Stereotypes of attractive people

Welcome to part two in this series on attraction. In this segment we are going to look at a few of the stereotypes surrounding attractive people.

Attractive people are better

Most people believe this to be true in the areas of social skills, job success, and overall happiness. On the other hand attractive people are also thought to be more materialistic, vain and snobbish. They are also thought to have less commitment in their marriages, less sympathy towards oppressed people, and thought to be less modest. So although attractive people may be perceive as better in some areas they also receive negative views in other areas.

People get what they deserve

Most people see the world as an organized and predictable place. If we come across a homeless person we assume they did something to deserve their lifestyle. Maybe they were an alcoholic, a drug user, irresponsible, mentally unstable, or just plain lazy. This stereotype can be applied to attractive people too. We assume that because someone is attractive that they did something to deserve it. Maybe they are smarter or have more talent than normal people.

What we fail to recognize is that some things in our world are very unorganized and unfair. The attractive person might just be attractive because of good genetics and the lazy bum might have been a hardworking father who just got laid off.

I’m safe because he’s tall

A lot of girls are obsessed with men’s height. So much so that many women will not even consider dating a man if he is less than 6 feet tall. At 5’10 I’ve been told by many girls, “did you know that you just barely made my height requirement?”  On one occasion my response was “did you know that I can use your head as an armrest?” Just in case you haven’t figure it out yet this is a huge pet peeve of mine! If you are a girl around 5 feet tall who only dates guys 6 feet and taller I’m sorry but yes, you are shallow. Congratulations you win the award…here’s your sign

Are stereotypes like a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Stereotypes can definitely be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Let’s say for example that you’re an extremely attractive person. Being extremely attractive people tend to notice you more and tell you how good looking you are. The added attention helps you develop your social skills and the positive feedback builds up your self-esteem.  We could also look at the opposite extreme. Pretend you feel out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Since you appear less physically attractive you receive less social interactions and fewer complements. You would then develop less self esteem and have fewer chances to develop your social skills.

Stereotypes can be based on race, religion, career, personality, age, etc. They can also be positive or negative. The one thing that is certain is that everyone has stereotypes thrust upon them by society. It is then up to us whether we allow them to affect us or to ignore them. That’s why it is so important to know who you are and be secure in yourself. Never let anyone put you down or keep you from accomplishing your dreams no matter how silly they may seem. This reminds me of the singing duo Rin on the Rox. They are two girls who enjoy making videos of themselves singing in the bathroom. It seems pretty silly and random at first but they have actually accumulated a pretty large fan base and have appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show! (Don’t worry, I don’t watch the Ellen show but I have enjoyed watching the girls’ dreams come true) If you want to check them out they have their website at www.rinontherox.net

Ok I think I’m done with my little tangent for now  So…Stay tuned to that same bat time, same bat channel (old school batman quote) for part three of the series on attraction. This will lead us into the physiological attraction part of the series and answer questions like:  Do opposites attract, should I play hard to get, and do birds of a feather really flock together? Well, until next time  “you stay classy…planet earth!”