Physical attractiveness influences success in life

It has profound social implications and either gives us great potential or takes it away. Attractive people are more successful in their personal relationships, career paths, and love lives.

What do you think of this statement?

It is not a mathematical rule, of course. It does not mean that by being physically attractive you are guaranteed success in life, but it does contribute. And a lot!

Keep reading and you will see.

When we are in front of a physically attractive person, many things happen in the brain. Studies confirm that a complex neural network related to reward begins to be woven, which is activated in the same way as it is when sexual activity or tasting a delicious dish.

And, on the other hand, when something or someone is not pleasant to the eye, brain reactions are activated very similar to those produced when there are warning signs and fear. And this has biological foundations.

Millions of years ago, in the Pleistocene, when life expectancy was very short and it commonly happened that few children reached adulthood, it was vital to ensure that the individual with whom one mated was the most physically fit, since the preservation of the species depended on it.

Thus, in the brains of our ancestors, a kind of biological detectors were developed to assess the physical state of the person in front of them, which was related to sexual attraction, fertility, vitality, energy and genetic compatibility.

According to Harvard University psychologist Nancy Etcoff, "our extreme sensitivity to beauty is governed by circuits in the brain shaped by natural selection." According to her, we are attracted to soft and smooth skin, to a symmetrical and firm body, to hip curves, to a wide back, etc., simply because they are symbols of vigor and health.

Although we don't like to admit it, Etcoff says, we're programmed to judge a book by its cover. Attractive people seem to us more talented, sociable and good. This is the so-called halo effect of beauty.

Regardless of the culture they belong to, all human beings succumb to beauty.

The Halo Effect

 A person's face is the most visible part and works as a kind of reflection. Thus, we tend to think that beautiful people are also good, intelligent, happy, capable, honest, and many more attributes. That is universal.

This translates into the stereotype of 'what is beautiful is good', to the extent that physically more attractive people tend to be perceived and treated more positively by others than less attractive people.

We tend to treat beautiful people better, we try to please them, we strive to make them feel comfortable and we even help them. And despite the fact that it is difficult for us to define what beauty is, it is clear to all of us when we see a pretty face. The truth is that, whether we want it or not, and even if we try to resist it, we evaluate others based on their physical appearance. We can't help it.

The psychologist Edward Thorndike was the one who first spoke of the 'Halo Effect' in an article published in 1920, A Constant Error in Psychological Ratings. In it he describes how the impression of a person forms a kind of aura around our conception of his character. The better someone looks, the better person we think they are.