Now here's a strange thought I had, and I'd like to see what you guys think.
Generally, it's been fairly proven that those who are attractive (physically) are more succesful(in careers etc.) and more popular. And certainly if you're outright ugle (eg. deformed), that would set you back. But I was having a thought, does being Success/popularity follow from being attractive, or is it the other way around, IE being considered attractive follows on from being popular or succesful.
If we consider the high school environment, for instance, attractiveness is not purely based on measurable quantities, like height or clear skin, but also on more difficult to define things, like how fashionable you are, or whether your face/body type fits into norms of "attractiveness". So a person considered attractive in one place, may be considered ugly in another.
So perhaps within the "society" (in this case a single high school), what is considered attractive is based on who the most popular individuals are. And of course, people will imitate those popular people, creating fashions. Popular people are always fashionable not because it requires them to be followers of fashion, or to have an exceptional aesthetic sense, but because anything they wear is considered by others fashionable and attractive, because they are a fashionable and attractive person, so what they wear must be fashionable.
Of course, popularity is probably also affected by whether you follow the norms around you, so there's a bit of a feedback loop in there.
Thoughts? Basically, I'm positting that attractiveness follows success, in opposition to the idea that success follows attractiveness (with the exception that unattractiveness may deter others, and hence success)
Generally, it's been fairly proven that those who are attractive (physically) are more succesful(in careers etc.) and more popular. And certainly if you're outright ugle (eg. deformed), that would set you back. But I was having a thought, does being Success/popularity follow from being attractive, or is it the other way around, IE being considered attractive follows on from being popular or succesful.
If we consider the high school environment, for instance, attractiveness is not purely based on measurable quantities, like height or clear skin, but also on more difficult to define things, like how fashionable you are, or whether your face/body type fits into norms of "attractiveness". So a person considered attractive in one place, may be considered ugly in another.
So perhaps within the "society" (in this case a single high school), what is considered attractive is based on who the most popular individuals are. And of course, people will imitate those popular people, creating fashions. Popular people are always fashionable not because it requires them to be followers of fashion, or to have an exceptional aesthetic sense, but because anything they wear is considered by others fashionable and attractive, because they are a fashionable and attractive person, so what they wear must be fashionable.
Of course, popularity is probably also affected by whether you follow the norms around you, so there's a bit of a feedback loop in there.
Thoughts? Basically, I'm positting that attractiveness follows success, in opposition to the idea that success follows attractiveness (with the exception that unattractiveness may deter others, and hence success)