Appearance of a person. appearance requirements

Image copyright getty

The features of one's own face can greatly help or greatly interfere with a person - and this is not only about attractiveness. People around you usually unconsciously evaluate your appearance according to criteria that you did not even think about, the correspondent warns.

Imagine that you have a non-identical twin. You got the same upbringing, have the same IQ, the same education, the same hobbies. You are equally sociable, adventurous, interesting. Go to the same sports club for sports, like to eat the same dishes.

From a spiritual and intellectual point of view, you are doubles. There is only one difference: your faces. Let's say one of you has semi-childish features with wide eyes. And the other has sharp cheekbones and a more brutal (in some ways even slightly Neanderthal) forehead.

How will your lives develop over the years? Will you follow the same path, or will small differences in appearance force you to take different paths?

True last. Just by throwing one glance at you, others immediately draw conclusions about your abilities and whether you can be trusted; decide whether you are a leader or a performer. And these biases can influence the most important events in your life, determining everything from your circle of friends to your bank account balance.

“We like to think we make decisions rationally, but in fact we are often influenced by rather superficial signals,” says Christopher Olivola of Carnegie Mellon University. “And in this sense, appearance is absolutely superficial, but a very important factor.”

Until now, the tendency to evaluate a person by his appearance (“hypocrisy,” as Olivola and his colleagues call it) was taken for granted. But the more scientists understand the impact this has on our lives, the more they begin to wonder if "hypocrisy" should be considered a harmful prejudice that needs to be fought.

Its main component, perhaps, can be considered physical attractiveness - especially considering how closely we follow the adventures of celebrities. Back in the 1990s, economist Daniel Hamermesh found that beautiful people can earn 10-12% more than their average-looking counterparts, a trend that can be seen across careers ranging from American football to law and even economics.

Image copyright getty Image caption Even the smallest differences in appearance can send twins on different life paths.

"The discovery is unpleasant," Hamermesh says now, a couple of decades later. True, he found at least one exception to the rule - a pretty appearance is not very useful for people who trade in armed robbery. "If a robber can intimidate you to give you money, then he does not have to resort to physical violence," he notes.

As we already wrote, beauty also does not always help law-abiding people: an attractive woman, for example, can be flunked at an interview, believing that appearance can interfere with her professional activities.

Either way, we sometimes give too much importance to beauty, forgetting about other forms of "facial discrimination". Alexander Todorov, a colleague of Olivola at Princeton University, set up a curious experiment 10 years ago: he asked subjects to look at photographs of American politicians running for congress and the Senate (given only one second for each photo), and then rate on a numerical scale how they looked like suitable candidates. Even after taking into account other factors, such as age and attractiveness, it turned out that a second of thinking allowed the participants in the experiment to guess the winning candidate 70% of the time.

A similar result was given by later studies, during which they studied how facial features affect the success of the owner (without taking into account attractiveness). It turned out that the more powerful a person looks, the more chances he has to get to the post of head of the company - and earn more money at the same time. The scientists also asked the subjects to evaluate the faces of cadets of military schools for authority - and it turned out that subsequently the career went faster for those cadets who received high marks in this experience.

Image copyright getty Image caption Has your appearance ever let you down?

It is also widely believed that one can conclude from the face that the person in the photograph is honest. When subjects are shown a set of pictures, they tend to agree on which people they can trust—which affects their willingness to lend money to those people. In court, an open face can even help get away with it: scientists have found that suspects who outwardly inspire confidence are more likely to be acquitted with equivalent evidence.

It must be admitted that these conclusions are made on the basis of completely subjective assessments. How do people know what traits make a person look bossy, intellectually capable, or dominant? Perhaps we are simply reacting to facial expressions - an open smile or displeasedly shifted eyebrows. Facial expressions certainly matter. But there is reason to believe that we notice other, more permanent features.

For example, Olivola and Todorov used carefully designed computer images of faces with completely neutral expressions in their studies to eliminate the influence of facial expressions on perception. The scientists asked the subjects to evaluate the faces and, by comparing the ratings of numerous images, were able to create sketches, the features of which most fully reflect one or another character trait. Looking at these sketches, we can conclude that in our perception of a person we are guided by a whole complex of different facial features - from the shape of the eyebrows to the bone structure of the skull.

Image copyright Christopher Olivola Friederike Funk Alexander Todorov Image caption These faces reflect, in ascending order: (A) competence, (B) bossiness, (C) extraversion, (D) trustworthiness

Perhaps you think that you yourself would never perceive the people around you so superficially. But in fact, as soon as we meet someone, we immediately unconsciously give this person an assessment. Todorov showed that it takes only 40 milliseconds to form the first impression of a person (it takes 10 times longer to blink once). And this skill is formed from a very early age: three-four-year-old kids, based on their appearance, are already taken to draw conclusions about who is "bad" and who is "good."

Based on just one photo, participants could predict which behavior a partner would choose - and it turned out that with the help of a photo portrait, they did guess more often than if they made a choice purely by chance. The scientist believes that the results of this experience make us think about the curious questions of human evolution: “It is difficult to understand why nature decided to put the sign “I cannot be trusted” on our face. In addition, the level of hormones and the health of the immune system.

But from a practical standpoint, our accuracy in visually evaluating other people's traits leaves much to be desired, and may even do more harm than good. "People pay too much attention to appearance, forgetting about other information that they already possess," says Olivola. For example, in games where honesty and trust are important, participants tend to trust a partner with innocent features - even with reliable information that this person has previously been convicted of cheating.

So, going back to our twins, it's not hard to imagine how a difference in initial perception of appearance could take you and your imaginary non-identical twin down very different life paths. Appearance can determine your fate in a variety of situations: when you come to a party, meet the parents of your bride or groom, get a job or try to get a loan from the bank.

This issue is especially important in today's world, Olivola notes: “With social media accounts, we can form an impression of ourselves even before we start talking to a person, and even before we get to know each other personally. Imagine that you are hiring a new assistant. You are going to look at all the resumes as objectively as possible, but if you catch your eye on a photo, then a grain of bias has already been planted in your soul. This can distort the perception of further information. " Bonnefon agrees with Olivola: "Perhaps it is impossible to wean people from drawing instant conclusions - we do so automatically."

Image copyright getty Image caption Wide eyes can signify innocence - but first impressions can often be deceiving.

Taking these considerations into account, Olivola and Todorov recently prepared an article in which they wrote that it is time for psychologists to think about methods of confronting "hypocrisy." “If it is necessary to make an important decision, then I try to structure the incoming information in such a way that the face appears at the very end of the process,” says Todorov. “When we interview graduates, I know even before a personal meeting whether I want to work other candidate. The most important information is information about past successes and letters of recommendation. "

Olivola even suggests screening candidates in interviews, although he admits that this may not be the most practical solution. However, the experience of many professional music orchestras shows that blindfold auditions reduce the impact of bias on the outcome: for example, one study found that more women were admitted to orchestras this way.

In his book Beauty Pays, Hamermesh writes that appearance-based bias can lead to nasty legal consequences—if, for example, you can demonstrate in court that you get paid less than your more attractive-looking colleagues. . But the preparation and adoption of new laws require money, and the scientist believes that these resources may be worth using to solve more pressing problems.

"The question is: do we want to spend public funds to protect ugly people when, in my personal opinion, other groups deserve more attention?" he asks. Of course, no one argues that the fight against "hypocrisy" should distract us from the battles with other prejudices like sexism or racism (although in cases where "hypocrisy" is superimposed on them, the negative effect can only increase).

But regardless of whether we want to translate this issue into the legal field or not, we should at least think about the superficiality of our perception. Unlike most other prejudices, in "hypocrisy" we play the role of both villains and victims: each of us at least once made unfair conclusions about a person based on appearance, and everyone was probably the object of such an unfair treatment.

Here is such an ugly truth, which, nevertheless, is worth facing.

In the modern world, professional activity plays a significant role for the individual and is one of the key factors that can determine his place in the social structure of society. In this regard, professional development is one of the priority life goals for most people. It is assumed that the generally accepted strategy for successful employment and career building is the development of skills, the accumulation of experience and knowledge necessary for a particular position, through training and obtaining appropriate education. However, is having the required skills and making the effort to develop them the only fundamental factor that influences employment and career advancement? The answer to this question is: no, it is not.

The appearance of individuals is often not inferior in importance to the presence of skills and experience and can play an important role in career development. How, under what conditions and why can the appearance of individuals be associated with the chances of employment and further career advancement? The answers to these questions will allow us to determine whether appearance is really one of the factors that can determine the position of an individual in the social structure of society, and how this happens.

The role of appearance in social interaction

First of all, it is necessary to understand why a person's appearance can in one way or another affect the people around him, including the employer, and how this happens. In any face-to-face interaction, the individual creates his image and, with the help of certain signals, presents it to others, trying to convince the audience of the veracity of the created image of himself. So, in everyday life, people constantly use signals to convey information to others about themselves, their qualities and intentions for a specific purpose. For example, one of these signals may be conspicuous consumption, which consists in an attempt to demonstrate a high social status through the use of prestigious goods. The "personal foreground", which includes appearance and mannerisms, makes it possible to create an image of the individual through expressive means. The appearance of a person is one such means. With its help, others can evaluate a person in the process of interaction and obtain information about the characteristics and qualities that he possesses. On the basis of this image and the received signals, one can draw a conclusion about the social status of the individual and his personal qualities. This means that appearance: gender, age, physical data, ability to dress and behave - plays one of the key roles in the process of creating an impression of a person. Appearance allows others to form ideas about how a person can behave in a given situation, which can subsequently be fixed as stereotypical expectations.

So, there are certain expectations about the behavior of people who are outwardly attractive or unattractive. Physical attractiveness, measured by facial features, figure and height, is a key component of an individual's so-called "erotic capital", which is a combination of aesthetic, physical and visual attractiveness to other members of society. The presence of such capital is a resource that makes it possible to achieve success in various spheres of public life.

The attribution of socially approved traits to attractive people has been called the “beautiful is good” effect. Attractive individuals, in the opinion of others, are supposed to live better than unattractive ones: they are successful in professional careers and family life. In addition, it is believed that attractive people have higher intelligence, developed communication skills and other abilities.

Is it true that outwardly beautiful people are considered more successful in society than the rest? According to a study on the “beautiful is good” effect, such stereotypes do exist in society. Study participants were more likely to attribute positive characteristics and prospects for a successful life to beautiful people than to less attractive people. The owners of an attractive appearance will be evaluated by the rest as carriers of socially approved qualities in society, which can in a certain way influence the process of interaction with other individuals.

The existence of such stereotypes in society can lead to a number of consequences. Attractive individuals, as opposed to unattractive ones, will have some advantages in social life, although the abilities they possess may not differ. Externally attractive people are treated better in litigation and civil proceedings, they are rated as more successful students and schoolchildren, they are desirable partners in social interaction, and, in general, their activities receive higher ratings from others. All of these advantages can accumulate over the course of an individual's life and take the form of social superiority. One of the areas in which there is perhaps the most significant superiority of attractive people is work and professional activity, which is closely related to the position of the individual in the social social structure.

The appearance of the individual as a factor in employment and career development

Attractive people have several significant advantages in the workplace. According to empirical research, people with attractive appearance are more successful in their professional activities: they are more actively hired, have higher starting salaries, get promotions more often, have high job performance ratings, and are considered more competent. If a situation arises that the employer is faced with a choice between two candidates with similar skills, experience and professional characteristics, then preference, ceteris paribus, will most likely be given to the candidate who is more attractive in appearance. In addition, the advantages associated with the physical beauty of a person will determine the social prestige of his employment, not only at the beginning of his career, but throughout its duration: the influence of beauty on the socio-economic status of an individual will be constant throughout his working life.

It should also not be forgotten that there are professions on the labor market for which the mandatory requirements for candidates include an attractive appearance. In such cases, beautiful individuals will be associated in society as the most suitable for such positions and meet the requirements, which will help to reinforce the stereotype that this profession should be performed by a person with an attractive appearance. Most often, these are professions associated with contacts with people or advertising, for example, in the trade industry, modeling and hospitality. Often, a resume for these positions necessarily includes a photograph of the candidate to assess his appearance. So, for example, in the field of public relations in Indonesia, in which for the most part women are employed, an attractive appearance plays a key role in the selection for a position. In this regard, discrimination in appearance is manifested in this area, which, in turn, is fraught with negative consequences for the industry, since actual skills and knowledge begin to fade into the background when selecting for a position.

At the same time, while those who are considered physically attractive gain advantages in the labor market, the unattractive suffer from failures. It should be mentioned that an overweight individual may be negatively associated with his position in the labor market. Obese workers face discrimination in the workplace several times more often than workers with normal weight. According to studies, people who are obese are less likely to be hired. Most often, it is easier for them to get a position that does not involve physical labor or contact with people. The reason is that being overweight is often associated by employers with laziness and low productivity, even if in fact it is not. Thus, when studying the Russian labor market during the transition to a market economy in 1997-2005, it was revealed that there was a fairly strong relationship between the weight of an individual and the probability of being hired. The only caveat is the candidate's gender: a negative relationship between weight and the likelihood of being accepted for a job position existed among women, but not among men. The body mass index for women is strongly and negatively associated with the likelihood of being hired.

Another important characteristic is the height of a person. It has been established that high growth throughout the career is positively associated with the socio-economic status of the individual, which largely depends on labor activity and career advancement. This phenomenon may be related to the fact that high growth is presented in society as a characteristic that is an attribute of people who are healthy and physically developed, and therefore more efficient. However, it should be noted that height is a significant factor only for men. Thus, studies conducted in the UK prove that a small stature of a man can negatively affect the likelihood of employment and the amount of earnings, while high growth will, on the contrary, act as an advantage.

Average hourly wages for men and women based on a study in the UK

In addition, physical defects can affect the perception of a person by others as unattractive, and, accordingly, in a certain way affect his professional activities. An interesting question is whether the type of difference from the standards of attractiveness is a determining factor in shaping the impression of candidates for a position. The presence of a physical defect on the face of an individual has been found to affect the evaluation of abilities in employment and the decision to hire more negatively than the presence of a disability, reflected, for example, in the use of a wheelchair. This implies that being different from the appearance associated with an attractive person can have negative labor market consequences, and at the same time, the type of difference will influence the extent of such consequences.

Conditions and consequences of the impact of external attractiveness on labor
activity

Thus, while overall attractiveness is a significant factor in determining an individual's position in the labor market, there are a number of conditions to be considered under which the effects of such an association may be different. One of these conditions is gender. This may be due to the fact that "erotic capital" is mainly possessed by women, and therefore the appearance in their case, in general, plays a greater role than that of men. In addition to gender, a condition that will determine whether appearance affects employment and career advancement may be the type of position for which a candidate is accepted. When it comes to professions in the public sphere or those associated with contacts with people, external characteristics will matter more and are often determined by the employer's requirements for appearance.

But is an attractive appearance always the key to success and is it an advantage? It turns out that under certain conditions, beauty can harm a candidate or an employee. The phenomenon of the negative impact of good looks on an individual's likelihood of being hired or promoted has been termed the "monstrous beauty" effect. Although, in general, beauty has been found to be positively associated with employment and career, there are certain conditions where this relationship is reversed. The "monstrous beauty" effect only applies to the female gender and occurs when an attractive woman becomes a candidate for a masculine-type position that does not require appearance. Two factors that can explain this phenomenon are the characteristics of the individual and the characteristics of the profession. Attractive women are seen as more feminine and feminine, while masculine occupations are associated with masculine qualities. This leads to the fact that masculine types of positions, where there are no mandatory requirements for appearance, are more likely to accept either a man or an unattractive woman whose feminine characteristics are not so strongly expressed in her image, and accordingly, she will be presented as a more suitable candidate. . So, for example, the fact that attractive women are not so common in leadership positions may be related to the above effect, due to the fact that such positions are associated with masculine qualities such as hardness and toughness. Another condition for the effect of "monstrous beauty" may be the gender of the person who selects for the position. This implies that if a woman is recruiting for a position, she is more likely to accept a more unattractive female candidate than an attractive one. Thus, the effect of "monstrous beauty" does exist in practice in relation to attractive women, whose appearance negatively affects the actions in the labor market under certain conditions.

Percentage of callbacks on resumes of various types based on a study conducted in Israel

Thus, the above factors, such as height, weight and the presence of physical defects can act as the basis for the formation of discrimination and inequality in the labor market. Individuals who do not meet society's established standards of beauty may, on average, receive significantly fewer benefits in the labor market. And, although some types of social discrimination based on characteristics associated with external attractiveness, such as age or skin color, are regulated by law, in general, discrimination based on physical beauty does not fit into the framework of the law, which is an important problem for the regulation of social life and work.

Conclusion

So, on the basis of the analysis carried out, several main conclusions can be drawn about appearance as a factor in employment and a successful career. First of all, it is possible to conclude that the phenotype of an individual does indeed have a positive relationship with success in work, and as a result, career advancement, which is proved by numerous studies conducted on this issue. Attractive individuals earn higher salaries, are more likely to be hired, and are generally rated higher by employers than unattractive candidates. Thus, beauty acts as a resource that allows one to take one or another position in the social structure of society. This can be explained by the fact that appearance in society is a social signal, the presence of which implies the attribution of socially approved characteristics to the individual. However, it should not be forgotten that there are certain conditions, such as the gender of the individual, the type of profession, the effect of the “monstrous beauty” effect, which can determine the impact of appearance on success in professional activities. Particular attention in the workplace should be paid to the consequences of the connection between attractive appearance and professional success, which consists in the possible occurrence of discrimination, which can lead to inefficient functioning of the labor market and society as a whole.

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Introduction

To date, a lot of research has been done and a huge amount of indisputable evidence has been accumulated that, in fact, appearance matters. Always and everywhere, and it's confusing. Beautiful appearance is a huge advantage.

Whether we like it or not, the physical attractiveness of a young woman is a good predictor of her success with men. The attractive appearance of young men is less closely related to their success with women. If women had the opportunity to demonstrate their preferences in the same way, would not the appearance of men become as important for them as the appearance of women is significant for men?

To test whether men are indeed more sensitive to appearance, the researchers studied men and women separately, providing them with different information about a person of the opposite sex, including their photo. Another experimental method was that they allegedly accidentally introduced a man and a woman, and then asked both if they wanted to continue the acquaintance. The men who participated in these experiments did attach somewhat more importance to the physical attractiveness of women. Perhaps, sensing this, women pay more attention to their appearance than men, and among the patients of cosmetic surgeons, women make up about 90%. However, women also pay attention to the appearance of men.

Not everyone manages to find a life partner with an irresistible appearance. So how do people find their other half? Based on a study by Bernard Marstein, we tend to choose those who are no more or less attractive than ourselves. The results of several studies indicate a close relationship between the external attractiveness of spouses, lovers. People tend to choose as friends, and especially as spouses, those who match them not only in terms of intelligence, but also in terms of attractiveness.

Experiments confirm the existence of this correspondence phenomenon. When choosing whom to approach with a proposal of acquaintance, and knowing that the answer can be both “yes” and “no”, a person usually chooses someone whose physical attractiveness roughly matches his own. A good physical match can also be the basis for a good relationship.

But that's not all. We think that beautiful people have certain desirable qualities for us. Other things being equal, we are convinced that beautiful people are happier, that they are more talented, smart and successful, although they are not more decent and not more inclined to care for their neighbor. In a country with a collectivist culture like Korea, where both decency and altruism are highly valued, these are the traits that are associated with physical attractiveness.

If you put all this information together, you get what is called the stereotype of physical attractiveness: beautiful means good.

In our 21st century, appearance has become almost the main role in the life of modern society, especially young people. Therefore, we decided to interview students in order to confirm or refute our theories.

Target our work: according to students, determine the value of a person's appearance when interacting with other people.

Sociological survey on the topic: Appearance and its role in human life

1. When you meet a new person, does their appearance usually or does not influence your first impression of them?
?Affects?Does not affect?Difficult to answer
2. Do you think that most of the people you see on the streets, in public places in your city (town, village) have a beautiful, attractive appearance, an ordinary, ordinary appearance, or an unattractive appearance?
?Beautiful, attractive appearance
?Usual, ordinary appearance
?Unattractive appearance
?Difficult to answer
3. Generally speaking, does a woman with a beautiful, attractive appearance have an easier, harder, or the same life as a woman who does not have such an appearance?
4. Speaking in general, does a man with a beautiful, attractive appearance live easier, harder, or the same as a man who does not have such an appearance?
?Easier?Heavier?The same?Difficult to answer
5. Do you think that people who have a beautiful, attractive appearance have more, less or the same number of friends and acquaintances as those who do not have a beautiful, attractive appearance?
?less
?as many
?more
?Difficult to answer
6. Do you think that a person with an ugly, unattractive appearance can or cannot be charming and attractive as a person?
?Maybe?Can't?Difficult to answer
7. In your opinion, in order for a woman to like, to be successful with men, is it important or not important to have a beautiful, attractive appearance?
8. In your opinion, is it important or not important for a man to like, to be successful with women to have a beautiful, attractive appearance?
?Important? Not important? Difficult to answer
9. Do you think that a beautiful, attractive appearance helps or hinders women (men) from making a career, getting promoted? Or the beautiful, attractive appearance of a woman (man) does not affect her career in any way?
?Helps? Doesn't help? Hinders? Difficult to answer
10. Specify your gender:
- ?M?F
11. Enter your age:
- ?17-18 ?19-20 ?21-22

Hypotheses

1. People with a beautiful appearance have an easier life.
2. A woman with a beautiful, attractive appearance has a harder life.
3. A man with a beautiful, attractive appearance has an easier life.
4. Beautiful appearance helps build a career/promotion, etc.

We interviewed 81 people aged 17 to 22 of different sexes, of which 55 were girls and 26 were boys.

After analyzing the results of our sociological survey, the assumptions were confirmed.

Based on the results, you can build a diagram for a visual example.

Question #1

When you meet a new person, does their appearance usually influence or not influence your first impression of them?

The girls' answers are:

38 - affects (65%), 12 - does not affect (20%), 9 - find it difficult to answer (15%).

19 - affects (73%), 6 - does not affect, (23%) 1 - find it difficult to answer (4%).

Question #2

Do you think that people who have a beautiful, attractive appearance have more, less or the same number of friends and acquaintances as those who do not have a beautiful, attractive appearance?

Girls: less - 3 (5%), the same - 39 (71%), more - 7 (13%), difficult to answer - 6 (11%).

Guys: less - 3 (11%), the same - 15 (58%), more - 6 (23%), difficult to answer - 2 (8%).

Question #3

In your opinion, in order for a woman to like, to be successful with men, is it important or not important to have a beautiful, attractive appearance?

Important - 35 (64%), Not important - 14 (25%), Difficult to answer - 6 (11%)

Important - 17 (66%), Not important - 4 (19%), Difficult to answer - (15%)

appearance acquaintance impression society

Question #4

To please a man, to be successful with women, in your opinion, is it important or not important to have a beautiful, attractive appearance?

Important - 22 (46%), Not important - 24 (51%), Difficult to answer - 9 (3%).

Important - 8 (23%), Not important - 13 (47%), Difficult to answer - 5 (30%)

Appearance plays a very important role in the life of every person. After all, as you know, in our modern society "they are met by clothes." And do not neglect this proverb. Not only men, but women also love with their eyes.

A beautiful neat appearance can say a lot about a person. If it’s enough for a man to just put on clean, ironed clothes, shave and add a little pleasant perfume, many women will already pay attention to him. But in order for a man to pay attention to a woman, she needs to be able to stand out from the crowd.

Let's not hide the fact that every man wants to see a beautiful woman next to him. But men and women sometimes see beauty differently. Many women believe that a mini skirt, red lipstick and maximum jewelry is the female power of seduction, in fact, this is not so. Such an image creates the impression of a lady's vulgarity, at least. What is female beauty for a man?

It would not be superfluous to say that external data play a big role, a woman who does not monitor her physical condition creates the impression of some indifference to herself. Clothing is our shell, so it can say a lot about a person. Proper hair care is also very important. Men most often prefer to see a woman in a romantic, light and most importantly feminine attire. The female image is created from such seemingly trifles as heels, long flowing hair, delicate perfume, light makeup. And here it is, the very charm that every man wants to see next to him.

The image of a woman should not scream about her strength, on the contrary, he should talk about her weakness and defenselessness so that a man can feel like a predator. Of course, you should not replay with a romantic image, everything should be in moderation, and most importantly, your appearance should merge with your inner world. First of all, you must be in harmony with yourself, and then your personal life will find harmony.

"Only the most imperceptible people do not judge by appearance."(Oscar Wilde)

To determine the character of a person by his appearance, there is a whole science - physiognomy. Of course, there is no need to talk about its accuracy, however, even in ancient China, physiognomy was considered one of the full-fledged branches of medicine, and in the East they believed that one could determine the character, and even the life path of a person, by appearance.

No wonder some faces attract us and instantly inspire confidence, and some - rejection. This technique is actively used in cinema. Remember at least the appearance of Sharikov (Vladimir Tolokonnikov) in the film adaptation of the story “Heart of a Dog” - the first frames are enough to understand: this type of face indicates that its owner has a bad character and his mind is very limited. So, let's find out how you can determine the character of a person by appearance.

Body structure and character

The body is much easier to change than the face, however, in order to change the forms, you have to make some effort, right? That is why, it is quite fair to say that playing sports affects our character.

1. Head and neck:

spiky - gives out inconstancy and envy;
a long neck with a small head, on the contrary, indicates weakness and a tendency to melancholy;
a short neck is a sign of short-sightedness and obstinacy;
a thick, "bull" neck is characteristic of fearless people, and a "lion" (not so thick, but rather large) - for the generous;
a long, thin neck betrays a timid, dreamy person.

2. Shoulders:

narrow shoulders. According to experts, a narrow chest and lowered, or even hunched shoulders, indicate a person’s isolation and vulnerability, as well as the fact that he is prone to self-digging;
expanded chest, broad shoulders - a sign of a purposeful, open person, as well as fearlessness.

3. Stomach:

a strong, toned belly is a sign of endurance, a strong character;
flabby and sagging - weaknesses of character.

4. Hips and legs:

narrow, strong hips with toned buttocks - a sign of endurance, the ability to get out of a difficult situation;
hips, with sides hanging over them (like a frog) give out a talker;
wide, massive hips indicate stubbornness, but if the features are rounded - about the softness of character;
thin, weak and ill-defined ankles are a sign of lustfulness;
strong, slender legs indicate the ability to go to the goals.

Face type and character

Determination of character by facial features often occurs on an instinctive level, in the first seconds of acquaintance. “Horse face”, “predatory eyes”, “toad mouth” - we immediately project these labels onto a person’s character, we judge him by his appearance. What does physiognomy say about this?

1. Forehead:

a large, convex forehead without hair indicates intelligence, a penchant for winning recognition. If it is round at the same time, it is likely that its owner is prone to lying;
a long forehead on a narrow face with a small chin indicates cruelty, even tyranny;
a square hairline pattern indicates honesty;
high bald patches often betray travelers and people with strong motivation;
a narrow forehead indicates that its owner is easily annoyed;
low often betrays some narrow-mindedness, gloominess and practicality.

2. Brows:

thin, arched eyebrows speak of arrogance and ambition;
fused eyebrows often betray jealous, rude and even cruel people;
shaggy ones speak of simplicity, but sincerity;
drooping eyebrows belong to the realists;
very light ones often indicate that their owner is playful and windy.

3. Eyes:

deep-set, small betray envy, greed and cunning;
large, wide-open ones speak of laziness, dreaminess and talkativeness;
small - curiosity and eloquence;
narrow, with a gaze - cruelty;
large, clear - the makings of a leader, mind.

4. Nose:

a sharp nose betrays the temper and severity of the owner;
wide and thick speaks of rudeness;
an upturned nose indicates frivolity, dreaminess and capriciousness;
a long nose, with a hump, speaks of a strict, but not evil character.

5. Mouth:

Something I wanted to talk about How does the appearance of a person affect success in life?. Therefore, today there will be a slightly abstract article written on the basis of observations and reflections on this issue. Recently, I had a dispute on this topic, and, as you know, truth is born in a dispute, so I will try to present various arguments and facts in the article.

So, according to my observations, in most cases, outwardly attractive people find it easier in life, in work, in business, or in some other business. Why? There are several reasons.

Firstly, the path to success is almost always impossible to walk alone: you have to constantly contact with a variety of people: colleagues, employers, partners, businessmen, officials, etc. And with all this communication, especially at the first meeting, an attractive appearance, of course, plays a positive role, because everyone knows that a person is “greeted by clothes”.

Imagine two people with approximately the same skills, abilities, experience, apply for the same position. One of them is outwardly attractive, and the second, let's say, not very much. Who will be preferred by the employer? Most likely the first. Firstly, because it will be more pleasant for him to contact him at work, and secondly, because clients will perceive him better. That is, for the staff working with clients, and especially for sales managers, appearance plays a big role in general.

The best chance for successful negotiations in any situation for an outwardly attractive person is when he conducts these negotiations with a representative of the opposite sex. Just on a subconscious level, it will be easier for a woman to win over an attractive man, and a man - for an attractive woman, agree?

Secondly, all this already makes a person more self-confident, and this confidence is also a great advantage for success. An outwardly unattractive person, as a rule, has more various complexes that prevent him from feeling confident and holding negotiations properly. Such uncertainty is psychologically transferred to the other side, and therefore the negotiations have little chance of success.

But, as with any rule, there are exceptions to this. Well, for example ... If an outwardly attractive girl comes to negotiate with another girl who, let's say, will be inferior to her in appearance. In this case, the effect of competition may arise, and the negotiations will not be successful. For example, the boss at work wants to feel like the “most-most” in the team, and therefore will not accept employees who are superior in appearance. Could this be? Quite. In this example, an attractive appearance, on the contrary, will play a negative role, that is, this is also possible.

Facts that have already become history will help us find more “loud” exceptions to the rule. In the Forbes rating list, you can meet far from handsome people. Take, for example, Bill Gates - the richest man of our time: apparently, he never bothered with his appearance, dressed quite simply and even tastelessly, was untidy. His youthful image corresponds to the current idea of \u200b\u200b"nerd nerds." Nevertheless, we all see the results of his success, and even use them.

Mark Zuckerberg… Roughly the same story, only more modern. Not particularly remarkable appearance, simple clothes, besides, and an unremarkable lifestyle. We also see and use the results of success. And there are many such examples.

What is remarkable, judging by these examples, most often people who do not particularly differ in external data achieve success in the Internet sphere, and there is a completely logical explanation for this. With virtual communications, which helped these people achieve success, appearance no longer plays such a significant role as in real offline communication. Here other qualities come to the fore: the ability to competently and beautifully build phrases, to win over the interlocutor virtually.

There is another important point worth mentioning. Attractive appearance is a rather subjective concept. There are types that will seem attractive to some people, but not to others, therefore, this can also have an impact on success in negotiations.

On the Internet, and in life, I meet a lot of discussions about how appearance affects a person’s happiness in personal life, and here you can also find polar points of view, only the well-known saying “don’t be born beautiful, but be born happy” is worth something. I also have something to say about this, but I decided not to do this, because I clearly separate the concepts of “success” and “happiness in my personal life”. Here, you can read it here: - this is not at all the same as personal happiness. There are, of course, the concepts of “be successful with women” or “be successful with men”, but let's leave their discussion for men's and women's sites, and here we will talk about success in achieving life goals.

Thus, analyzing both well-known facts and personal observations, I can conclude that appearance affects a person's success in life and work in most cases. But there are also exceptions to this rule. Appearance plays an important role on a person's path to success, but not necessarily critical. A person with an unattractive appearance is also able to achieve success, but it will usually be a little more difficult for him. On the other hand, it is more interesting, because I think many will be pleased to realize that they have achieved the desired results thanks not to external, but to internal qualities.

Nevertheless, I recommend everyone not to “launch” their appearance, take care of it, but of course, without fanaticism. To look neat, clean, well-groomed, worthy not only at the moments of important meetings and negotiations, but also in everyday life, because this is how a person psychologically gets used to his appearance, and this also leaves its mark on his success. I think that it is not so difficult if desired.

Here is my opinion on how a person's appearance affects success in life and business. If you have something to add or something to argue with, I will be happy to hear you in the comments.

As always, I wish you all the best! See you at!