Millions of men around the world are pining for these women. At the same time, there are those who do not see anything special in them; moreover, some consider them downright unattractive and even scary...

So who are they: beauties or ugly ones? We present to your attention star women with extraordinary appearance.

Sarah Jessica Parker

According to Maxim magazine in 2007, Sarah became the most unsexy woman. This “title” really upset Sarah and her husband Matthew Broderick. The actress is convinced that sexuality cannot be judged solely by appearance. But even after this, Sarah does not go under the surgeon’s knife and does not try to change anything about herself. "It's impossible to please everyone"- she says.

Uma Thurman

After playing the wife of writer Henry Miller in the film “Henry and June,” Uma Thurman earned the nickname “sex symbol for intellectuals.” The actress never considered herself a beauty, but she is quite happy with the fact that she is different from the cliched Hollywood sex bombs. And the famous director Quentin Tarantino even believes that large feet (size 42) like Thurman’s are very sexy.

Keira Knightley

The talented actress also found herself the target of criticism regarding her appearance. Not everyone likes her figure with the lack of feminine curves, as well as her heavy, masculine chin. But Kira believes that in addition to beautiful appearance There must be something else special in a person - something that will be perceived as a certain “zest”, giving the appearance a unique uniqueness and attractiveness.

Kate Moss

The title of one of the highest paid models of the 1990-2000s speaks for itself. Yes, the appearance is not ideal, and plastic surgeons there would be something to work on if the model wanted it. But there is a certain luxury in her appearance that does not perfect beauty determined.

Vanessa Paradis

She is an actress, a singer, and a model. But only a few like her looks. Vanessa herself takes criticism of her appearance calmly. She believes that it doesn’t matter what kind of legs, butt, nose... the light inside is much more important, and that the eyes sparkle with happiness.

Mediocrity has now become one of the most common human qualities. From everywhere we hear calls to “surpass yourself”, “achieve more”, but in reality they all remain just beautiful slogans - according to at least, for the majority of people. What does this term “ordinariness” mean?

Main features

A synonym for mediocrity is the word “mediocrity.” This attitude to life is accompanied by constant compromises, indecision, and incessant reflections about the past and about oneself. But the most important thing is that an ordinary person is one who has no goal that could direct him into the future or keep his attention on the present. differs in that the person for whom it is characteristic is always below his true potential. He accepts the norms that are accepted in society and does only what is necessary. There is also the concept of “ordinary appearance”. These are people who are not attractive in appearance. Their facial features, gait, and clothing style are not much different from their surroundings. However, such a label can be unpleasant and even offensive.

Compliance with rules and regulations

An ordinary person is one who unconditionally accepts the norms accepted in society. At 16 he graduates from school, at 25 he gets married, at 60 he retires and lives out his life. His favorite entertainment is to sit on a bench with your own kind and condemn the state structure. In one of the dictionaries you can find the following definition of this approach to life. “Ordinary is of average quality; rather, related to the bad.” This definition should upset people. Because there really is nothing worse than living a mediocre life. To be like everyone else and at the same time have the same advantages and disadvantages as others.

Here is another definition of this concept. It's from an old dictionary from 1984: "Ordinary is someone who is in the middle between good and bad, big and small." No one wants to be such a person, but when it comes to complying with the demands of society, few people dare to show their individuality. In reality, society always rejects those who are not like its members. Moreover, it does not matter in which direction an extraordinary person differs - bad or good. It is assessed only from the standpoint of difference.

Usual life

An ordinary person is one who does not have his own special interests. Some mediocre people live their own lives without interfering with others. But there is also a category of people who cannot stand anything that goes beyond the ordinary. Usually they themselves suffer from their own envy, but the best thing a mediocre person could do in this situation is to start working on themselves. By going beyond the average and limitations, he could live more life to the fullest; and by making efforts to achieve results, he could raise his self-esteem. An ordinary person is, first of all, a person who cannot or does not want to change his life, being content with the little that he has.

However, being mediocre, people have no chance to fully enjoy the greatest gift of the Universe - life. In addition, an ordinary person is one who runs the risk of losing even the little he has. this moment. For example, if you do not work to increase wealth, circumstances may unexpectedly develop such that a person becomes bankrupt. To avoid this, you need to take care of your well-being in advance. The same principle can be applied in other areas.

Pros

However, there is an opinion according to which mediocrity is not such a bad quality. His supporters believe that not all people are meant to be Superman. Everyone can excel in the area where he is gifted, but he is doomed to mediocrity in all other areas. People have both weaknesses and strengths. Even if a person demonstrates serious achievements in any area, for example: in mathematics, music, the ability to move beautifully, performing dances, then in others he is doomed to be simple and mediocre.

After all, it is impossible to be perfect in all areas. There is an opinion among psychologists that those people who cannot accept this simple truth and come to terms with it are constantly tormented by the search for the meaning of life. Or they believe that they have to be outstanding, extraordinary. This is due to the fact that modern man huge opportunities for obtaining information. Every day he sees the most best athletes, the worst criminals. However, the truth is that for every outstanding person there are several million ordinary people.

“And he is an extraordinary person!” - we often come across this statement in oral and written sources, sometimes without suspecting what lies underneath it. Perhaps a person with outstanding abilities deserves such an assessment addressed to him. What connotations does the concept “extraordinary” have? The meaning of this word in various contexts is the topic of the article.

Words with similar meaning

What does "outstanding" mean? The synonym for this word that comes to mind first is “outstanding.” Extraordinaryness is also rarity, singularity, unusualness. There are many synonyms for this word, as well as for those that have the same root. But the peculiarity of each of these concepts is relativity. What is unusual in one culture is common in another.

beauty

Outstanding aesthetic qualities have always attracted the attention of wordsmiths. Extraordinary beauty is, according to La Bruyère, something that gives a girl nothing other than the hope of ordinary wealth. The witty statement of the French moralist is relevant at all times. But it does not answer the question of what is extraordinary female appearance. Concepts of beauty in different cultures their. And time dictates the understanding of beauty. Therefore, when a phrase such as “extraordinary appearance” appears in a text or conversation, we're talking about, as a rule, about subjective perception.

Personality

An extraordinary personality is a concept whose meaning cannot be explained in a nutshell. As already mentioned, most often he is understood as a person with outstanding abilities. He stands out among those coming out general system and goes where no one has been before. There are many examples in history: Napoleon, Rasputin, Pugachev, Churchill. The list goes on and on. An extraordinary figure is one whose existence is known to descendants a hundred or two hundred years after her life.

Why do some people go through their life path unnoticed, while others leave behind a myriad of legends?

Reason for exclusivity

There is an opinion that every person comes into this world with an ardent desire to change something. But nature deprives some and they have no choice but to be content with the simple joys of life. The majority of people are like this. Dostoevsky's hero, Raskolnikov, classified them as “lower,” that is, ordinary. For several million unremarkable people, there is one unremarkable ordinary person. And it is she who is capable of influencing the course of historical events, creating masterpieces of literature and art, and making revolutionary discoveries in science.

According to this theory, everyone dreams of an outstanding destiny a common person. Maybe. But only if his ambition goes beyond all sorts of reasonable limits. After all, everyone knows that fate teaches difficult lessons to an extraordinary person. It is enough just to remember how the brilliant path of the great French commander ended.

However, there is an opinion that a person of outstanding trials falls solely because of his greed, avarice, and pride.

Signs of an outstanding personality

According to Tibetan philosophy, a person with extraordinary abilities has the following qualities:

1. Lack of envy.
2. The ability to be content with simple pleasures.
3. Lack of hypocrisy.
4. Consistency in fulfilling obligations.
5. The ability to sympathize with those who live badly.

One can argue with the theory of the Tibetan monks. Ivan the Terrible, according to historical information, had outstanding cunning. Joseph Stalin was not inferior in this capacity to the medieval ruler. He, like Napoleon and Hitler, was not inclined to compassion. And it is very difficult to say that any of the bright historical figures was able to be content with little. But the Tibetan sages put a different meaning into the word “outstanding”. Their concept of outstanding abilities is different from European ones.

Examples

An outstanding personality differs from those around him by his extraordinary abilities. As a rule, these qualities are combined with hard work and perseverance. But next to an extraordinary person there is always a person or group of people with mediocre abilities. Envy appears, the conviction that genius is some kind of gift that is not possessed by those who are supposed to. Everyone knows one of the versions of the cause of Mozart’s death.

Pushkin and Yesenin experienced the envy of their fellow poets. Bulgakov aroused the wrath of critics with his talented works. Gogol was upset to such an extent that he burned the second part of his famous poem. From all that has been said, we can conclude that genius awakens the worst human vices in contemporaries and the boundless admiration of descendants.

What is brilliant today may seem unremarkable tomorrow. Without looking into the distant past, we can recall examples of outstanding personalities of the 20th century. Namely - V. Vysotsky. The exceptionality of the poet and musician lay not only in an extraordinary gift, but also in the luck of being born in an inconvenient, but the right time. His work would hardly have caused a resonance in the nineties of the last century.

An outstanding writer of the 20th century is A. Solzhenitsyn. According to his own memoirs, before his arrest he dreamed of writing, but did not have enough stories. An extraordinary, tragic fate became the material for creativity.

A person’s originality is formed not only due to his unique abilities, but also under the influence of historical and social events characteristic of his time.

Mediocrity as a personality quality is the tendency to not stand out in any way, to be resolutely like everyone else, not to have your own ideas, to be unremarkable, to show mediocrity and ordinaryness; inability to be first among equals.

One ordinary actor turned to Bernard Shaw to intercede with the director on his behalf. Shaw, having met the director, told him: “This young man plays Hamlet, Romeo, Ferdinand, on the piano, on the clarinet, and at billiards.” He plays best on the latter.”

Mark Twain returned the manuscript to one mediocre author with the following note: “Dear friend! Reputable doctors recommend that mental workers eat fish, because this product nourishes the brain with phosphorus. I am a layman in these matters, but judging by your manuscript, it seems to me that two medium-sized whales will not be an excessive diet for you.”

Ordinariness is a parade of ordinariness. An ordinary person is not able to break out of the general order, to go where no one has been before. She does not want to exercise her right to be different, not to merge with the gray mass, not to convert special attention on people's assessments. Ordinariness shies away from risk and fears change.

Since God created so many ordinary people, it means he needs them for some reason. No wonder the classic A.P. Chekhov noted: “... only ordinary, herd people are healthy and normal.” Life is extraordinary with its mysterious causes - investigative connections, an endless stream information, poorly studied requirements of the laws of the universe. Man makes life ordinary. « It takes a very extraordinary mind to penetrate the essence of ordinary phenomena,” writes Janet Winterson. “There is nothing ordinary in the world. There are people who see complete mediocrity,” echoes her Elchin Safarli. Unremarkable and hackneyed mediocrity often turns into its opposite - extraordinaryness.

Ordinary people cannot create a good, spiritual society. Practice proves that all we can do is create a society influenced by the energy of passion and ignorance. Moreover, the appearance of progress turns in human society, represented mainly by people in passion and ignorance, into a gradual slide into the swamp of degradation. There is no other way to describe the rapid processes of dehumanization, shamelessness and immorality that occur in modern life. People are moving away from observing God's commandments, ignoring the requirements of the laws of the universe, and are in harsh confrontation with outside world, convincingly demonstrating the disharmony, immaturity and lack of integrity of their personalities.

Why did God create hordes of ordinary people? Ordinary people received human incarnation as a chance to embark on the path of spiritual development, as an opportunity to make a breakthrough in personal growth, self-improvement, and self-cultivation positive qualities personality, in passing life lessons, in overcoming difficulties and, as a result, in getting as close to God as possible.

A few break through the barriers of their own mediocrity and take the path of spiritual development, take care of satisfying not only their physiological but also spiritual needs, make efforts to increase their goodness and piety, uncompromisingly fight all manifestations of ignorance and degradation, strive to create a spiritual society under the influence energy of goodness.

William Somerset Maugham writes: “It seems to me that people, ordinary ordinary people, do not in any way correspond to the grandiose idea of ​​eternal life. With their insignificant passions, petty virtues and vices, they are completely in place in everyday life; but the idea of ​​immortality is too majestic, it does not fit into a form of such a modest size.”

Most ordinary people show an inability to wake up themselves, realize the meaning of their lives, understand why they came to planet Earth, and, moreover, attract spiritually sleeping people to work together to rebuild the world on a benevolent, fair basis.

An ordinary person, embarking on the path of spiritual development, encountering difficulties, sharply cools down to his undertaking and returns to the illusory world of passion and ignorance. 99% of ordinary people leave spiritual life within 10 years, only 1% remain. Many ordinary people follow the path of pride, vanity and self-interest.

Originality as a personality quality is the ability to demonstrate outstanding abilities, to stand out among others, to be first among equals. A person can be extraordinary both in goodness and in passion. An extraordinary personality has his own specific life purpose, he reaches his peak, passes the life exams intended for him. If she doesn't get in the way spiritual growth, she is entirely subject to the demands that life places on ordinary people. In other words, originality solves its specific problem associated with the realization of its outstanding abilities, and, in addition, common task of all people - drawing closer to God.

Is a quick path to extraordinaryness possible in the context of spiritual development? Philosopher Vyacheslav Ruzov claims that there is a theoretical chance of rapid spiritual maturation, but it is not suitable for ordinary souls. If the soul develops very quickly, it is an extraordinary soul, so we cannot think that we are extraordinary, rare souls, we are the most ordinary souls. It is not the quality of the Teacher that determines the speed of development of the student, but our own “digestion”. Everyone eats the same thing, have you noticed? And everyone has a different reaction. Nothing can be done, different digestive system. Someone can digest one thing, another – another, so it doesn’t depend on the teacher, it depends on the student. Everything depends on our own digestion. Whether we want to digest it or not. The digestion process takes time. It's impossible to digest in one second spiritual knowledge, it takes about 20 years for digestion to tune in to the desired wave. Spiritual practice is not a cheap thing that we took, bought in one second, and hung it around our necks, no, spiritual practice is a very serious process, daily, many decades, requiring a lifetime of dedication.

Tell a scientist, actor or performer that he is ordinary, and you will make an enemy. F.M. Dostoevsky writes in “The Idiot”: “Indeed, there is nothing more annoying than to be, for example, rich, of a decent family name, decent appearance, well educated, not stupid, even kind, and at the same time have no talent, no peculiarity, not even eccentricity, not even a single idea of ​​one’s own, to be resolutely “like everyone else”... For a limited ordinary person, for example, there is nothing easier than imagining oneself as an extraordinary and original person and enjoying this without any hesitation.”

Psychologists believe that ordinary people often exhibit unpretentiousness. Their self-esteem tends to be low, which often leads to suppressed narcissistic needs. Their attitude towards excellence and brilliance is also low, and they may neglect own appearance. The characteristic mediocrity, ordinariness, and simplicity seem to stem from the fact that these people have given up trying to excel and shine. Although ordinary individuals seem to have given up hope of recognition, there is a deep and unconscious thirst for love in their self-denying humility and hidden desire be rewarded with love. The sense of self-worth, like the sense of being in mediocrity, is satisfied not through approval, but rather through indirect participation, life through others: the ordinary person becomes a person through symbiosis with family, nation, party, club, team, etc. .

Peter Kovalev

Faktrum invites you to listen to what these women had to say about love, romance and how to treat men.

Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood's fatal beauty, inventor

Among Hollywood beauties, there is one actress who left us a legacy not only of films with her participation. Even during World War II, Hedy Lamarr registered a patent for a torpedo remote control system and the principle of information encryption - “frequency hopping” technology. Later, its developments made it possible to use mobile communications, GPS navigation and Bluetooth with WiFi.

A recognized beauty, Hedy had no shortage of male attention: only official husbands she had six.

Here's what Hedy Lamarr said:

Any girl can be charming. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.
- The most great love of your life? - My father.
- When did you feel happiest? - Between marriages.
- What would you like to change about yourself? - Mmm... Nail polish.

Lola Montez (Eliza Gilbert), dancer and adventuress

The life of this woman was short (only 40 years), but during this time she managed to do a lot: she pretended to be a Spanish dancer, touring throughout Europe, she was the lover of Honore Balzac, Alexandre Dumas Sr., Franz Liszt, the favorite of the Bavarian king Ludwig I, who chose to abdicate the throne rather than part with Lola. For her sake, people fought duels and died, leaving all their property to her. One day Nicholas I became interested in her, but so that nothing would happen, the dancer was quickly expelled from Warsaw, where her tour was then taking place.

A word from herself:

What Lola wants, Lola gets!
“I showed women that if they skillfully took advantage of the weakness of men, they would no longer be called the weaker sex.

Gala Dali (Elena Dyakonova), wife of a genius and model

This woman knew how to evoke insane passion in men. Helen's first husband was the poet Paul Eluard. The marriage was special: the spouses loved group sex and had lovers and mistresses on the side, this was in the order of things for them. Paul was proud of his wife, carried a photograph of a naked Elena with him and showed it to his friends. One day he showed it to Salvador Dali. It all ended with Elena leaving her husband for Dali and becoming known as Gala. Dali adored his Gala, was inspired by her and, although they later separated, was very attached to her until the end of his life.

Gala's life credo:

“I will never be just a housewife. I will read a lot, a lot. I will do whatever I want, but at the same time maintain the attractiveness of a woman who does not overwork herself. I will shine like a cocotte, smell like perfume and always have well-groomed hands with manicured nails."

Louise Salome, philosopher and psychotherapist

German writer Kurt Wolf argued that “not a single woman in the last 150 years has had more strong influence to countries that speak German than Lou von Salome from St. Petersburg.” Nietzsche and Rilke lost their heads over her, Freud was close friends with her, Tolstoy and Turgenev, Wagner and Ibsen loved to talk with her. She was called “absolute evil”, “a vampire and a predator” - she was clearly an exceptional person.

As Lou said:

“Only those who remain completely themselves can count on lasting love.”

“There is nothing more stupid for a woman than to compete with a man in professional success. I never chose male activities for myself and did not compete with anyone - these activities found me on their own, like the sun finds a flower in need of its rays.”

“No matter how much pain and suffering life brings, we should still welcome it. The sun and the moon, day and night, darkness and light, love and death - man is always between them. He who fears suffering is also afraid of joy.”

Zinaida Gippius, poetess, critic, playwright

Zinaida Gippius was beautiful, elegant and knew how to please men. And although she was married to Dmitry Merezhkovsky from the age of 19, this did not prevent many connections on the side with both men and women. The poetess dedicated poems to her lovers, as usual. Contemporaries called her a devil and a decadent madonna, and she did not mind, because it was so nice to shock the public.

Word of Gippius:

“It is absolutely necessary, in love story, equality of minds! The main thing is that it is difficult to the point of despair. I think it’s not necessary because it’s even more difficult for a man. After all, among women, even such a cheaply smart mind like mine is rare.”

“Oh, if only I could completely lose this opportunity for voluptuous dirt, which I know lurks within me, which I don’t even understand.”

"In my thoughts, in my desires, in my spirit - I more man… In my body, I’m more of a woman.”

“There is nothing more interesting in the world than a “man.” A real, living person, created by nature and history.”

“Let us state simply: a living soul-and-bodily human being, a real person, is never only a man or only a woman. Both principles, male and female... are co-present in him. But... in every real person one of the two principles…prevails.”

Alexandra Kollontai, valkyrie of the revolution, fighter for equality

Alexandra Kollontai was called “sexual revolutionary”, “Valkyrie of the revolution”, “Eros in the uniform of a diplomat”, “demon of March 8”. We can say that she was the harbinger of the sexual revolution. Already at the age of 16, Alexandra, the general’s daughter, drove not only her peers, but also adult men, crazy. Even then, she challenged society, breaking hearts along the way. Refused a 40-year-old general, married her husband second cousin contrary to the wishes of her parents, she started an affair with a family friend, left her husband, went abroad, met Kautsky, Lenin, Plekhanov, Rosa Luxemburg. After the revolution, she returned to Russia and became the first female minister and female ambassador in history.

Here are her words:

“We are young as long as we are loved!”

“For the class tasks of the proletariat it is completely indifferent whether love takes the form of a long and formal union or is expressed in the form of a passing connection.”

Lilya Brik, muse of Vladimir Mayakovsky, supporter of “free love”

Disputes still do not subside: how could this woman have such an influence on Mayakovsky? According to the memoirs of contemporaries, there was some kind of magic in it. Lilya Brik was a charming, bright, self-confident, self-centered person and had incredible power over men. Marriage did not hinder her in this at all, her frantic energy and sexuality contributed to it.

Lilya Brik gives the floor:

“If you want to win a man, you must play on his weaknesses. Suppose he likes two women equally. He is not allowed to smoke. One does not allow him to smoke, and the other prepares a box of Kazbek for his arrival. Who do you think he will go to?”

"It is so simple! First you need to prove that you have beautiful soul. Then - that he is a genius and no one understands this except you. And beautiful silk lingerie and elegant shoes will do the rest.”

“It is good for Volodya to suffer; he will suffer and write good poetry.”

“I have always loved one - one Osya, one Volodya, one Vitaly and one Vasya.”