Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
You've Got the Look?
Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.
There is truth in the saying “Beauty is only skin deep.” Yet physical appearance has an enormous impact on most people’s lives. It may not be fair or equitable, but looks count.
There is documented proof that attractive people are more likely to be successful and achieve wealth or fame--or both--than unattractive people. Most Americans, like people of other cultures, let what they see of a person determine what they believe and feel about that person--even how they treat that person. That’s the opinion of Gordon L. Patzer, author of Looks: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined. Patzer is the founding director of the Appearance Research Institute and professor emeritus at CaliforniaStateUniversity.
Says Patzer: “Almost from the moment of birth, each of us is judged--silently, unconsciously and nearly instantly--on the basis of our height (or lack of it), our weight and bulk, the shape and symmetry of our facial features, the length and style of our hair, our mode of dress, our grooming--everything that goes into the mix of qualities known as ‘physical attractiveness.’”
Patzer has gathered disturbing evidence confirming the impact of personal appearance in the workplace. Here are a few facts:
-
Good-looking people are more likely to get hired for just about any position when …
Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.
ADVERTISEMENTS
|
"We cling to our own point of view, as though everything depended on it. Yet our opinions have no permanence; like autumn and winter, they gradually pass away." - ChuangTzu |