Let’s get real today and talk about beauty. What’s your stance on it? Is there such thing as beauty privilege? Well, there’s a lot of contradictory information regarding this particular subject. Some studies say that attractive people earn more money, whereas others say the very unattractive make more money. So, in what should we believe in? Well, I’m afraid we’ll never really know. By the way, why is this subject such a taboo matter? Why no one wants to acknowledge that beauty is indeed a privilege? I’ve one word for you — “meritocracy”, which means “if you work hard, you’ll succeed”. By acknowledging that being beautiful gives one access to more opportunities challenges that belief. In addition, nobody wants to teach their children “if you’re beautiful, you’ll succeed”. Oh no, that’s so not “politically correct”. Although, that’s exactly what “beauty privilege” is all about.
Beauty Privilege: A Taboo Subject
Times might have changed, but we’re still very primal regarding certain matters. In my opinion, feeling attracted to someone we perceive as physical beautiful doesn’t make us shallow. No. It makes us human. On a side note, there’s been studies showing that babies gravitate towards people with more attractive faces. Yes, beautiful people do get treated better. It’s a fact.
Beautiful Faces Make A Better Impression
Can a beautiful face change our opinion about someone? It’s very likely. You see, “good looking people are incapable of doing bad things”. Right? That’s what our brain tells us when we see an attractive face. That might explain why good looking people get lighter sentences when they commit crimes. Yes, that just sounds awful… but you know it’s true. When it comes to getting a job, does having a beautiful face really matter? Well, let’s imagine the following scenario: two candidates competing for the same job vacancy. Same experience, same skills. However, one is more pleasantly looking than the other. Who do you think is going to get it?
Beautiful Faces Attract More Attention
If you’re wondering why beauty is such a coveted trait, I’ve got one word for you: attention. Being “beautiful” gets you attention. Having beauty is almost like being a popular person, like a celebrity. People either want to be close to you or they want to be you. Being someone that people are drawn to, also means having access to a wider array of dating options. Basically, you have more potential “mates”.
Beauty Privilege And Women
Now, I’m going to bring another variable into the debate: gender. Call me biased, but I believe women are the main beneficiaries of beauty privilege. Although girls are running the world according to Beyoncé, it’s still pretty much a man’s world. Therefore, it’s almost a vicious circle. Beautiful women get more attention. They might get more job opportunities and the list of benefits goes on just for being beautiful. Honestly, that really explains a lot why women are so obsessed with youth and beauty! “If you don’t look good, then you’re nothing” — that’s what society is trying to tell them. In other words, beauty is currency.
How much does beauty matter?
So far, we’ve only talked about the benefits of being beautiful. However, how important is it to be beautiful? Well, having attractive physical attributes only serve one purpose: to boost your ego. Just think about it. Why do people want others to perceive them as attractive? Let’s be honest here. An individual’s relationship with beauty tells a lot about that person’s ego. For some people, it’s not really about how you feel inside, but how others perceive you. Being perceived as “beautiful” serves no real purpose. All it does is to feed your own vanity and narcissism. That’s the “ugly truth” right there. People want to be beautiful, because they want to be admired.
Now, what happens if you’re just average looking? Nothing. Having average looks doesn’t really hurt your life. That’s where “inner beauty” steps in. No, I’m not trying to be cynical here. Have you ever met a person that looks really good on the outside but rotten on the inside? What happens? You start to lose interest. Having said that, there’s some truth to the old saying that “looks don’t really matter” or “never judge a book by its cover”. “Beautiful” is nice but in an “extra topping” kind of way. It’s the cherry on top of the cake, not the whole cake.
Having said that, beauty privilege is real and it should be acknowledged. However, we shouldn’t be too obsessed about it:
