I Saw Your Face in a Crowded Place
It’s what is on the inside that counts. I wholeheartedly believe this. A person’s personality – his charisma, passion, beliefs – is his defining quality. Sadly, most of the time at least, this personality doesn’t get a chance to shine. It’s the first impression that wins every time. The looks. And while we might like to attribute this superficiality to our counterparts and extricate ourselves from the blame, human beings as a species are inherently superficial. A mechanism in our brains that is our puppeteer attracts us to physically attractive people – they are trustworthy and intelligent to us.
The Fusiform Face Area is believed to be our brain’s primary face-recognition area. Think about that. An area of the brain that only recognizes faces. Not birds. Not cars. Faces. There’s something special about a face that draws us in. That makes us gaze upon it. And not just it, but the attractive it. Don’t believe me? In a study by Alan Slater et al. of the University of Exeter, newborn babies were made to look at images of faces that had been rated on a scale of one to five for attractiveness. It was found that babies, some as young as one day old, spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the well, unattractive (or, let’s say less attractive) ones. Babies. Completely empty slates that have yet to be jaded or influenced. Our nature.
This doesn’t mean that a highly unattractive person will never be successful. It just makes it harder. It’s the “Halo Effect.” We assume that highly attractive physical qualities come paired with highly attractive metaphysical qualities…including intelligence. Logically, we assume the opposite as well – that physically unattractive qualities come bound to stupidity and other negative characteristics. While we all know what they say about assumptions, there must be some truth to the matter. They must be based on something.
Here’s the simple answer. The assumption is based on availability heuristics. When we think of the beautiful person on any television show, in any movie, in any book, in any video game, in any comic, she or he is beautiful inside and out. Which would make the ugly into the villain. Every time. No question. But I’m about to take it past heuristics. I’m giving it validity.
To a certain extent, physically attractive people are the kind ones; the genuine ones; the passionate ones; the sympathetic ones. But I’m not talking super- model “hotness.” I'm summoning the pleasant face. I’m referring to the homey smile. I’m calling out to the glistening eyes. I’m arguing that we are back to the age-old question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
People with beautiful personalities have an aura about them that simply makes them physically attractive. People who care about the people and the world around them make an effort to decently present themselves to the world. Those who couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the world around them, well, look like a rat’s ass. It’s not the physical attractiveness that creates the character traits, it’s the character traits that guide and nourish the physical attractiveness.
It’s not superficiality. It’s instinct.
The Fusiform Face Area is believed to be our brain’s primary face-recognition area. Think about that. An area of the brain that only recognizes faces. Not birds. Not cars. Faces. There’s something special about a face that draws us in. That makes us gaze upon it. And not just it, but the attractive it. Don’t believe me? In a study by Alan Slater et al. of the University of Exeter, newborn babies were made to look at images of faces that had been rated on a scale of one to five for attractiveness. It was found that babies, some as young as one day old, spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the well, unattractive (or, let’s say less attractive) ones. Babies. Completely empty slates that have yet to be jaded or influenced. Our nature.
This doesn’t mean that a highly unattractive person will never be successful. It just makes it harder. It’s the “Halo Effect.” We assume that highly attractive physical qualities come paired with highly attractive metaphysical qualities…including intelligence. Logically, we assume the opposite as well – that physically unattractive qualities come bound to stupidity and other negative characteristics. While we all know what they say about assumptions, there must be some truth to the matter. They must be based on something.
Here’s the simple answer. The assumption is based on availability heuristics. When we think of the beautiful person on any television show, in any movie, in any book, in any video game, in any comic, she or he is beautiful inside and out. Which would make the ugly into the villain. Every time. No question. But I’m about to take it past heuristics. I’m giving it validity.
To a certain extent, physically attractive people are the kind ones; the genuine ones; the passionate ones; the sympathetic ones. But I’m not talking super- model “hotness.” I'm summoning the pleasant face. I’m referring to the homey smile. I’m calling out to the glistening eyes. I’m arguing that we are back to the age-old question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
People with beautiful personalities have an aura about them that simply makes them physically attractive. People who care about the people and the world around them make an effort to decently present themselves to the world. Those who couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the world around them, well, look like a rat’s ass. It’s not the physical attractiveness that creates the character traits, it’s the character traits that guide and nourish the physical attractiveness.
It’s not superficiality. It’s instinct.
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