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I live in LA and, in my opinion, there are plenty of attractive people around. The other reply didn’t say it well, but they might have been onto something when

I live in LA and, in my opinion, there are plenty of attractive people around. The other reply didn’t say it well, but they might have been onto something when they suggested you might be (understandably) depressed. I have dealt with depression and some of the ideas in your comment remind me of certain bleak perspectives I have had at various moments. I also remember having plenty of clever intellectual rationalizations for these feelings. It’s pretty crazy when your mood shifts and you are looking at the exact same situation and no longer feel the negative assessment of it. I’ve had lots of ups and downs as I learned to deal with difficult emotions and pain that apparently were hidden within me. Edit: Of course, it is just an idea. I don’t know you or your situation. You might not be depressed at all :) It’s objectively true that there are more obese people nowadays, however I don’t think it is helpful to focus on that fact.

ravenstine 5y ago
I appreciate your empathy, and will think about what you have said. I'd rather not comment extensively on it since thoughts that may stem from a depressed mind are more easily dismissed than those from an overly happy and optimistic one. As much as I do appreciate yours and others' thoughts on my mental state, I'm not sure I should entertain it or even justify myself for that reason. > I live in LA and, in my opinion, there are plenty of attractive people around. It depends quite a bit on the neighborhood. You'll see more people on the Westside who are magazine material than say the Van Nuys. I still stand by my subjective experience that there has been an overall reduction in general attractiveness, but I'm totally open to counter-evidence. (yes, I mean men and women, and in ways that were at least once somewhat agreed upon) > It’s objectively true that there are more obese people, however I don’t think it is helpful to focus on that fact. Why? To discount that variable doesn't make sense to me. I used to be in the obese category and I've known other people who are or were. The way the public treats the obese and the skinny is like night and day. If the obesity rate continues to climb, that sure seems like something that would help the population. Beyond attractiveness, the obese are more at risk for having trouble conceiving.
- eric-hu 5y ago
  > > It’s objectively true that there are more obese people, however I don’t think it is helpful to focus on that fact. > Why? To discount that variable doesn't make sense to me. You remind me of myself. Your observations remind me of what my natural observations tend to be. I’m originally from LA and think I’d agree with what you’ve written above. With that said, here’s a defense of the GP willfully ignoring data in this case (and possibly in general). It’s attractive to be positive. Not just to romantic partners, but to friends, coworkers, managers, reportees, strangers, etc. I think it’s fine to have standards for physical attractiveness, but they should be in line with what you can achieve. Similarly, I think positivity is attractive and negativity not so much, though I naturally think critically. Over time I’ve learned that others perceive me as a negative person. So erring on the side of positive might mean ignoring data. It might mean being blind to trends, but if it also means being happier, it’s how I would prefer to live.

ravenstine 5y ago

I appreciate your empathy, and will think about what you have said. I'd rather not comment extensively on it since thoughts that may stem from a depressed mind are more easily dismissed than those from an overly happy and optimistic one. As much as I do appreciate yours and others' thoughts on my mental state, I'm not sure I should entertain it or even justify myself for that reason. > I live in LA and, in my opinion, there are plenty of attractive people around. It depends quite a bit on the neighborhood. You'll see more people on the Westside who are magazine material than say the Van Nuys. I still stand by my subjective experience that there has been an overall reduction in general attractiveness, but I'm totally open to counter-evidence. (yes, I mean men and women, and in ways that were at least once somewhat agreed upon) > It’s objectively true that there are more obese people, however I don’t think it is helpful to focus on that fact. Why? To discount that variable doesn't make sense to me. I used to be in the obese category and I've known other people who are or were. The way the public treats the obese and the skinny is like night and day. If the obesity rate continues to climb, that sure seems like something that would help the population. Beyond attractiveness, the obese are more at risk for having trouble conceiving.

eric-hu 5y ago
> > It’s objectively true that there are more obese people, however I don’t think it is helpful to focus on that fact. > Why? To discount that variable doesn't make sense to me. You remind me of myself. Your observations remind me of what my natural observations tend to be. I’m originally from LA and think I’d agree with what you’ve written above. With that said, here’s a defense of the GP willfully ignoring data in this case (and possibly in general). It’s attractive to be positive. Not just to romantic partners, but to friends, coworkers, managers, reportees, strangers, etc. I think it’s fine to have standards for physical attractiveness, but they should be in line with what you can achieve. Similarly, I think positivity is attractive and negativity not so much, though I naturally think critically. Over time I’ve learned that others perceive me as a negative person. So erring on the side of positive might mean ignoring data. It might mean being blind to trends, but if it also means being happier, it’s how I would prefer to live.