Their next point is that those who believe in a just world are less likely to have experienced injustice themselves. Notwithstanding the fact that "feeling good" isn't a plausible function, for whatever reason, the authors don't seem to suggest that believing the world to be unfair is a cognitive bias as well, which is worth keeping in the back of your mind. The present research (Westfall, Millar, & Lovitt, 2018) took the following perspectives: First, believing in a just world (roughly that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get) is a cognitive bias that some people hold on to, because it makes them feel good. Share this story on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter.
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As the writer Dorothy Parker put it so elegantly: “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.” It’s a cliche, but no amount of beauty can make up for a bad personality. “If you are obsessing about attractiveness, it may alter your experience and interactions,” she says.
Ultimately, Frevert points out that focusing too much on your appearance can itself be detrimental if it creates undue stress and anxiety – even for those already blessed with good looks.
And it could be fairly easy to lessen the impact – if human resources departments give more information about a candidate’s achievements before an interview, for example. “And like many of the shortcuts we use, it’s not very reliable,” says Frevert. In a sense, it’s just a cognitive shortcut for a quick appraisal. “We have a whole set of cultural ideals about beauty that let us say if someone is attractive – and through those same ideals, we begin to associate it with competence,” says Walker. Frevert and Walker are keen to emphasise that like our conceptions of beauty itself, these influences are superficial and by no means deep-rooted in our biology, as some might suggest. So, as you might have guessed, being beautiful is not a passport to certain happiness – though it helps. “You are being conferred advantages throughout your life, from your schooldays into the workplace,” says Walker. One study of MBA graduates found that there was about a 10 to 15% difference in earnings between the most and least attractive people in the group – which added up to about $230,000 (£150,000) over a lifetime. When everything else is considered, more attractive people tend to earn more money and climb higher on the corporate ladder than people who are considered less pleasing on the eye. In the workplace, your face really can be your fortune. “You become more confident and have more positive beliefs and more opportunities to demonstrate your competence.” “There’s a cumulative effect,” explains Frevert. What’s more, the bubble’s influence inflates over the years. In education, for instance, Walker and Frevert found a wealth of research showing that better looking students, at school and university, tend to be judged by teachers as being more competent and intelligent – and that was reflected in the grades they gave them. As a doctor, for example, he can’t even perform the Heimlich manoeuvre, but somehow managed to drift through medical school thanks to his natural charm.Īccording to the available evidence, the bubble is a reality. Jon Hamm’s character is remarkably incompetent, yet manages to live in blissful self-delusion thanks to his good looks. To psychologists, this is called the “what is beautiful is good” heuristic, but fans of the sitcom 30 Rock might recognise this as “ the bubble”.
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