It’s time that I acknowledged the fact that I’m not an extremely attractive person. While I’ve never been made fun of for my looks, I’ve never received high praise for them either. I’m really just that average girl that guys look at and think “well, she’s not ugly” before they move on to try and grab the attention of the stunning girl that steps onto the scene.
As negative as this may seem, I’m actually at peace with the fact that I’m average-looking. My mousey-brown hair, nonexistent makeup skills, and nerdy sense of style might make me a “plain Jane,” but I’ve found that non-hot people do have some advantages in life. They may not seem as great as the benefits that attractive people have, but they’ve helped me realize that it’s okay to be an average-looking collegiette. Here are my top four pros of being a plain Jane:
1. You can fade into the background when you want to.
A big advantage of being average-looking is that you’re virtually invisible in public. That means that if you’re running late to class and don’t have time to put a lot of effort into looking nice, you don’t have to because no one’s expecting you to look drop-dead gorgeous. Not having that social expectation is a plus when you’re stressed out, because you don’t have to add that worry to your stress load when you’re freaking out about 10 other things that are more worthy of your time.
2. You’ll really wow them when you get dressed up.
Just because people generally don’t notice your looks doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to look pretty at times! You’re not an ugly duckling, and when you take the time to make yourself up, people tend to notice more. That may not make much sense, but it means that dressing yourself up draws even more attention to you than someone who always looks hot because you’re defying people’s expectations of you. In this instance, you have the upper hand because no one’s expecting you to look good, so your average appearance ultimately works in your favor and makes you the stunner during those special occasions.
3. You’ll grow more as a person.
I’m not saying that attractive people don’t grow and change, but they don’t grow in the same ways that average-looking collegiettes might. Plain Janes generally develop more skills in areas other than looks that make them attractive in the long run. My lack of beauty leads me to be driven to expand my knowledge; I always love to learn and share information with others. I also love to improve my skills as both a writer and a singer, which are two hobbies that I’ve developed over the years.
As an average-looking person, I’ve also grown to be more empathetic. I’m never one to judge someone based on appearances because I know how it feels firsthand. Our personalities and abilities are what make us attractive, and more often than not, those attributes win out over looks.
4. People will like you for more than your looks.
As I’ve mentioned, being average-looking isn’t the be-all and end-all in defining you as an attractive person. If that was the case, then I wouldn’t have any friends or relationships. The fact that I do shows me that people like me for who I am. If it’s not my looks, people like me for my personality and the skills and qualities that make up who I am as an individual. I’m attractive on the inside and that’s what counts.