Oneofthemostsuccessful,influentialandbelovedwomeninAmericanhistory,EleanlorRooseveltoncesaidthatshehadoneregret:shewishedshehadbeenprettier.Whohasn'tfeltthesameway?Wearealltooawareofourphysicalimperfections.Tooverconethem,wespendbillionsofdollarseveryyear--oncomestics,dietproducts,fashionandplasticsurgery.
Whydowecaresomuchabouthowwelook?Becauseitmatters.Becausebeautyispowerful.Becauseevenwhenwelearntovaluepeoplemostlyforbeingkindandwiseandfunny,wearestillmovedbybeauty.Nomatterhowmuchweargueagainstitorpretendtobeimmune,beautyexertsitspoweroverus.Thereissimplynoescape.
Aristotlesaid,"Beautyisagreaterrecommendationthananyletterofintrodution."It'snotfair,butit'strue.Wesimplytreatbeautifulpeoplebetterthanwedoothers.Attachaphotographofabeautifulauthortoanessay,andpeoplewillthinkthatitismorecreativeandmoreintelligentlywrittenthanexactlythesameessayaccompaniedbythephotoofahomelyauthor.
OursensitivitytoPhysicalbeautyisnotsomethingwecancontrolatwill.Wearebornwithit.ExperimentsconductedbypsychologistJudithJ.Langloisshowedthatevensmallinfantsprefertolookatattractivefaces.Beforetheyhavemetasinglesupermodel,beforetheyhavewatchedasingleTVshow,beforetheyhaveopenedupasinglefashionmagazine,theyaredrawntothesamefaceswhichadultshavejudgedtobeattractive.
Therearemoreimportantthingsinlifethanbeauty.ButasNancyEtcoffsays,"Wehavetounderstandbeauty,orwewillalwaysbeenslavedbyit."ifyouaimtobewiseandkindandfunny,itdoesn'tmeanthatyoucan'talsotryyourbesttolookbeautidul.There'snoreasontofeelguiltyaboutbeingmovedbybeauty'spower.Itmovesusall.