The common saying is that looks aren’t everything. Characteristics like personality and morals, for example, should be more important—unfortunately, though, this isn’t always the case.  

Pretty privilege, or being seen as more conventionally attractive, is the main disruptor of this ideal reality. It’s defined as having unearned advantages in various aspects of life simply because of perceived beauty: employees who fit into beauty standards will be more well-liked in the office, students who are “better looking” will be judged less in school, and, in general, prettier people will have higher socioeconomic status than others.  

In order to get a better look at this kind of privilege, it’s important to understand the exact reasoning: the exact cause behind this phenomenon is complex, but mostly, it can be tied back to a kind of cognitive bias known as the halo effect.  

One might glance at someone widely considered attractive and immediately begin to make other preconceived judgments about them, such as that they’re most likely kind, funny, or smart. While these traits have nothing to do with the way someone appears, they are automatically associated with those who are more beautiful or aesthetically pleasing: this is where the halo effect, and, subsequently, pretty privilege, takes hold. 

This privilege manifests in a variety of ways, but it can especially be seen in a workplace environment. In the hiring process, for example, those who are perceived to be more attractive are more likely to be offered the job (even when qualifications are equal). In addition to this, once hired, they would also be making 10-15% more money than their peers.  

The consequences of this don’t stop here, however, and not all of them are good. Research also indicates that those who benefit from pretty privilege are also more likely to be perceived as vain or arrogant, highlighting the double-edged sword that is the halo effect: while conventionally attractive people can be seen as more intelligent or more kind solely based on their appearances, as previously mentioned, some may view them as more conceited than others as well. This kind of bias is called the horn effect, and it can negatively impact those who are “prettier” by having unwarranted and negative ideas associated with them based on a single glance.  

The effects of this also impact students in an academic setting as well. A study done at a university in Denver, for example, showed that students who were deemed more attractive earned higher grades than those who were seen as “average”. This doesn’t mean that those who have pretty privilege are automatically more intelligent, however; rather, the students who are more conventionally attractive were observed to be getting preferential treatment during instruction and more help from classmates unconsciously due to the way they look. 

This advantage is further exemplified when the same study compared the grades of students in online and in in-person courses. The advantage that the “prettier” students had in their grades in person disappeared in their online classes, where outward features like the face or clothing aren’t typically shown.  

Another study regarding this topic was conducted at Mahidol University International College. The findings were similar: students who presented themselves as more attractive gained more attention from classmates and found it easier to make friends. The negative aspect of this treatment was also highlighted, however. Some students reported being insecure about insincere friendships, as well as having judgement cast upon them for their perceived privilege. 

These kinds of differences are not only felt at the university level, but they can also be observed among high school students as well. Elizabeth Houchens (‘28), a student at Patriot High School, shared that, in her experience, “if a girl is…well dressed in school, and has her hair pretty and has her makeup done, [she’ll] look more put together and [come across as] smarter. They look nicer.” 

This kind of judgement is nothing new: children by the age of five are known to already be making judgements about others based on physical characteristics like facial features. The question, though, is how to stop those unconscious biases from impacting how we interact with others. Houchens advises that “[Just never] judge a book by its cover. Get to know the person more before you have any room to [make judgments] about that person.” 

While pretty privilege is certainly a real thing, learning how to address biases (whether conscious or unconscious) can help mitigate its harmful effects. Interacting with a wide variety of people, no matter their background, can help make steps toward everyone succeeding—regardless of what they look like.