Women, including those in our Sixty and Me
community, know what research confirms: one is fortunate to be good-looking.
Physical attractiveness is a major factor in how we are treated.
The Beauty Bias
Books have been written about this, such as: Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of
Beauty, by Nancy Etcoff; In Your
Face: The New Science of Human Attraction, by David Perrett; Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People are More
Successful, by David S. Hammermesh; The
Beauty Bias: The Injustice of Appearance in Life and Law, by Deborah L.
Rhode; Looks: Why They Matter More than
You Ever Imagined, by Gordon Patzer, Ph.D.
Dr. Patzer’s comprehensive, research-based book
is the source for much of the rest of this article.
Lookism
In chapter after chapter, Dr. Patzer
demonstrates the effects of “lookism” as documented by a variety of studies in:
dating, mating, marriage; family dynamics and favoritism; treatment in school;
advancement in the workplace; before the law, especially in trials; getting
elected to public office; belief about marriage and career possibilities; the
“dark side” of anorexia and bulimia; the Big Business of beauty.
Biological Bases
The ancients often thought that beauty was a
sign of God’s approval and homeliness a sign of disapproval.
Evolutionary biologists explain our preference
for attractiveness as part of the battle to pass on more of one’s genes into
the succeeding generations. The classic womanly hour-glass figure has been
found to correlate with female fertility. Men prefer slender, busty women, just
as women prefer tall men with lots of dark hair and even beards.
Partly, beauty is an absence of flaws. Some
genetic inadequacies are related to one another, absence of visible flaws may signal
the absence of significant unseen flaws.
In general, humans find beauty in symmetry. Again,
symmetry also suggests the absence of some genetic errors.
Attractiveness
is having features that fall within the typical ranges for humans, suggesting
genetic suitability.
Cosmetics and Clothes
It has been said that “clothes make the man.”
Indeed, being well dressed is a plus, but women have been even more focused than
men on fashion and cosmetics throughout our recorded history.
Reproductive attractiveness is enhanced by the
changes that women undergo once a month. Some makeup mimics these changes; some
cosmetics mimic the changes she experiences during sexual arousal.
Friends and Family,
Too?
Attractive children and adults are treated
better, even by their friends and family, than are unattractive children and
adults.
“…a
multitude of studies shows that [physical attractiveness] is by far the most
important factor in evaluating both prospective mates and prospective dates.”
Women most notice a man’s height, and men most notice a woman’s weight.
Internet dating has shown, yet again, that
appearance is generally the most important element in how a potential date
evaluates him or her, regardless of résumé.
Besides choosing flattering profile photos, some try to enhance attractiveness
by adjusting height, weight, and age in any written description.
Birds of a Feather…
We tend to see ourselves as more or less
attractive depending on the attractiveness of those around us. Feeling
attractive tends to raise self-esteem. Nice to be one of the Beautiful People. However,
hanging out with others much better looking than ourselves tends to undercut our
confidence. Some seek unattractive friends rather than those who might be more
competition.
The Mating Game
Unfortunately, perhaps, physical attractiveness
strongly influences success in finding and keeping a mate. Attention to weight
and health and musculature can help, along with good grooming, careful
selection of clothing and use of cosmetics, and enhancement of those secondary
characteristics that play small but real roles in being viewed as all-around
attractive.
Less attractive, yet prosperous, men often
obtain good-looking women as dates or as “trophy wives” to enhance their own
reputations. Some women appreciate the access this grants them to money and
connections they would not have otherwise.
A noted marriage counselor maintains that lack
of physical attractiveness due to excessive weight gain is a major factor for
almost all couples where one partner complains about the appearance of the
other.
It’s Everywhere,
Everywhere
Hospital nurses give more attention to the more
attractive infants. Babies spend more time looking at attractive adult faces
then at unattractive ones and will even cry due to the close approach of faces
that adults would characterize as ugly.
Children prefer those who are generally
physically attractive, and “…most teachers expect better-looking kids to
perform better, and they devote more attention to children they think have
greater potential.”
A study entitled “What Is Beautiful Is Good,”
summarized its findings: most respondents ascribed positive characteristics to
attractive people, negative characteristics to the physically unattractive.
Summing Up
The race is not always to the swift, when looks
count, too.
We should do the best with what we have. It
pays to invest, within reason, in keeping ourselves trim and well-dressed, and
in using appropriate cosmetics. In some unusual instances, surgery may be
warranted. What we cannot change, we should accept.
Finally, we should, ourselves, try harder not
to judge others by physical appearance.
Questions
Have you noticed the
significance of physical appearance? How far are you willing to go to enhance
your own?
Please join the conversation.
###
Douglas
Winslow Cooper, Ph.D., is a former Harvard science professor. He still
publishes, and he helps others write and publish their books via his business
website, http://WriteYourBookWithMe.com. His
life's central theme has been his half-century romance with his
wife, Tina Su Cooper, now quadriplegic for over a decade due to multiple
sclerosis, receiving 24/7 nursing care at home, as discussed at their website here.
Published in slightly different form in http://sixtyandme.com/yes-looks-still-matter-after-60/
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