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> In a meta analysis of the role of attractiveness in criminal sentencing, it was found that unattractive people received 120–305 percent longer sentences than

> In a meta analysis of the role of attractiveness in criminal sentencing, it was found that unattractive people received 120–305 percent longer sentences than attractive people. I wonder if this is an evolved phenomenon. Societies where punishment was harsher on the less attractive was faster to remove less fit genes than otherwise and, thus, out competed their adversaries. (Obviously abhorrent on a human level, though.)

DoreenMichele 6y ago
Beauty isn't as simple as being born looking a certain way. It can be influenced by health. It can be influenced by social savvy. It can be influenced by socioeconomic class. To think that it merely reflects your genes vastly oversimplifies it. (I was once "beautiful." I have a genetic disorder. This is a subject I have thought a lot about over the years.)
- FriendlyNormie 6y ago
  Jesus, do you ever shut the fuck up? Stop posting. HN isn’t your personal blog. You should be banned. We’ve all heard enough from you and not nearly enough from everyone else.
- cafard 6y ago
  "The ladies have as much beauty here as in other places, but bloom and softness are not to be expected among the lower classes, whose faces are exposed to the rudeness of the climate, and whose features are sometimes contracted by want, and sometimes hardened by the blasts. Supreme beauty is seldom found in cottages or work-shops, even where no real hardships are suffered. To expand the human face to its full perfection, it seems necessary that the mind should co-operate by placidness of content, or consciousness of superiority." -- Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland.
- sudhirj 6y ago
  The beauty as symmetry metric is purely genetic, but yes, grooming can add a lot of beauty points. The other metric is also body type preference, which seems more scarcity related - people in food-scarce locations will consider larger bodies attractive, but will change their preferences if they relocate to a different part of the earth. A symmetric person will likely be considered beautiful in rags (unless they’re malnourished) and a non-symmetric person can be considered beautiful with some grooming, both physical and personality wise. The Queer Eye show made this pretty popular, at least in my circles.
  - DoreenMichele 6y ago
    Degree of symmetry can change over time depending on health status.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
- poiuytrewqa 6y ago
  Actually not really, I mean if you're ugly and rich you're just ugly with money. You may get benefits just because you've money. But if you don't show off then there's no way to influence your "perception of beauty" Beauty has more to do with culture (what do we consider good looking and what not) but there's also an objective beauty that has to do with body proportion for example https://www.nature.com/articles/526S16a.pdf https://www.nature.com/articles/526S16a.pdf
  - watwut 6y ago
    Not really, because your beauty strongly depends on hair cut, skin care, clothes you wear, the way you move and so on. How fit you are and how healthy you are. In case of women, the exactly right make up. The same person can look beautiful and ugly depending on all of that.
    - poiuytrewqa 6y ago
      Well, then we can but also plastic surgery on the mix if that matter. I thought it was implicit that we're talking about natural beauty without make up perhaps. And no, beauty does not depends the clothes you wear for example (makeup, yes I second that if is very thick can change the way a person look)
      - watwut 6y ago
        You dont know much about makeup and hairstyles and clothing, do you?
  - jmmcd 6y ago
    > if you're ugly and rich you're just ugly with money Spending money on the right things can make a large difference. Teeth, skincare, diet, haircut, clothes, time in the gym, quitting a job that would keep you in the sun too long, ...
    - zzzddds 6y ago
      I think these are actually pretty accessible things that everybody can spend money on (skincare, haircut, clothes, gym)
- justinmchase 6y ago
  Also age of course, which affects everyone alive
  - jazzyk 6y ago
    There are people who age extremely well, though. Audrey Hepburn, in her early sixties (just before her death) was stunningly beautiful. She was merely "cute" when she was in her twenties.
- david38 6y ago
  As a guy, I find that most guys dismiss beauty as luck while chasing girls who have it. They fail to realize that a sizable percentage of attractive girls don’t roll out of bed a 10. They watch what they eat, they run, work out, pay special attention to clothes, makeup, hair, etc. It adds up to a couple hours each day. In the age of instagram, the bar has only risen higher. When I see beauty now I think of the effort it takes to stay that way and silently congratulate them.
  - ewindal 6y ago
    It is, though. Luck (genetics) determines your baseline and roof. No amount og grooming and training will change your potential.

DoreenMichele 6y ago

Beauty isn't as simple as being born looking a certain way. It can be influenced by health. It can be influenced by social savvy. It can be influenced by socioeconomic class. To think that it merely reflects your genes vastly oversimplifies it. (I was once "beautiful." I have a genetic disorder. This is a subject I have thought a lot about over the years.)

FriendlyNormie 6y ago
Jesus, do you ever shut the fuck up? Stop posting. HN isn’t your personal blog. You should be banned. We’ve all heard enough from you and not nearly enough from everyone else.
cafard 6y ago
"The ladies have as much beauty here as in other places, but bloom and softness are not to be expected among the lower classes, whose faces are exposed to the rudeness of the climate, and whose features are sometimes contracted by want, and sometimes hardened by the blasts. Supreme beauty is seldom found in cottages or work-shops, even where no real hardships are suffered. To expand the human face to its full perfection, it seems necessary that the mind should co-operate by placidness of content, or consciousness of superiority." -- Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland.
sudhirj 6y ago
The beauty as symmetry metric is purely genetic, but yes, grooming can add a lot of beauty points. The other metric is also body type preference, which seems more scarcity related - people in food-scarce locations will consider larger bodies attractive, but will change their preferences if they relocate to a different part of the earth. A symmetric person will likely be considered beautiful in rags (unless they’re malnourished) and a non-symmetric person can be considered beautiful with some grooming, both physical and personality wise. The Queer Eye show made this pretty popular, at least in my circles.
- DoreenMichele 6y ago
  Degree of symmetry can change over time depending on health status.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
poiuytrewqa 6y ago
Actually not really, I mean if you're ugly and rich you're just ugly with money. You may get benefits just because you've money. But if you don't show off then there's no way to influence your "perception of beauty" Beauty has more to do with culture (what do we consider good looking and what not) but there's also an objective beauty that has to do with body proportion for example https://www.nature.com/articles/526S16a.pdf https://www.nature.com/articles/526S16a.pdf
- watwut 6y ago
  Not really, because your beauty strongly depends on hair cut, skin care, clothes you wear, the way you move and so on. How fit you are and how healthy you are. In case of women, the exactly right make up. The same person can look beautiful and ugly depending on all of that.
  - poiuytrewqa 6y ago
    Well, then we can but also plastic surgery on the mix if that matter. I thought it was implicit that we're talking about natural beauty without make up perhaps. And no, beauty does not depends the clothes you wear for example (makeup, yes I second that if is very thick can change the way a person look)
    - watwut 6y ago
      You dont know much about makeup and hairstyles and clothing, do you?
- jmmcd 6y ago
  > if you're ugly and rich you're just ugly with money Spending money on the right things can make a large difference. Teeth, skincare, diet, haircut, clothes, time in the gym, quitting a job that would keep you in the sun too long, ...
  - zzzddds 6y ago
    I think these are actually pretty accessible things that everybody can spend money on (skincare, haircut, clothes, gym)
justinmchase 6y ago
Also age of course, which affects everyone alive
- jazzyk 6y ago
  There are people who age extremely well, though. Audrey Hepburn, in her early sixties (just before her death) was stunningly beautiful. She was merely "cute" when she was in her twenties.
david38 6y ago
As a guy, I find that most guys dismiss beauty as luck while chasing girls who have it. They fail to realize that a sizable percentage of attractive girls don’t roll out of bed a 10. They watch what they eat, they run, work out, pay special attention to clothes, makeup, hair, etc. It adds up to a couple hours each day. In the age of instagram, the bar has only risen higher. When I see beauty now I think of the effort it takes to stay that way and silently congratulate them.
- ewindal 6y ago
  It is, though. Luck (genetics) determines your baseline and roof. No amount og grooming and training will change your potential.