Beauty and the Beast

Okay so beast might a bit too much, but I wanted a blog title that makes a point.  Beauty vs. ugliness, attractive vs. repulsive, handsome vs. plain, gorgeous vs. drab, all may be a better choice!

The thinking behind it is; if you were born lucky in the looks department, are you guaranteed a better life then your average looking human? This post, as with all my previous posts, are personal opinions and observations, infused with scientific studies when necessary. Keep that in mind as you enjoy this!

Whenever I sit down to write, my inspiration, is mostly my life. As a writer "wanna be", I am always observing situations and people for possible writing material at a later date. I have always had a love of humanity and studying what makes us tick, why some of us are the way we are. I have always loved reading psychology articles and related books. I find human interactions are the greatest adventure. I question why someone reacts as they do, and what could have changed the outcome of certain exchanges. What I have not given consideration to, is if outward appearance changes the whole basis of any human connection. 

In my career, grooming, body language, and interpersonal skills have played a strong role. In my training capacity, I have coached clients and employees on the art of looking right for the right situation. My children are extremely aware, that each activity carries its own set of guidelines. I am forever repeating the words "you do not go to a party wearing, what you would for football practice". It is still my belief that yoga pants are only for yoga class. I will not be the mom at the school gate in her pajama looking outerwear! I am adamant that people will judge you on the way you dress and present yourself, especially in a professional capacity. 

The question I wish to raise here is, how much does your perceived beauty open or close doors for you? Do good looking people get better jobs then the less attractive people? In other words, does pretty equal fated for success?

Thinking of this in terms of my own children, how does the world view them? I, of course, consider them gorgeous! But then again, every mother has the best looking kid in the room. My judgment does not count. I would like to think that they are acceptable in appearance and kind of cute! In truth, I was wondering if they get the undivided attention of their teachers? Do they get chosen for teams? Are they picked from the masses to represent their school? DO attractive children have an over all better school experience?

From my personal perspective, I would have to say YES. My blog, my thoughts!

We are all humans and we are drawn to the appealing option. The none bruised fruit, the plush sofa, the opulent clothing, the cute panda bear, what we judge as the flawless appearing option. Admit it, you do that in your daily life. How do you define beauty? Every culture has its criteria and every social media channel, plasters its feed with generally agreed upon beautiful people.

Researching the phenomena of beauty vs. beast, I have found copious studies that back up my theory. Human behavior specialists and economists both have discovered through various studies, that attractive people earn more money, get employed faster, are promoted quicker then their plain looking colleagues. The companies that they work for, perceive them as valuable assets to the work place and they tend to bring in more money, then the "less then average" lookers. People are attracted to a beautiful human and trust them and engage with them instantaneously. It has been called the law of attraction.

Beauty tends to give the impression of a confident and self assured person. It translates into employers, clients, partners assuming the beautiful person is trustworthy and a pleasure to interact with. The same it seems, relates to students in high school. The studies have shown, that attractive students receive accolades for their work frequently and make higher grades.

The genes that gave you the head start, could be thanked. It comes down to physiology and ancestral traits that allowed you to become just that little bit more successful, then your ugly work mate. Most of you will deny having the "beauty prejudice" or more like the "ugly bias". You will read this and shake your heads and decry the research and the studies. You will refuse to believe that a person's looks have swayed your decisions. You will assure yourself that the attractive salesman, TV ad model, customer service employee had nothing to do with your purchasing outcome.

Here is what I have learned: My children will be just fine. They are charming enough and cute looking enough to make it through life. Best of all, they are good humans with a moral compass and a  value system to guide them. I will admit that beauty attracts me. I am only human. Maybe less now, then when I was young and impressionable. With age; character, charm, and heart is what attracts me to people. I have learned that beautiful souls shine through and that a beautiful heart is truly attractive.