Apart from the instinct of survival, reproduction is the main objective of any organism. Our instinct to survive may also be the reason for the importance of reproduction, because reproduction is the key for the survival of a species. All animals are born imbedded with this goal. This goal is triggered and can be identified in the behavior of any animal at some point in their lives. The goal is not necessarily fulfilled by all of them, but the instinct is present with no exception.

In the animal kingdom it is very common for a male to mate with as many females as he can. The characteristics that contribute to a male level of attraction, defense and fighting capabilities are found at the level of the differences between the members. A male is larger, more colorful, more aggressive, better equipped for fighting and other things like that. Apart from those characteristics, physical attraction is by far the most important factor that determines if a male is suited for reproduction and what chances does he/it have in being chosen as a prospective mating partner.

Beauty is not overlooked in the animal kingdom because the physical features of a member of the opposite sex usually display the animal's state of health, therefore meaning that a beautiful animal is a healthy animal. Thus potential partners are chosen based on looks, so their offspring enjoy good health passed on from their parents. This instinct of pursuing partners that have good, healthy genes to pass on has been imbedded within us by Mother Nature. But not all animals benefit from attractive features. What happens to those less fortunate? Though it is hard to believe, males that are not so "good looking" sometimes engage in forceful mating with females. Humans consider this rape, but in the wild it is quite natural.

Speaking of humans, all the natural instincts have been imbedded in all of us as well. Physical attraction is still one very important factor in making choices from among potential mates. If this was the only determinant it would have been bad news for ugly people. But due to the development of the human brain, other factors that are not physically obvious are regularly and seriously considered. Some ugly people may be chosen as potential mates due to their personality, sense of humor or other characteristics. But this happens in present times. In the past, ugly people where somewhat avoided because of the exact instincts mentioned before. Other similarities to animal behavior would have been displayed in human behavior as well, like mating with several partners. Males show some inclination to creating harems, but females having harems is unheard of in any animal or human kingdom. The rise of religions has interfered with the laws of nature by creating strict social guidelines. People are brought up today in most cultures with the idea of strict monogamy imbedded in their thinking, when in nature males mating with several females is a natural thing.

What about fat people? Are they considered to be ugly people? Even though society has evolved and ugly people are no longer tagged and avoided, we still can't escape our instincts entirely. Chances are that fat people may have good looking features, but they are still not accepted in society as good looking. Fat women can be found with some pleasant features and some potential. Unfortunately, most people perceive these full figured ladies as ugly women. That is indeed unfortunate for the full figured ladies tagged as ugly women, but this is the society we live in. Apart from them, some are just plain ugly women with no chances of escaping that, no matter how much weight they lose. We are products of the society we live in and therefore we can't escape the way we think, even though that way is not exactly moral. If you want to get an idea about how ugly some people can be and why some really fat women are tagged as ugly women, you shouldn't miss the amazing pictures here, on uglypeople.com.
Our instincts make us choose potential mates from members of the opposite sex that we do not categorize as ugly people. But the complexity of the brain can sometimes overcome the instincts and make selections by criteria other than looks, so ugly women and men still have a chance in finding a potential partner.