Do Attractive People Have A Cheat Code In Life? Experts Seem To Think So.

Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but those who are generally seen as attractive appear to benefit in a variety of ways.

On the surface, this might seem like common knowledge. After all, beautiful people make up a disproportionate segment of the entertainment industry and the most attractive person in a group of friends often gets the most attention during a night out.

But experts say the benefits of good looks go much deeper than that.

The ‘Halo Effect’

According to multiple studies, people who possess stereotypically attractive features such as symmetrical faces and bodies considered conventionally fit are afforded far more leeway by those around them than they might otherwise receive.

This is commonly known as “pretty privilege,” but a deeper study of this phenomenon has led to the discovery of a so-called “Halo Effect.”

People overwhelmingly believe that attractive individuals — based on nothing more than the way they look — are more trustworthy, healthier, successful, intelligent, and talented.

Evolutionary roots

Some scientists think that our innate bias toward beautiful people is hard-wired by human evolution. People have always wanted to preserve and reproduce genes associated with “biological strength,” explained neuropsychologist Judy Ho.

Furthermore, making such assumptions based on a first visual impression appears to align with how the human uses other types of input to understand the world around us.

There’s a downside

Life for attractive people might sound great, but don’t rush out for your glow-up just yet. While some people with “pretty privilege” try to live up to the expectations of others, many of these folks develop a sense of entitlement that can make them resistant to criticism or even damage their relationships with people close to them.

So if you’ve got this genetic superpower, be sure to use it responsibly.

Chris Agee October 3rd, 2023

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