7 Benefits of Being Attractive

Physical attractiveness is the degree to which people are considered beautiful. What is considered ‘beautiful’ differs with time and in different cultures. However, humans who are relatively young, with smooth skin, well-proportioned bodies, and regular features, have traditionally been considered the most beautiful throughout history. Many studies suggest those that are deemed attractive within society reap some benefits from their attractiveness. The following are some of the benefits.

Better School grades

Researchers have found that good looking students get higher grades from their teachers than students with an average or unattractive appearance. These teachers unknowingly associate attractiveness with an increased intellectual capability. Attractive students also receive greater attention from their teachers, which could allow them to excel in their studies since they can get one-on-one feedback. Unattractive students may not benefit from this extra support.

Increased Income

A survey conducted by London Guildhall University of 11,000 people showed that those who subjectively describe themselves as physically attractive earn more income than others who would express themselves as less attractive. Differences in revenue due to attractiveness was much more pronounced for men rather than women and held true for all ranges of income. A handsome man is likely to make 13 percent more during his career than his average-looking peers.

Greater Self Esteem

It is no shock that attractive women report being happier due to more positive self-esteem. Unattractive people, on the other hand, can suffer from feelings of low self-esteem which can, in turn, affect other areas of their life. One longitudinal study found that those that had greater facial attractiveness in high school were more likely to report psychological wellbeing in middle age (Gupta, Etcoff & Jaeger, 2016).

More Likely to Get Job Offers

Research shows that attractive people are also more likely to be hired for a job. This could be due to how they are often more confident and have better social skills (Mobius & Rosenblat, 2006). Confidence may come from a self-fulfilling prophecy. They believe in their capabilities since others have affirmed them throughout their life.

More Likely to Have Suitors

Facially symmetrical men and women tend to begin to have sexual intercourse at an earlier age, to have more sexual partners, to engage in a wider variety of sexual activities, and to have more one-night stands. On the flip side, they are more likely to be promiscuous and consider open relationships. In some cases, people are too intimidated by their beauty to approach them.

Shorter Prison Sentences

Studies show that attractive people are less likely to be convicted of a crime, and if they are convicted, they receive shorter sentencing. This prejudice also presents itself when jurors decide on whether to sentence someone to death. Unattractiveness in the courtroom can have dire consequences. Attractive faces are deemed more trustworthy, and one study finds that facial trustworthiness contributes to decisions made in court (Wilson & Rule, 2015).

Children Are Also Bias

Studies show that children also make judgements based on physical attractiveness. For example, one study finds that children prefer to receive their information from attractive informants (Bascandziev & Harris, 2014).

However…

Every rose has its thorns. Although there are many benefits to being attractive, there are also some consequences of beauty. For example, attractive females are less likely to be considered for some positions such as a correctional officer. Furthermore, when an interviewer is of the same sex and average looking, an attractive person is less likely to be hired because they are seen as a threat. Beautiful people are also more likely to be perceived as less talented. Success is often attributed to their good lucks. This can also affect self-esteem as they often do not know whether they are competent and likeable or whether people are just treating them better because they are attractive.