Do looks affect your personality development?

Question

In an X-Files episode, Mulder told Scully that maybe people's reactions to us determines who we become. Do you guys believe that our looks affect our personality development because of the reactions we get from other people? For instance, you think good looking people are more confident and assured because they constantly get praise and positive attention from others?

Answer 1

Yes it is the case that positive feedback in our formative years is what can help develop a healthy confident psyche. However, that is not to say that all good looking people get positive feedback. Apart from abuse horror stories, another danger is jealousy and just plain neglect. Other kids will pick on people if they are different and being "good looking" is just another difference to them.

Of course, all the other things which can affect developing a confident psyche still apply to "lookers" - educational confidence, parental care, secure family background or sports achievement.

In summary, yes positive feedback will help develop confidence but good looks do not guarantee positive feedback.

Answer 2

I think there are two parts to how looks affect your personality development...
1.) like you described above with the positive attention and praise from others (first impressions can mean a lot)

and

2.) how we precieve ourselves, a "ugly" person might feel they don't fit in or are less of a person than "normal" or "beautiful" people while a "beautiful" person might have a much easier time attracting people's attention and have much more self confidence when approaching people simply because they know they look good.

Answer 3

Yes, they do. People must conform, just as lower animals must, and conformity includes physical appearance.

People often act unconsciously to a person's appearance, covertly liking/disliking someone because they look like someone they like/dislike. etc. The recipient of this "appearance prejudice" picks this up at a subconscious level and it effects their personality's development. It's terrible when this is being done to a child, someone who's "tabula rosa."

However, looks, or the lack of them, do not necessarily have to effect your personality development in a negative way. It's my understanding that "The Elephant Man" was highly refined, considerate and sensitive man, despite his deformities, who had deep meaningful friendships with some of England's finest society. Marilyn Monroe was incandescent, but was devoid of self-confidence and hopelessly neurotic.

Answer 4

The X Files is a fictitious movie.

Why would you give weight to the plot of a fiction movie.

Your looks don't directly cause people to treat us differently.

The way you are treated can have an effect on your development.

Your looks, or the lack of it, should have no effect on your personal development!

Good Luck!

Answer 5

cultures have more to do than anything with beauty. so maybe, confidence or personality in general is shaped by the environment rather than the way one looks. we all know that beauty is a relative concept.

Answer 6

definitely, just try growing up black in a white neighborhood. when no one wants to come to your parties, when the other mothers have millions of excuses as to why they don't pop in, when u are the only family that the pastor doesn't do home visits with...

believe me you end up either having a huge inferiority complex or being the one who says "I'll show them all"

Answer 7

Not necessarily. Every person who has succeeded in life had one thing in common. They had one person who loved them and believed in them.

When you are physically impaired, everything else just fades away when you are thankful for what you can do.

Answer 8

If blonde witches with bad weaves are your thing. They are not mine. A lovely NATURAL Swedish-German blonde, sure. Not the fakes.

Answer 9

i think for some people yes it does.

Answer 10

Yes. Yes. And yes.