Why is it that how people are thought of is based primarily on looks?

Question

Nobody can deny that this is true. Everyone knows that most (note that i said MOST, not ALL) people would rather talk to a pretty looking person rather than an ugly person. It's almost like they're less of a person if they're not attractive. And it seems like pretty girls can get away with much more. I was paying for something at a store and i was short three dollars and the guy let me buy it anyway. and then there was this fat girl behind me who was just buying a pack of gum and she realized she forgot her wallet and the guy wouldnt let her have it. i felt so bad and i wanted to give her money for it but i didnt have any...then i gave the guy a really dirty look and he let the girl have it. but it's just like...what's wrong with people today?? is all anyone cares about looks??

Answer 1

Sorry to say that we are encouraged to believe that attractive and thin people are somehow more desirable, and deserving of our attention. It has been shown that during job interviews even the best qualified heavy person may be passed over for someone thin and attractive. There are a lot of factors that play into this, the media being only one.

I learned my lesson in high school when a really unattractive girl transferred in ...we talked about her looks for days, made fun of her receding chin and thin lanky hair etc.....but when we got to know her, she was the nicest person I could imagine, she would do anything for anyone and always had a kind word and a smile. We all grew to love her and she was homecoming queen, class vice president, and a cheerleader within 6 months.
You can do your part, since you have noticed the inequity, by befriending everyone, and always getting to know someone rather than making snap judgments...plus encourage your friends to do the same. I congratulate you for a mature attitude.

Answer 2

It's biologically based. It was seen in MRI studies of the brain. Men want to spread their "seed" around, so there's a part of their brain that actually turns happy when they see an attractive woman. (It's like they just saw a beloved family member after a long time--really, it makes them that happy). This reaction in their brain alters their perception of things and of the person. It's not as if the attractive person is better--it's that the brain, figuratively speaking, gets a lollipop of sorts, just by looking at certain faces, and doesn't get a lollipop by looking at others. After a while, your brain will be trained to favor a certain kind of face, and ignore the others.

This brain reaction wasn't seen with plain women in the MRI study. It just goes to show how "nice" this clerk, underneath, was--not at all!!

I'm plain so I get treated like the fat lady all the time. It was really sweet of you to notice how he treated her--most people would have made the "ugly person" the butt of some joke.