The halo effect, as applied to beauty, is the tendency for people to perceive more positive personality traits in a more physically attractive person.

From the Wikipedia article on the halo effect:

For example, someone who is perceived as attractive, due in part to physical traits, may be more likely to be perceived as kind or intelligent. The role of attractiveness in producing the halo effect has been illustrated through a number of studies. Recent research, for example, has revealed that attractiveness may affect perceptions tied to life success and personality.


Unfortunately physical attractiveness can have the opposite effect on a person; being beautiful, more often than not, means getting what you want in life without having to put in as much effort, whether it be money, jobs, favors, or romantic partners. An extreme example is Gisele Bundchen who is worth $320 million, much of which is due to her favorable physical attributes. She's also married to one of the wealthiest athletes in the world.

Working your way through hardship often leads to emotional growth and wisdom, and people who don't have to overcome difficult challenges in life will likely retain the immaturity from their childhood.


The result is that an attractive person, especially an attractive woman, will be perceived as being kind and intelligent where in actuality the opposite is true. Now, not all attractive people are immature and ugly inside, and on the flip side, not all people who have gone through true hardship in life are kind and wise, but these are the exceptions to the rule.

Now attractive women know how to put on a facade of kindness, but how often have you seen an attractive woman "turn" on someone once they realize that they can't get what they want through charm? I've seen several situations where an attractive saleswoman, once she realized she wasn't going to make the sale, started belittling her customer. This is a rare glimpse of the real person behind the facade of beauty.


The latest example in the news is ESPN reporter Britt McHenry who was recently suspended for her expletive-laced rant against a towing company employee, all caught on camera. Here's the video:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9d1_1429192014

And here's an excerpt from the NPR article:

In the footage, McHenry says, among other things:

  • "I'm in the news sweetheart. I will ******* sue this place."
  • "That's why I have a degree and you don't."
  • "I wouldn't work at a scumbag place like this. Makes my skin crawl even being here."
  • "Do you feel good about your job? So, I could be a college dropout and do the same thing?"
  • "Maybe if I was missing some teeth they would hire me, huh?"
  • When the clerk suggests that McHenry's hair could use a touch-up, she dismisses the idea by saying, "Cause I'm on television and you're in a ******* trailer, honey." She then says, "Lose some weight, baby girl."

McHenry later issued an apology but it is a classic case of being sorry that she was caught rather than being sorry for what she did. I'm sure the towing company wasn't the most pleasant place in the world, but there's no excuse for that smug air of superiority.

What could lead a 28 year old news professional to such levels of immaturity? Check out McHenry's photo.


tl;dr: the best way to take attractive women off the pedestal is to get a glimpse of how they really think.


EDIT: To be fair, many people are saying that this towing company is awful. Here's a counterpoint: https://archive.today/V0ux5