What is the meaning of life? That question is often assumed to be the question posed by philosophers. While many philosophers ignore it, the existentialists promoted a philosophy that could directly impact our lives and provide meaning. In other words, existentialism is a philosophy that grapples with the question of being human. Rather than detaching from reality to grasp eternal truths, existentialists sought to disclose how truth affects them where they stand and into their futures.
An important existentialist philosopher, Simone de Beauvoir, is probably most known for her book The Second Sex, in which she famously proclaims, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” But a lesser known work was her book, or extended essay, called Pyrrhus and Cineas. This short work opens with Cineas asking what Pyrrhus plans to do. Pyrrhus was developing plans for conquest. And with each new place Pyrrhus mentions he would conquer, Cineas replies, “And then what?” Beauvoir asks, “If it is never to be finished, what’s the use of starting?” This question guides us into reflecting on all of our actions, including our aesthetic choices.
The existentialists claim that each person creates their own essence, and we continue to become ourselves as we make new choices. This idea matters for the creators and users of beauty products because people are shaped by these products. With each new product that we either create or use, we can hear the echo of Cineas’s words, “And then what?” What motivates us to create new products or invest our money and time into buying and applying new products?
The reason why this question—And then what?—matters is not trivial. It’s not like the child continuously asking why. To illustrate, Beauvoir provides an example about a woman who becomes annoyed because water leaks into her shoes when it rains, and someone responds by asking why that matters since there are people starving to death in China. She reports that it matters because these are her shoes. In other words, we care about what happens directly to us, and we try to shape our lives accordingly. So, suppose she gets new shoes. And then what?
Jean-Paul Sartre famously said that we are condemned to be free. We are responsible for our actions, which can be freeing and frightening. How do we use our freedom? As mentioned, one way consists of our choice of fashion and beauty products. These kinds of products have regularly been criticized as superficial, but they form part of our identity. If they are merely superficial, then we would likely not put so much time and effort into developing them. We value them enough to alter what we wear or apply. To further explain, suppose a woman came into work with a mostly neutral or pastel color palette. Some might describe her typical appearance as modest, conservative, or even boring. Then, one day she shows up with a bright color scheme, and her overall style appears more daring and bold. People would perceive her differently, for better or for worse. People would likely question her about what caused the drastic change. Research suggests that she would also perceive herself differently.
Researchers Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky developed the idea of enclothed cognition. When talking about clothing, the focus tends to fixate on how we perceive people and how they perceive us. They coined this term—enclothed cognition—to describe how clothing affects the wearer’s psychological states and processes. While more research is needed to create a stronger conclusion, we might have ready examples from our own experiences, such as doctors getting children to wear superhero costumes as they head to surgery to give them added courage. Or people claim they have a “power” suit they wear for important meetings because it gives them confidence.
While some garments or beauty products may be mostly functional, like a work uniform or a cream to lessen a scar after surgery, these things are often more like extensions of our identities. It’s how we present ourselves to others; it’s how we, in part, create ourselves. We make choices—even though we are influenced by others—about what to wear, what products to use, and other decisions about our tastes. We make these choices that impact how we act and interact with others.
Why is it important to be active in creating ourselves this way? One reason is to help combat the influence of others on us, and take more control of ourselves. Philosopher Skye Cleary’s book, How to Be Authentic, explains that people use coded language that shapes our behaviors from our earliest days. For example, when it comes to infants, a boy’s grip is perceived as strong, but a girl’s hands are perceived as delicate. To further illustrate, Cleary mentions the sociology research of Barbara Rothman, who shows that coded language begins while babies are still in the womb. Women who know the sex of their babies, use words like “strong" and “vigorous” for boys, while girls are said to “squirm.” Women who did not know the sex of their child, used similar language, but without the same patterns.
How can we be authentic when we are shaped by so many factors? We can’t say what a woman or a man is, according to Beauvoir, because there is no absolute answer. People are more complicated than our simple attempts to answer these questions. No one fits perfectly in a box. So, it is up to each individual to decide how to live, who to become. Products from beauty and fashion help us to experiment and create the ways we want to project ourselves to the world; how we want to be in the world.
Consumers receive most of the attention in discussions about identity and the beauty industry. This makes sense because businesses need people to buy their products, and those consumers need to formulate reasons for their purchases. However, we also need to acknowledge the beauty brand founders. The particular types of products and the particular version of those products are not merely happenstance. Neither are their products only the result of market analysis. Chance and analysis play a role, but the founders, especially in the early phases of their business, formulate products that are extensions of their identities. After all, the brand founder had to make choices about design, marketing, story, colors, and so on. And these choices reflect the founder’s identity. Whether your primary role is a founder or a consumer, you should make deliberate choices to reflect your identity, in order to be authentic.
