep down inside we might be the worst type of people there is. The way we dress should be a reflection of what is inside of us, inside our hearts. We shouldn't compromise the way we dress so that others might get the correct idea about us. Our clothes and our character determine our appearance in front of others.

Yes, it is important that we have a nice appearance, so that people can form a good opinion about us. But that shouldn't be our top priority. We should worry about the outer appearance, but, most importantly, we have to worry about our inner appearance. Our outer appearance will grow old and whither, but our inner appearance will stay the same for the rest of our lives unless we choose to change it. It is our inner character that people are willing to accept, no matter how we look on the outside.


My Opinion:

Acceptance.

I think that acceptance is basically just how you see yourself. Some people might think that looks are evcerything. Yes, it affects.However I would not say everything. Having a pleasant look is important. But what is more important is how you carry yourself. Your behavior, your actions, your speech. These are what your looks cant determin of you. However, your looks can do wonders as well! Having good looks can help to boost your confidence level. Making you confident standing in front of a crowd. Because you are very sure that people will accept your outer appearance, therefore giving you more courage. Looks are also the first impression people have of you. By looking at your appearance, people can more or less guess what kind of person you are. Presenting and making sure you look presentable is the basics one should learn. Dressing up appropriately also allows people to leave a better impression. As for what is the real definition of acceptance, it is up to you to define!