There’s an old phrase that resurfaces only to ease the minds of individuals who believe their physical appearance is unpleasant: “Beauty is only skin deep.” And it’s true, but only to a certain extent. In reality, are we really able to look past the physical appearance of others unconditionally and accept them for who they are? Should interviewers, police officers and clients ignore the way we look and the way we carry ourselves and focus solely on our words and actions? As much as we believe that the media is placing a huge emphasis on our common imperfections by constantly showing us what the ideal person should like, we can’t ignore the fact that we are influenced by it to some extent.

Exactly how much effort should we be investing in fighting our desire to be more attractive? Should we always react negatively towards other’s dissatisfaction with their appearance, or rather lightly encourage them to take action? There’s no doubt that there is some correlation between appearance and self-esteem. In a simple self-study conducted by Charlie Bradley, he found that successful attempts to make himself more attractive resulted in feelings of motivation and a drive to become more active.  In other known cases, feeling physically attractive can invoke feelings of self-worth while promoting confidence and self-esteem. Increasing the value one places on him or herself can change behaviour and mood substantially. This consequently affects the way other people see and feel towards the individual.

It seems to be true that paying some attention to your physical appearance won’t do any harm. Like a domino effect, those who deem themselves as attractive place a higher value on their self-worth which affects their confidence and self-esteem, causing an increase in positive behaviours and attitudes. However, there is such thing as being overly concerned about your appearance. Like anything else, moderation is the key.

 
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