Survey Says: Pretty People Are Selfish

A new study suggests that pretty people, aka people born with symmetrical features, are:

More likely than people with less symmetrical features to focus on their own interests instead of co-operating with others.

The pretty people’s response?

Duh!

Okay, that’s not fair. This was an actual study done by actual sciencey people. Shut up. Sciencey is a word. Now.

Though I tend to not put much stock in studies. I think that researchers too often set out to prove something and so the results naturally favor that slant. So who the hell knows if it’s true or not. I just don’t trust it. I just don’t.

Plus? The study was done in Spain. Where there are boat loads of pretty people. There couldn’t possibly be a control group here. Where did they get their uggos? The US?

Okay, that was mean. I apoligize.

Anyway, back to Spain.

Researchers Santiago Sanchez-Pages and Santiago Sanchez-Pages, of the University of Barcelona, Madrid and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, respectively, based their findings on a simple test given to participants. According to the Guardian, ‘Two players were each given the option of being a ‘dove’ and co-operating for the greater good; or a ‘hawk,’ taking the selfish option, with a chance of gaining more if the other player chose ‘dove’ and co-operated.’ The researchers then analyzed 15 “facial landmarks,” such as the positions of participants’ eyes, and found that participants with symmetrical features were less likely to cooperate than those who didn’t.

So is it really selfishness they’re measuring? Or cooperativeness? Did they measure what happens when they have to share their candy? What about sharing their Barbies? Didn’t think so.

The Indian Express gave a different perspective, proving that results can be interpreted as many ways as you want, blaming evolution:

Earlier studies have suggested that individuals with symmetrical faces tend to suffer fewer congenital diseases and therefore make better potential mating partners. As a result, the studies suggest, they are more self-sufficient and have less need for seeking the help of others.

I kind of like it. Independence and selfishness have often been confused for each other. You want a little me time and suddenly you’re all selfish. Well excuuuse me! And hell, when did a little selfishness become so bad anyhow? Do we want a culture of doormats? I say no!

However, to be fair, I can’t help being slightly defensive of the pretty folk. I mean, hello! Have you seen this? (By this, I mean me.) I mean, obviously.

In my pretty ass defense, though, I was a very late bloomer. I’d like to see the statistics for those of us who didn’t get any sort of a body or learn to brush our hair until after high school. That was not cute. Not cute. Trust.

So maybe that means I’m only a little selfish. And only in the very best ways, of course.

As an added bonus, go google “pretty people.” Fun times.

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