Does the way you look affect how you are treated?

[rimalicious]

Yesterday, the weather report said snow down to 3500 Ft. I live at about 3000 and Scott lives at about 3600. This is my kid free week so I was planning on staying at his place. After work, it was starting to snow in Oakhurst, at 3000 Ft. I stopped at Beacon to get gas on the way up and he pulled in behind me. He said, you need to make a decision about what you are going to do here. (What I heard, which I later was told was incorrect, was that he wanted me to decide if I was going to stay the night or go home after I went to his house and got my stuff because it might get worse during the night.) So we headed up and I followed him. His house is about 7 miles from where we were. As we progressed, slowly, it started snowing more heavily but it didn't look like it was sticking. When we got to Bass Lake road there was a little sticking but I didn't see anyone stopping people to put on chains so I thought it would be fine. We keep going, the roads are getting worse, and I'm thinking, if he thinks I should turn around he'll call and tell me so. He didn't. We got to a point where we had to stop because there were other cars not completely pulled off to the side of the road and that was it for me. Couldn't get going again once I stopped. So he gets out of his Jeep and comes over and is saying, what were you thinking? I can't believe you came this far, why didn't you turn around? etc. And I'm thinking, why didn't you call and tell me to turn around when you saw me still following? I don't live in Bass Lake and you do, so you should have known better then I what the safe thing to do was. So, with no other alternative, we get my car pulled over and leave it on the side of the road. The storm was expected to pass quickly so about a hour later we went back to see if we could get it. When we got there, a CHP was behind it and a Tow Truck in front of it. It was already halfway hooked up to the truck. I jump out of Scott's truck and walk to the CHP and tell him it's my car. He tells me I need to talk to the tow truck driver. Why? I'm here, the car's here, the roads are clear, what is there to talk about? Let me take it home. CHP says, well if you don't want to talk to the driver I can just have it impounded. Whoa! Why do these guys have to be such asses? I don't want it impounded, just tell me what to do. CHP says since the driver had to come out he will have to charge me before he can let me have it. So the driver unhooks the car and calls me over to the truck to get my billing information while Scott is chit chatting with the CHP. The driver pulls a pad and pen out of the truck and says he's just making it look like he's charging me but he's not really going to. He says just stand here and pretend for a minute so it looks good for the CHP. OMG! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!! I really try not to attribute things to my looks, I'm not a conceited person. But I have to think that was the reason he did that don't you think? I have had similar things happen in the past and I don't know what else to attribute it to. What do you think? Anyway, all is well, I made it back to Scott's house and the snow was done for the night. WHEW!

I hope nobody takes this topic the wrong way. Those of you who know me know I am not conceited.

[Goddesschyyld]

There is a study (I'll find it in a sec) that states attractive people are treated better than non-attractive people (I always wonder who decides who is attractive and who isn't).

So to your question Rima, yes, I think it was probably because of your looks. That and maybe the driver was sensitive to your plight because of the CHP officer.

[Goddesschyyld]

Here is one aspect of the subject:

Do Pretty People Earn More?

Studies show attractive students get more attention and higher evaluations from their teachers, good-looking patients get more personalized care from their doctors, and handsome criminals receive lighter sentences than less attractive convicts. But how much do looks matter at work?

The ugly truth, according to economics professors Daniel Hamermesh of the University of Texas and Jeff Biddle of Michigan State University, is that plain people earn 5 to 10 percent less than people of average looks, who in turn earn 3 to 8 percent less than those deemed good-looking.

These findings concur with other research that shows the penalty for being homely exceeds the premium for beauty and that, across all occupations, the effects are greater for men than women.

A London Guildhall University survey of 11,000 33-year-olds found that unattractive men earned 15 percent less than those deemed attractive, while plain women earned 11 percent less than their prettier counterparts. In their report "Beauty, Productivity and Discrimination: Lawyers', Looks and Lucre," Hamermesh and Biddle found that the probability of a male attorney attaining early partnership directly correlates with how handsome he is.

Size matters, too. A study released last year by two professors at the University of Florida and the University of North Carolina found that tall people earn considerably more money throughout their careers than their shorter coworkers, with each inch adding about $789 a year in pay.

A survey of male graduates of the University of Pittsburgh found that the tallest students' average starting salary was 12 percent higher than their shorter colleagues'. The London Guildhall study showed that overweight women are more likely to be unemployed, and that those who are working earn on average five percent less than their trimmer peers.

According to Dr. Gordon Patzer, who has spent over three decades studying and writing about physical attractiveness, human beings are hard-wired to respond more favorably to attractive people. Even studies of babies show they will look more intently and longer at prettier faces.

"Good-looking men and women are generally judged to be more talented, kind, honest and intelligent than their less attractive counterparts," says Patzer. "Controlled studies show people go out of their way to help attractive people - of the same and opposite sex - because they want to be liked and accepted by good-looking people."

.This may not sound too pretty to those of us who were dealt a bad hand in the looks department. But don't rush off to try out for the next round of Extreme Makeover just yet.

Despite what the research tells us, some of the world's most successful people have been ordinary looking at best, and you would never mistake the faces in Fortune for the faces in Esquire or Entertainment Weekly. Business legends are often of average height (Bill Gates at 5'9½") or even diminutive (Jack Welch, 5'8", and Ross Perot at 5'7"). What's more, many folks who are lovely to look at complain that they lose out on jobs because people assume they are vacuous or "lightweights."

How does this reconcile with all the research? Hiring managers say it is the appearance of confidence they find attractive, not the presence of physical beauty. And they contend that attractiveness has more to do with how you carry yourself and the energy you exude – rather than having perfect features or a great physique.

According to Gordon Wainright author of Teach Yourself Body Language, anyone can increase their attractiveness to others if they maintain good eye contact, act upbeat, dress well (with a dash of color to their wardrobe), and listen well. Wainright also stresses the importance of posture and bearing and suggests that for one week you stand straight, tuck in your stomach, hold your head high, and smile at those you meet. Based on many such experiments, Wainwright predicts you will begin to be treated with more warmth and respect and start attracting more people to you.

[BGW]

It has been almost 20 yrs ago now, but I had a pocket full of $100 bills. I had been drooling over a complete living room suite. Sofa, love seat, chairs, tables, lamps....I wanted it all. I worked hard and saved up enough to pay cash for everything.

I went down to the furniture store. Walked around; noted all the sales people were just hanging out at their desks. Not one even looked up at me. Though as other folks entered the store they seemed to be able to get the service they needed.

I got mad. Took the $100's out of my pocket and spread them out into a fan walked over to their desks and told them i was happy taking my money else where!

It was comical to see them all jump up and fall all over themselves to try and suddenly be at my beck and call.

The reason I was ignored?? I was young and cute with a chest to match so it wasn't the physical looks that canceled my preferred treatment. It was how I was dressed. I was 'biker'd' out that day and 20 years ago....bikers; I guess, didn't have money or at least the stereotype of bikers dictated they weren't suppose to have money.

It's a little different now....Harley Davidson's are expensive and a status symbol

On a different note...I got a discount I shouldn't have while shopping the other day. The good looking male clerk was flirting with me and did me a favor...I guess. I wasn't flirting back; though I was surprised at the outcome.

[beautiful_mess38]

Yes, pretty people do get treated better.

I don't think I'm that pretty so......
Thats why I try to make up for it in personality.

[rimalicious]

Messy, you are gorgeous! I'm sure you've been dealt a few favors. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink3.gif

[Yosemite_Wolf]

Ive never been dealt such favours whilst in the store.. usually I go into a store, with money to burn.. and I just get ignored. If I dressed up all sexy and went into a store to buy a big ticket item.. I would prolly be laughing my *** off before I got thru the door......

[beautiful_mess38]

Originally posted by rimalicious:
Messy, you are gorgeous! I'm sure you've been dealt a few favors. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink3.gif

Well yea...only because I have boobs and these new birth control pills make my nipples stick out.

[monkey]

/QUOTE]

Well yea...only because I have boobs and these new birth control pills make my nipples stick out.[/QUOTE]

To funny!!!!http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/im/lsmif.gif ('http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008_ZNxmk278CVUS')

[49er]

I think looks are what people judge you by, BUT... I think it's how you act and carry yourself that really attracts people. Confidence is key. Confidence is eternal and spiritual and if you can manage to extract that from yourself, people will take notice. This extraction takes work. Stress and fear will prohibit confidence. I find meditation and exercise to be valuable in bringing out your confidence and in essence your true self.
Peace be with you.

[MtnBreeze]

It's how you FEEL about how you look that really counts.

[MtnBreeze]

Originally posted by 49er:
I think looks are what people judge you by, BUT... I think it's how you act and carry yourself that really attracts people. Confidence is key. Confidence is eternal and spiritual and if you can manage to extract that from yourself, people will take notice. This extraction takes work. Stress and fear will prohibit confidence. I find meditation and exercise to be valuable in bringing out your
confidence and in essence your true self.
Peace be with you.

Very well said and I agree.