Benefits of being good-looking

[happa]

Human behavior is perhaps one of the most interesting and predictable yet baffling topics of study. People respond to each other by past experiences and then draw a conclusion about that person judging them by their looks, personalities, backgrounds and reputation. At my school, I noticed that for the most part, all the popular students were good looking, which, needless to say is a common stereotype for "those" people. I then began to wonder to myself if looks might be emphasized more psychologically then we realized. In response to my hypothesis, I started observing how I treated my good-looking peers in contrast with my not so "privileged" in the good looks category peers. I noticed that I was a lot more open, conversational and less tense with those with lesser good looks. I also observed that my behavior changed into more of what would be called, respect or even fear. I became tense and worried what they might think of me, because surely they would report anything "strange" about me to their fellow good-looking / popular peers and to me, what they thought really counted.
Because of my response, I started observing others' as well. My observations generally led to the same end. People with better looks were treated in a special way until that barrier was crossed, if ever. I have also read different reports by psychologists that good-looking people tend to get better grades, better wages and better benefits as a whole. However, I did notice that this kind of treatment by "normal" people to good-looking people was more or less unintentional.
As I got more interested in this topic, I began to ask other people around what they thought of my theory. Many agreed with me and realized that better looking people do get different treatment than the average human. Certainly our human-ness has been tuned in to good-looks but I also believe that a lot of this over-emphasis on physical looks has come from the media who portray the "perfect" person as a certain way. Because of this special treatment, school has often been split into categories: jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, losers, band kids.
Their is a definite hierarchy in the system that has to do with backgrounds and interests but is definitely affected by looks.
In conclusion to my amateur experiment and observations, I truly believe that if our society focused more on character than just relying on good looks alone to judge a person, then society has overcome a small but important barrier which has caused a lot of trauma with teenagers and even adults that have led to self doubt, depression, anger and suicide. I fully realize that this might be a bit extreme and you might argue that I'm over the top in my conclusion yet I have found that our social lives and our emotional, mental and physical lives are closely knit together. We as a town, state, country and world will be better joined together as a community rather than separate groups determined by looks, if we start by overcoming the small to achieve the great.

[hawthorns]

Walking eye candy will always be the beneficiary of open doors, opportunity, and advancement. It sucks and it's not fair, but unfortunately that's probably been the trend since Homo Habalis. It's one human instinct that isn't likely to be altered anytime soon. At some point you just accept it and move on. What's the relevancy to literature though?

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

This is the general chat area, not general literature. As the description says, "Discuss anything and everything, except politics."

[hawthorns]

This is the general chat area, not general literature. As the description says, "Discuss anything and everything, except politics."

DOH!

Sorry about that, happa. For some reason I thought I was in the Gen Lit section when I answered. I guess it's time to turn in :D

[happa]

No worries hawthorns :)
But yes I do agree with you. It's life and thats what happens. However, in my utopia mindset, theres a part of me that still wishes for a better society, even if it's an impossible one.

[hawthorns]

No worries hawthorns :)
But yes I do agree with you. It's life and thats what happens. However, in my utopia mindset, theres a part of me that still wishes for a better society, even if it's an impossible one.

Yeah me too, especially with regard to this subject. When you aren't 'endowed' intellectually or physically, it can drive one to pound sand for years...Maybe nothing has changed, but it sure seems like pop-culture BS is increasingly idolized. Or, maybe that's just me getting older and more pessimistic. But I do think that it's at least partially symptomatic of the ever widening disparity between the rich and the "middle" (which now has virtually nothing as well) class.

Every time I see these news articles that read, "new research reveals that attractiveness is associated with higher earning potential, social mobility, etc. blah ble blah, I want to punch something...like someone good looking :p

[cacian]

when it comes down to writing a book a pretty face has nothing to do with it and that is the bottom line my friend.
the rest is all relative and depend on opportunities and other assets and so I really do not think that being handsome would work long term.
what would help and much more is elocution presentation of self and attitude which can all be improved and perfected if one puts their mind to it.

[Emil Miller]

This theory may be partially true but is by no means universally so. If that were the case, the numerous famous and well heeled people who look like something out of an Hieronymus Bosch painting would not be in the position they are.

[JuniperWoolf]

Protip: if you smile and flirt with your teachers, you can get at least 1/3 grade higher. Wear makeup and something that shows some skin while doing so and it goes up a whole letter.

[Lokasenna]

Protip: if you smile and flirt with your teachers, you can get at least 1/3 grade higher. Wear makeup and something that shows some skin while doing so and it goes up a whole letter.

I was in the unusual position of being asked out by one of my students this year. Sadly for me, she was actually very attractive - but given that I was marking summative work of hers, I thought it would be leaving both of us open to all sorts of trouble, so I said no.

I don't think it was any attempt to get higher grades (her grades are good anyway) - I think she was being genuine. But it was most definitely a weird situation for me.

[happa]

To cacian and Emil Miller,
it is true that the intellectual world doesn't care as much with good looks, but focuses more on the brain and the advancement of technology and such. However, my purpose of my argument was aimed more toward the younger generation, especially teenagers in school, where they are constantly faced with this particular problem. I know this because I am faced with it everyday. I know friends who have gone into depression for numerous reasons but much of it has been due low self esteem. They compare their looks, intelligence, and so many other things with those of the popular people most of the time.
In my post I also mentioned that my conclusion is general, as in it absolutely does not apply to some. I do admit that there are many exceptions, but physical attractiveness and the mostly positive response to that is undeniable.
To Lokasenna, that would be a very uncomfortable situation but you probably chose the right response to it.
To hawthorns, I, for the most part, have found peace with how I look so often I want to punch the people pathetically sucking up to "those" people more than I want to punch the good looking ones. We give them their popularity. Without our opinion, they would not be categorized this way, so I partially blame those who try excessively to earn their respect.

[tonywalt]

I was in the unusual position of being asked out by one of my students this year. Sadly for me, she was actually very attractive - but given that I was marking summative work of hers, I thought it would be leaving both of us open to all sorts of trouble, so I said no.

I don't think it was any attempt to get higher grades (her grades are good anyway) - I think she was being genuine. But it was most definitely a weird situation for me.

Lok - now that she is no longer your student....?

[tonywalt]

Protip: if you smile and flirt with your teachers, you can get at least 1/3 grade higher. Wear makeup and something that shows some skin while doing so and it goes up a whole letter.

Thanks for that Juniper! I am going to try that on with the senior partner - wish me luck!

Actually my previous boss was gay - God that was a sweet spot for Tony- I really could do no wrong. He bought me fashion accessories (squeeeeal!!) like belts and expensive jeans!

[Scheherazade]

Interesting. I cannot say I feel I am treated differently at all.

[Emil Miller]

To cacian and Emil Miller,
it is true that the intellectual world doesn't care as much with good looks, but focuses more on the brain and the advancement of technology and such. However, my purpose of my argument was aimed more toward the younger generation, especially teenagers in school, where they are constantly faced with this particular problem. I know this because I am faced with it everyday. I know friends who have gone into depression for numerous reasons but much of it has been due low self esteem. They compare their looks, intelligence, and so many other things with those of the popular people most of the time.
In my post I also mentioned that my conclusion is general, as in it absolutely does not apply to some. I do admit that there are many exceptions, but physical attractiveness and the mostly positive response to that is undeniable.
To Lokasenna, that would be a very uncomfortable situation but you probably chose the right response to it.
To hawthorns, I, for the most part, have found peace with how I look so often I want to punch the people pathetically sucking up to "those" people more than I want to punch the good looking ones. We give them their popularity. Without our opinion, they would not be categorized this way, so I partially blame those who try excessively to earn their respect.

I agree that young people are often unsure of their appearance and are prone to suffer from it but, once again, this is not entirely true. In fact there are those youngsters who have an exalted impression of themselves, as witness certain forum members, but youthful conceit is no measure of genuine worth and most grow out of it in the fullness of time.
One of the misconceptions of being young is the feeling that we are being looked at all the time. I hated it as much as anyone until I was old enough to realise that it simply wasn't true and that young people are for the most part ignored by their elders who have become experienced enough to know that the world doesn't solely revolve around them.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Here's a twist to this whole good-looks-get-you-further-in-life-idea. I'm disabled, physically and very apparently so. Needless to say, this condition does nothing to make me attractive, yet I've received nothing but special treatment my whole life? You think being pretty and flirting with the teacher gets you better grades? Try being disabled. It's a cake-walk.

And Lok, you should totally hit that.

[happa]

Mutatis-Mutandis:
yes that is from a different angle and I totally agree with you. However, I focused more on the good-looks and how it affected those around us. There are many things wrong (and yes there is right) in our society but I chose to focus on this particular issue.

[jajdude]

Ah the physical attractiveness bias which is not mentioned enough. It runs hard. Where beauty gets the gold coin and smart the silver.

Not only is she beautiful but she can read!

I get called handsome a lot. I don't believe it. I reckon I'm just some average slob who carries this thing in his head to try to function.