You, Plato, Socrates, and Beauty

1) What is so beautiful about youth?
Youth. When i think of youth, i don't usually think of beauty. I think of recklessness, of immaturity, of innocence, of being blissfully unaware of the problems of the world. But I suppose that, in and of itself, is beauty, at least the innocence and blissfulnesses. I think of youthful beauty not only as smooth skin, and good looks, but as the ability to see the world as it is, unpolluted and untarnished. If you ever want to really know how the world would impact a stranger, ask a child. They see everything at the most basic level, the way some things were supposed to be seen as, before they were blown out of proportion. This is what I imagine as youthful beauty, not only the physical "perfection" of someone who is young.

2) We know what "perfect" most likely means to Socrates by looking at ancient Greek sculpture and art and drawing inferences, but he doesn't describe this "perfect" human form. What are your thoughts on the idea of a "perfect" human form today? What is it in your culture for men? women? What are your thoughts surrounding those ideals?
I think the idea of a perfect human form hasn't changed much since ancient Greek times. at least, for women it hasn't. The ideal female image has always, and probably always be, curvy, proportioned, perfect in every way. But that of itself is confusing. Every culture has a different ideal as to what they believe as "perfect". Some cultures, the American culture for example, think of perfection as a stick thin body, with exquisite features, paying no heed to the emotional or mental beauty of the woman. For men, the standards are less lax, the demands less extreme. I think the only ideal is that they be "handsome". But handsomeness is by perpective. Some people think of some man as handsome, while their friend thinks hes hideous. Everyone has a different idea, different ideals. It has always seemed different for women. And truly, there is no reason for it. The very idea of beauty makes no sense, because no one is ever unanimously "beautiful", its impossible. Socrates may have had his own ideas on the concept of beauty, of it being part of youth, but others may disagree.