💅 The Pretty Privilege Problem 💅
It's a personal problem...
It's a business problem…
But only if you let it matter too much.
💋 "Pretty privilege." 💅
It's a term that's been swirling around for a while. Nowadays, in our era of counter-culture, it appears to be used to demonize conventionally attractive people.
Does this phenomenon exist? If so, should it exist?
Like the media and the movies, should we as a society be condemning or celebrating people based on their physical appearance? Let's take a crack at it and find out.
Pretty privilege is defined as attractive individuals experiencing undeserved success in life because of their looks. It is closely related to the Halo Effect, in which people associate beauty with higher intelligence, talent level, and generally greater status. This is part of why society cherishes celebrities; due to their appearances and fame, they are considered "above" the average person and are people worth admiring.
Or so they say.
Unfortunately, the promotion of beauty is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is troubling for young people, women, especially, to be bombarded with beautiful bodies and faces that may have been unrealistically or unnaturally achieved. The media's hyper-promotion of exceptional slenderness and impeccable symmetry can inspire body dysmorphia, which often develops into eating disorders and low self-esteem.
On the other hand, the promotion of a standard of beauty can be beneficial as long as it is healthy and sustainable. Beauty and art are thought to be metaphysical, transcending mere biases and existing as part of the natural, fundamental order of life.
Humans appreciate beauty. Each person innately understands when something is aesthetically pleasing, and although preferences may vary across the board, the average person knows beauty when they see it.
With this in mind, traditional beauty is important. It represents a foundation and a standard, and when advertised responsibly, it can promote wellness and goals for people to aspire to.
The term "pretty privilege," however, both highlights an important flaw in our society and degrades the group of people it is applied to.
Pretty privilege is an honest and helpful term for understanding the psychological undercurrents of our world. It acknowledges the truth that conventionally beautiful people are generally treated better by society, which can unfairly contribute to increased job opportunities and success, more relationship options, etc. Assigning this truth a label helps society recognize how beauty helps out in the long run and also how we can be more aware of ourselves and our own biases.
On the other hand, weaponizing the term to belittle attractive people is unacceptable. While it isn't fair that beauty is advantageous, it also isn't fair to hate on or judge individuals for being pretty. They can't help the way they look any more than any of us can. In any case, being beautiful is known to have equally as many drawbacks as it has positives...
For example:
*Many people will praise and support an attractive person primarily because of their looks. This can be alienating and disheartening for anyone seeking genuine connections or trying to enjoy business success for the "right" reasons
*Attractive women may have a higher chance of being stalked or harassed
*Dating can be more challenging because attractive people may not always know if their partner loves them for who they are, not what they look like
*It is much easier for brands and brilliance to be overshadowed by pleasant-looking flesh
*Some people may assume that attractive people are pretentious, unintelligent, and/or use sex or sex appeal to get what they want
*Attractive people may be envied more easily and may have increased chances of becoming targets of sabotage
*They may be accused of having plastic surgery if they are very pretty
*Some people are less likely to feel sympathy for you or care about your struggles if you are attractive because they assume you "have it all"
*Beauty may be the lasting impression instead of a kind heart or exceptional talent
*Ultimately, looks fade, and those who had them to begin with suffer a lot more loss than those who didn't
Knowing this, don't think it's always so easy for that conventionally attractive person you know.
They have lower chances of being loved, understood, and authentically appreciated for their skills and personalities, because all of that is easily overlooked when beauty is present.
Yes, pretty privilege is real, and it is prominent in our society. It is good to know about so you can make yourself and your friends more prudent when interacting with people. But just because it's real doesn't mean anyone has the license to immediately judge and put down those with good bone structure.
Be mindful to not allow pettiness and shallow observations cloud your assessment of a person's character and accomplishments. It's very likely they are treated more favorably for their appearance. This doesn't mean that they are despicable, manipulative, or insincere people, though, which are things some in society get wrong about them.
They have a natural advantage. This is the body they were given, and it may seem like all fun and games... but it's not. Pretty privilege may have more problems than we are willing to realize.
So, be kind to everyone.
You can choose to be the positive impact in the world by not condemning or unfairly praising anyone for their appearance, whether it's considered beautiful or not. Humans look at the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart.
We could all stand to be a bit more like the Lord, amen?
