Some people hate it; others adore it. Many women would do anything to bask in its glory, while a good portion of men are starting to understand its privileges in a world based on youth and vitality. It is called beauty, and while you may not realize it, you are affected by its bitter sweet consequences most every day. Studies show that the ‘ugliest’ of infants are handled less by nurses in hospitals. As that child grows older, he or she will be given fewer advantages in life, such as parental attention, teacher approval, promotions, and assistance from strangers. So, what are the true advantages of vanity.
Advantages to Being Beautiful
With all this preferential treatment, it is easy to see why we all want to be beautiful. If you’ve noticed your knuckles are dragging a bit lower than usual, and your come-hither stare seems to elicit more of a, Get away from me, weirdo, response; these are a few of the advantages you may be missing out on.
- Halo Effect– In society, beauty has been linked to ones’ ethics, which actually makes a handsome evil doer less likely to be reported after a minor or major crime. Attractive people are angels to the opposite sex. However, these advantages are not only perceived; beautiful people really do seem to be well-adjusted, more active in dating/society, persuasive, make more money, and receive greater awards/achievements in life.
- Help During Emergencies– You may have seen the videos of a heart-attack victim falling in front of a group of bystanders, and they just look around, waiting for somebody to jump in. According to studies, these people must have been ugly, as attractive people are helped by 70 percent of those around them. This is compared to less than half of homely victims.
- Popularity– The evolution of beautiful people has taught us that certain body and facial characteristics make them healthier, virile, and for lack of a better word, “special.” In other words, we like to hang around them, because we perceive their lives to be superior to our own.
- Plastic Surgery Discount– In the case of plastic surgery, a beautiful person sitting in front of an MD, will be considered to have a body dysmorphic disorder (poor opinion of themselves) if they ask for too many unnecessary procedures. However, if the surgeon actually agrees with your low opinion of your appearance, you’ll be welcome to spend as much money as you want.
- I.Q. Booster– Is it possible to be a dumb, beautiful blonde? Not according to much of the research that has been done. Your appearance is linked to your intelligence, and not only are beautiful people perceived to be more brilliant, Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist, believes this stereotype may actually be somewhat true.
Plus, there’s more:
However, don’t go getting the wrong idea. There are just as many disadvantages, as there are advantages, when it comes to beauty.
Disadvantages to Beauty
- Contingent Self-Esteem– Beautiful people are more likely to be hard on themselves when it comes to their vanity, because that has been one of their shining attributes throughout their life. This may explain the addiction to plastic surgery of many aging Hollywood starlets.
- Contrast Effect– Another disadvantage is, no matter how attractive you are; you will only feel well-favored, if those around you seem homely. In other words, beautiful people feel ugly when they are with their own kind. In a sense, you will never be attractive enough, no matter how much effort you put into it.
- Forever Bachelor– George Clooney may have held out so long, because his choice of women is better than average. Beautiful people are suspected to have difficulty attaining satisfaction, or settling on one person, because they have too many options.
- Punished by High Expectations– Studies suggest that attractiveness increase people’s expectations. What’s worse, when a beautiful person is not successful at something, they are typically punished more harshly then their uglier cohorts.
- The Same-Sex Dunce Effect– We may consider beautiful opposite sex members as intelligent and angelic. However, when it comes to same-sex rivals, the resulting jealousy/competition can lead to your ultimate rejection and demotion.
You may have the ability to slice, preen, and clean–prod, poke, inject, and stuff implants into your body all for the privilege of being called beautiful. However, In the end; you may only be penalizing yourself, just as much as rewarding.