The Greatest Privilege Of Them All, Or Something Like That

Attractive people are more likely to be seen as competent and be hired for a job (Busetta, 2013). They are perceived as smarter and having more social grace (Kanasawa, 2010). They are perceived to have better personality qualities like trustworthiness (Dewolf 2014). They are perceived as kinder (Snyder, Tanke and Berscheid 1977). They are more persuasive. They are more likely to benefit from acts of kindness from a stranger. They have greater self esteem (Thornton, 1991).

This bias for beauty can cause real harm. In a meta analysis of the role of attractiveness in criminal sentencing, it was found that unattractive people received 120–305 percent longer sentences than attractive people. As a comparison, another study found that black people received 6–20 percent longer sentences than white people. Yes, in criminal sentencing, looks were over 10x more important than race.

These advantages start remarkably early. Children who are perceived to be more attractive are treated with more respect and admiration from adults and peers alike, and are more likely to manifest the positive traits, like intelligence and gregariousness, projected onto them, creating a virtuous psychological loop of competence and self esteem. Meaning that into adulthood, better-looking people aren’t just perceived to be smarter and more competent, but, all things being equal, they actually develop into smarter, more competent people.