Those who find themselves attractive accept inequality
Do you like the way you look? The answer has major implications. According to a new study: Those who find themselves attractive also accept social inequality. The look in the mirror not only decides whether we like ourselves — but also how we see the world.
Everyone wants to look good — some more, some less. The cosmetics industry benefits from this desire, as do fashion companies and cosmetic surgeons. To be satisfied with the way you look is a deeply human need. When it is breastfed, most people immediately feel better.
But finding yourself attractive not only affects your self-image — it also affects your worldview.
This is the conclusion reached by Peter Belmi and Margaret Neale from Stanford University. “The perception of one’s own attractiveness influences whether people support or reject inequality,” they write in their new study .
They came to this result in various experiments. Sometimes they asked 180 representatively selected Americans on the one hand about their self-image — i.e. how attractive they found themselves. On the other hand, they wanted to know what the respondents thought about inequality.
Did you agree that one social elite should own more than the rest? Did they simply consider it a consequence of poor qualifications when…
