Why are good-looking people treated better?

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pluto2

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Why are good-looking people treated better than not so good-looking people? What is the biological or genetic basis for this behavior?

Many people think good-looking people are better at everything, that they are nicer, more generous and more intelligent in general. Surveys also prove that good-looking people earn higher incomes, are favored at jobs and are treated better by the authorities. Also babies often stare at beautiful people much more.

What is the biological and genetic reason for our superior treatment of good-looking people?
 
pluto2 said:
....What is the biological and genetic reason for our superior treatment of good-looking people?
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Maybe the better looking you are the healthier you are. The better looking you are, the less likelier you are to have a genetic defect.
It comes down to needing healthy off spring.
 
Orleander said:
Maybe the better looking you are the healthier you are. The better looking you are, the less likelier you are to have a genetic defect.
It comes down to needing healthy off spring.
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Pretty much. Evo psych explains that the symmetry and good proportions of attractive people can only come about if they aren't diseased, and if they aren't diseased, then they likely have good genes. This is largely true in species of birds where males put on displays. Bright plumage is often due to high levels of testosterone, which is an immune system inhibitor. Males who have bright colors must have awesome immune systems and abilities to collect food, which are linked to genes.
 
I'd imagine partly evolution, and partly purely just because they're pleasing to the eyes.

If you see someone really nice looking you probably feel some small spike of pleasure or a similar emotion in the brain, so you'll feel towards them in a favourable way. Ugly people obviously won't have that effect.
 
Roman said:
Pretty much. Evo psych explains that the symmetry and good proportions of attractive people can only come about if they aren't diseased, and if they aren't diseased, then they likely have good genes. This is largely true in species of birds where males put on displays. Bright plumage is often due to high levels of testosterone, which is an immune system inhibitor. Males who have bright colors must have awesome immune systems and abilities to collect food, which are linked to genes.
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i dont believe it. the way i look at beauty in humans is similar to how i view beauty in cars. doesnt mean they will last longer or be more reliable.
 
Don't know. Perhaps people are naturally more trusting of people they find attractive (not saying they're more trustworthy). People treat you better in some instances, at least for women, but if your pretty people question your intelligence for some reason. Pretty people can't be smart and pretty your either one or the other.
 
i just think people are harder on attractive people who cant live up to their beauty in other ways. which of course is unfair and being attractive is like a magnet.
 
pluto2 said:
Why are good-looking people treated better than not so good-looking people? What is the biological or genetic basis for this behavior?

Many people think good-looking people are better at everything, that they are nicer, more generous and more intelligent in general. Surveys also prove that good-looking people earn higher incomes, are favored at jobs and are treated better by the authorities. Also babies often stare at beautiful people much more.

What is the biological and genetic reason for our superior treatment of good-looking people?
Click to expand...

Usually, beauty signifies genetic healthy and superiority

Thus, we treat the beautiful better than the not so beautiful. There's beautiful, there's ugly, and there's everyone else.

And I'm guilty of such discrimination; I am usually much more keen on assisting women who are attractive (for instance, holding doors open and such)
 
Why are good-looking people treated better than not so good-looking people
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That is just a perception that you have and a false one at that. How many people do you know that are really good looking? I do not know that many and the only ones I see are either in the movies or some other entertaining type of work. They make up a very little part in the entire population of the Earth. I go to a doctors office and everyone there is called as they signed in. I stand in a line at a movie and get in as my place comes into the building. No one better looking that I've seen ever gets any better treatment that I have received at hotels, restaurants and any other event I attend.
 
John99 said:
i just think people are harder on attractive people who cant live up to their beauty in other ways. which of course is unfair and being attractive is like a magnet.
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Well take Scooby-Doo for example if you've ever seen it. Velma was the smart one, no one could deny that, but she was also not that attractive (short, stocky, glasses, and wore frumpy clothes). Whereas Daphne was pretty (long hair, thin, fashionable...supposedly), but was klutzy and as dumb as a brick.
A teacher actually told my mother it was okay that she got bad grades because she was pretty, that it was normal?!
 
cosmictraveler said:
That is just a perception that you have and a false one at that.
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I can't be bothered to Google for it but that have been numerous studies confirming this - the better-looking you are considered to be the better you are treated generally.
Including promotion and pay rises.
 
Oli said:
I can't be bothered to Google for it but that have been numerous studies confirming this - the better-looking you are considered to be the better you are treated generally.
Including promotion and pay rises.
Click to expand...

Well, that could be but I was trying to address the overall picture not just one or two things in life. While you might be correct I never saw anyone better looking get ahead at the jobs I worked at before working for myself however I was in the trades and you are not evaluated by what you look like but what you can actually do.
 
Orleander said:
Maybe the better looking you are the healthier you are. The better looking you are, the less likelier you are to have a genetic defect.
It comes down to needing healthy off spring.
Click to expand...

This is basically it.

Symmetry = beauty to the human mind, purity of genes = symmetry.

The tall man with broad shoulders that women like, is stronger and can protect them. His symmetrical face means good offspring. The genetics are speaking to the mind of the woman.

A woman with wide hips like a swimsuit model is less likely to have complications in childbirth, large breasts feed children better giving an early advantage. A symmetrical face means good offspring. The genetics are speaking to the mind of the man.

It's an evolutional imperative.

It affects women FAR more than men. Women worry about other women to a painful degree, because that is the genetic competition for who gets to choose a mate. Almost always in nature it's the female that does the choosing.

While men are said to think about sex a lot, this is noticed because they overtly think of it.

Women ARE sex in whole really. They derive their self esteem and sense of identity from it. It dominates their lives.
 
cosmictraveler said:
Well, that could be but I was trying to address the overall picture not just one or two things in life. While you might be correct I never saw anyone better looking get ahead at the jobs I worked at before working for myself however I was in the trades and you are not evaluated by what you look like but what you can actually do.
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An "innocent" pretty smile can get you just about anything. I used to get free stuff from fast food restaurants by smiling at the guys behind the counter and I used to do it to skip lines at amusement parks. I was so bad. Works on the police too, both male and female. Never thought about why. But it definitely happens.
 
cosmictraveler said:
you are not evaluated by what you look like but what you can actually do.
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Ah, that's the point of contention.
No, not evaluated on looks rather than ability.

If there are two candidates of similar ability the job tends go to the better-looking one (even IIRC if the good looking one has slightly worse qualifications for the job).
It's a factor, not the factor.
 
Dr Mabuse said:
This is basically it.

Symmetry = beauty to the human mind, purity of genes = symmetry.

The tall man with broad shoulders that women like, is stronger and can protect them. His symmetrical face means good offspring. The genetics are speaking to the mind of the woman.

A woman with wide hips like a swimsuit model is less likely to have complications in childbirth, large breasts feed children better giving an early advantage. A symmetrical face means good offspring. The genetics are speaking to the mind of the man.

It's an evolutional imperative.

It affects women FAR more than men. Women worry about other women to a painful degree, because that is the genetic competition for who gets to choose a mate. Almost always in nature it's the female that does the choosing.

While men are said to think about sex a lot, this is noticed because they overtly think of it.

Women ARE sex in whole really. They derive their self esteem and sense of identity from it. It dominates their lives.
Click to expand...

I think that is way oversimplified.

There are physical traits that are aesthetically pleasing that don't correlate to sexual attractiveness. Also, people have different preferences. Some men like slim women, others like women with more body weight. Some women want heavyset men, others don't want to go out with a megalith. I actually know someone who actively doesn't like curvy women. He likes them harsh and lean looking.
 
Someone doesn't have to be sexually attracted to you to treat you different, because it happens regardless of sex.
 
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