Are you too handsome to be smart?

I guess many of us know someone personally or have seen someone in a magazine or on TV and speculate that they have only succeeded because of their looks. It may seem like they are sour grapes, but those who are exceptionally handsome, slim, young, blonde, and flirtatious can be perceived as an advantage over mortal mothers like the rest of us.

Sometimes the bias is unconscious. Children who are especially attractive are easy on the eyes, elicit a more positive response from people they meet, and thus can grow up enjoying unrestrained adoration and good-humored tolerance of any shortcomings or bad behavior. This treatment is sure to significantly improve their confidence levels and may even make them feel infallible or impervious to negativity, perhaps without even realizing it.

Friends who are less physically injured will pick up on this favoritism and feel they have an unfair advantage, one that no one does anything to rectify. An ‘us and them’ mentality may begin, with the development of a jealous and resentful opinion of your favorite friends.

In today’s world, good looks are increasingly celebrated. Young/pretty/blonde/skinny/glamorous lifestyle images are constantly coming our way on social media, until finally someone says ‘enough’ or ‘what about the rest’, and then you see an influx of older people/ older/gray. people with hair taking their place for a while. After all, those people are also a massive potential market.

But what about the downside of being one of the ‘hotties’? Does such a thing exist? Certainly, as someone who isn’t young, handsome, or skinny, I know my photo doesn’t get taken as often as my friends who check those boxes, unless I initiate the photo shoot. To me, I find it more amusing than annoying and I recognize that those ‘beauties’ have worked hard to look so good.

The downside to them is that attractive people are often perceived as having an automatic advantage, that they perhaps only achieved their success because of their physical appearance, rather than effort, sweat, or skill level.

Is it fair that attractive people are considered too attractive to be intelligent?

– There is a perception that you don’t have to work as hard if you look good and, yes, sometimes you can pass due to your physical attributes, but true success requires valuable knowledge, competence and experience, plus a lot of hard work. . When we hire someone, we expect them to be skilled and capable of working on our behalf. Good looks may give them an advantage, but they still have to deliver the products.

– The bias can work either way, for or against perceived beauty, as different cultures and social groups have varying criteria for what they consider attractive. For those who have had a complacent upbringing, it can be important to stop being constantly feted and adored for their appearance. Living like a ‘beauty’ can mean they expect to be treated a certain way, and if that stops happening, it can be hard to accept.

– An important life lesson is the development of ‘antibodies’ to protect us not only from germs and infections, but also from negativity. The antibodies that develop as a result of bullying or unpleasant experiences teach us to acquire a tougher skin and a more resilient attitude. If we’ve been a ‘golden child,’ we may have missed out on learning that important life lesson. Resilience helps us bounce back from rejection, injustice, and hard hits.

– Making others assume that you have been favored for being handsome, treating you as if you have not achieved results through hard work, skills and talents, assuming you have a pass because of your appearance. it is both hurtful and disrespectful. Yes, your looks may have gotten more attention your way, much like the rich kid who may have benefited from extra tuition or a better school, but the ultimate test is what you accomplish through your own efforts. and contributions.

– In fact, everyone has some talents or attributes that put them ahead of others; some are naturally artistic, especially sporty, tall, good at cooking, quick to learn languages ​​or technology. We easily accept that we are not all born equal and value differences, while working on our own good and bad points. Doing our best with what we have is the key to a happy and less stressful life.

– And, don’t forget, one big downside to constantly looking good is that it often takes a lot of time, money, and effort to commit to maintaining your appearance. The discipline necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat properly, maintain the various beauty treatments and keep up to date is not easy and requires continuous dedication. Not everyone is prepared to constantly maintain that effort.

There are many ways in which we can feel discriminated against. It can be due to gender, age, race, health, ethnicity, about which we cannot do anything. There will always be people who are ready to find fault and make excuses for their own lack of success while indirectly criticizing others. Everyone has obstacles to overcome, so let’s choose to use those obstacles to motivate ourselves and show the naysayers that we are overcoming, whatever they may say!