The Advantages Of Attractiveness And How It Impacts Success
If you’ve ever observed an attractive person and wondered how their looks might be shaping their experiences, you’re not alone—researchers, too, are interested in how physical attractiveness impacts various aspects of life, from social interactions and personal relationships to career prospects and other opportunities. This curiosity drives studies exploring the "beauty premium" and how societal perceptions of beauty affect both opportunities and challenges individuals face.
Here, we’ll explore the advantages of attractiveness, its impact on success, and even some personality traits that can influence perceived attractiveness levels. We’ll also identify some ways of enhancing your own attractiveness through personal development and self-care practices, so you can unlock the full potential of your appeal, both inside and out.
Advantages of attractiveness
Attractiveness, often perceived through the lens of societal standards, can wield significant influence on various aspects of an individual's life. While physical attractiveness is by definition superficial, research has found that it offers distinct advantages in personal, social, and professional realms.
Higher confidence
According to research, attractive people are more likely to feel confident, which can benefit many areas of life. For instance, they may be more likely to try a new activity or apply for a promotion at work, and the confidence derived from their success may inspire them to continue taking on new challenges.
Enhanced first impressions
Those who are considered attractive are often perceived more positively, a phenomenon known as the “halo effect”. This psychological bias leads people to assume that physically attractive people possess other desirable traits such as intelligence, kindness, and competency.
More opportunities
Whether due to confidence or the halo effect, good-looking people may find it easier to build friendships, find romantic partners, and succeed in the professional world.
Persuasion power
We are often more easily persuaded by people we consider to be attractive, and the confidence that often accompanies attractiveness may make people more persuasive. This can facilitate social interactions, professional negotiations, and marketing or sales efforts.
Health
There is some evidence to suggest that those who are considered physically attractive benefit from better health outcomes. However, this could also be due to the fact that certain indicators of good health, such as BMI, can influence perceptions of attractiveness, while the social and personal benefits of attractiveness can also positively influence health.
How attractiveness impacts personal lives
A person’s level of attractiveness can play a major role in their personal life. Physical appearance can impact someone’s first impression and how they are perceived by others; as mentioned, those who feel confident in their physical appearance have higher self-esteem and feel more confident in social interactions. These traits can be helpful when forming relationships and bonding.
In social situations, attractive people may have an easier time connecting with those around them. Because their self-confidence is high, they feel comfortable socializing and receiving attention. That can lead to increased confidence, creating a positive loop. Conversely, individuals who are not confident in their appearance may feel insecure and less likely to socialize openly. A lack of connections may lead to isolation or negative self-talk, creating a negative loop.
While physical appearance can play a significant role in personal dynamics, it is only one aspect. Small steps to increase attractiveness and self-confidence can have a long-lasting impact on personal lives and relationships.
How attractiveness impacts work
Some studies have shown that attractive people are more likely to find professional success and are often offered more jobs, higher salaries, and promotions.
Forbes references a study that followed the career progression of 752 economists between 2002 and 2006, finding that those perceived as more physically attractive not only fared better in job hunts post-graduation but also enjoyed sustained career success and higher research paper citations up to 15 years later, suggesting a strong link between attractiveness and professional achievement.
Attractiveness can influence career trajectories starting from the interview process, where presentation can impact first impressions. In professional settings, attractive individuals may benefit from positive perceptions of confidence, competence, and efficiency, enhancing interpersonal relationships and performance over time. While not the only factor, physical appeal, complemented by lifestyle habits, skill development, and networking, can serve as an advantage in maximizing professional opportunities.
Can personality influence whether we are perceived as attractive?
While being attractive can make life easier, it is important to note that attractiveness is both subjective and abstract—in other words, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Each of us may have different notions of what makes a person attractive, and personal characteristics can significantly impact how we perceive a person’s attractiveness. You can probably recall someone from your life whose humor, charm, or warmth drew you to them, whether romantically or platonically.
Personal qualities that may influence perceptions of attractiveness include:
- Humor: Humor has been found to make us more desirable as it often signals social intelligence and creativity, qualities that are highly valued in social interactions and relationships.
- Intelligence: Intelligence is another attractive personal quality. Research has found that people with high IQs or faces that are perceived as intelligent may be considered more desirable as partners.
- Confidence: While confidence may come easier to those who are good-looking, confidence itself is also known to enhance attractiveness, meaning the confidence you derive from your personal qualities can be just as appealing.
How to become more attractive
For individuals who don’t feel confident in their image, there are small changes that could increase their confidence and therefore their attractiveness.
Invest time in grooming and personal hygiene
Individuals who prioritize their grooming and hygiene habits are more likely to be perceived as attractive. Daily practices like showering, dental hygiene, smelling good, moisturizing, taking care of hair and nails, and generally keeping clean can all play a considerable part in attractiveness. Small efforts can cumulate into big differences in an individual’s look.
Prioritize a healthy lifestyle
Eating a healthy diet and working out can help increase attractiveness. Others are more likely to perceive someone making healthy lifestyle choices as attractive because they are taking care of themselves. Eating nutritious food and exercising are linked to mental and physical health benefits over time.
Develop your personal style
Dressing well can undoubtedly impact how an individual is perceived, but developing a personal sense of style can be equally important. People who prioritize clean and well-fitting clothes are usually regarded as more attractive, but that doesn’t mean that clothes have to be boring. Incorporating pieces into a wardrobe that represent the owner’s personality can be a great way to increase overall attractiveness.
Work towards self-acceptance
Confidence is key to attractiveness, and practicing self-acceptance can be crucial. People who are confident in themselves often appear attractive to those around them, even if their appearance doesn’t meet traditional beauty standards. Embracing unique physical, emotional, and intellectual qualities is often the most attractive trait of all.
Cultivate attractive personal qualities
Remember that physical appearance is only one facet of attractiveness, and focusing on becoming the kind of person with whom others want to spend time can be pivotal in building deep, lasting connections with others. As you seek to become more attractive physically, consider ways you might also cultivate the same empathy, humor, intelligence, and confidence that you look for in others.
Work towards self-improvement in therapy
If you’re looking for ways to become more appealing to others, it may be worth considering therapy. A therapist can help you recognize areas for growth and self-improvement, whether it’s your day-to-day habits or the way you interface with others.
Therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have been found to be an effective way to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues stemming from negative thought patterns.
Online therapy through platforms like BetterHelp are considered to be just as effective as in-person therapy, and may offer some advantages over traditional modalities—cost-effectiveness, flexible scheduling, and greater accessibility, for example, are commonly cited reasons that people often prefer attending therapy online. With BetterHelp, you can also benefit from added features like journaling prompts, daily messaging with your therapist, and weekly group therapy at no extra cost.
Counselor reviews
Do you prefer to correspond in writing? Or does a video conference better suit you? You decide when and how to connect with your therapist. Read these reviews from patients like you working through similar issues with BetterHelp counselors:
“Mr. Hunt has opened my eyes and mind to understand what is deep in my heart. He encourages me to dig deep. He also makes me feel good about myself and how I am trying so hard to get what I need to heal.”
“Great experience so far, Brad is a compassionate listener and very understanding. I am learning new things about myself and challenging old limiting beliefs. Also learning how to cope with certain difficulties by applying new techniques.”
Takeaway
What defines an attractive person?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, attractive means "appealing" or "having or relating to the power to attract." An attractive person is someone to whom many others feel drawn or enjoy being near. Often, attractiveness refers to someone's sexual attractiveness. Perceived attractiveness often involves a person's physical beauty, but it can also involve other characteristics, like personality.
What are attractive people like?
Although there isn't one universal standard for attractiveness, research has found much of what many people consider attractive stems from a person's appearance. For example, physically attractive people are more likely to have symmetrical faces and clear skin. Personality characteristics, like honesty, appear to also make a person more attractive to others.
But, as the saying goes, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Not all people find the same physical or personality characteristics attractive. For this reason, it's impossible to definitively determine what makes someone attractive or not attractive since that varies. The same person could be attractive to one person and not attractive to another.
How to know if I am attractive?
There is no objective way of determining if one person is attractive or not. Everyone has different opinions and preferences — one person may be physically attracted to you, while another may not.
That said, some people are more likely to be considered attractive by a larger percentage of people, mostly due to their facial attractiveness. Symmetrical faces with proportional features are often viewed as attractive. Certain personality characteristics, like honesty, may also increase how attractive a person is considered to be.
Why are attractive people desirable?
Researchers theorize that people with certain types of appearances are generally considered more attractive and desirable due to evolution. Certain physical characteristics may suggest a person is healthy and has good genes, across cultures and ethnic groups. From an evolutionary perspective, this could explain why more people feel attracted to them than to less attractive people. A healthy person with a good genetic quality is likely a safer choice when trying to reproduce.
Why are attractive people usually popular?
Some studies suggest that, among adolescents, physically attractive individuals are more popular. However, this might not necessarily be true. These studies used self-ratings. Adolescents who are less popular might rate themselves as less attractive, not because they actually are less attractive, but because they have less positive feelings about themselves due to being less popular. Other factors beyond attractiveness impact popularity, such as with whom a person is friends and the activities in which they participate.
What are the factors of being attractive?
Researchers have uncovered several factors that contribute to whether or not a face is considered attractive. One major factor is whether or not the face is symmetrical, which means that one side of the face looks identical to the other side. Another factor is how "average" the face is, meaning how much a person looks like the majority of other people. A more average person is considered more attractive.
Whether a person's face looks more feminine or masculine can also impact what attractiveness ratings they're given. Generally, attractive men are more masculine-looking, and women are viewed as more attractive if they are more feminine-looking. A more masculine face has a larger jaw, more noticeable cheekbones, and thinner cheeks, while a more feminine face has the reverse characteristics.
How do you act as an attractive person?
When people find a person attractive, they tend to assume the person has good characteristics. This is called the "beauty is good" or "what is beautiful is good" effect. These assumptions may not be true, but people often assume a more attractive person is healthier, kinder, and harder working than a less attractive person.
What makes a girl attractive?
Men and women alike are generally considered more attractive when they have clear skin and a symmetrical face. Women in particular, are often considered more attractive when their faces look more feminine. A more feminine face usually has a smaller jawline and rounder cheeks. A study of college students found that for men, especially, a woman's voice may impact whether or not she is considered attractive.
What types of people are usually attractive?
Research has found that attractiveness often has to do with a person's appearance. That said, factors within a person often determine if they find someone else attractive. For example, a person might find others more attractive while in a certain mood, after drinking alcohol, or after ingesting nicotine. A person may also be drawn to certain facial expressions, scents, hairstyles, and colors of clothing.
What do the most attractive people have in common?
Physically attractive individuals often have smooth skin, free of blemishes. They are also more likely to have face and body proportions considered attractive. For example, studies have found that a person's waist-to-shoulder ratio may impact how attractive they are considered. People with broad shoulders and a slimmer waist and hips may be viewed as more desirable, especially by men. This is likely part of why people are often considered more attractive after they lose weight and become more fit.
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