Looks do matter in life...Here's proof

As noble as it is to say that "only the inside counts" -- something parents try to inculcate in their kids from an early age -- research in the field of psychology has disproven this notion time and time again.

People regarded as physically attractive have a number of advantages over others, such as:

Being treated better at work
Being deemed more intelligent and successful in life
Receiving more favorable treatment by juries in court
Being judged as more sincere
Being regarded as more adept at activities/hobbies like sports and music

When you think about it, it almost seems unjust that a person could get so many "free passes" in life by virtue of their good looks.

To be fair, though, while good genes probably play a role, it's likely that these individuals put some effort into looking this good -- from working out to spending more hours than the average person getting dressed in the morning.

Still, attractiveness exerts a powerful influence on outside observers even when it's your partner -- not you -- who is the really attractive one.

Indeed, studies have found that men paired with attractive women are rated more favorably than those who have less attractive partners. This proves that the company you keep matters, and attractiveness by association is alive and well.

In other words, if a man hooks up with a gorgeous model who resembles, say, Kate Upton, other women will be more drawn to him than they would a guy dating a Renee Zellweger look alike.

When we don't know someone, we tend to make judgments about the person -- we fill in the blanks, if you will -- based on what we see. Why do you think so much is made of looking good at job interviews? All the interviewer has to go by before actually conversing with the applicant is how he's dressed, how he walks, how he speaks with others around the office, and how attractive/unattractive he is.

It's an undeniable, inescapable reality: Society places more importance on looks than most of us would care to acknowledge. As noted above, this even extends to the very people you date!

What's your view on these findings? Did you have any idea that society's preoccupation with physical attractiveness went this far?

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