What is a pretty privilege?
The term has been around social media for a while now, though the conversations around it are pretty complicated. The term pretty privilege refers to the advantages that people who are seen as “attractive” have within their day-to-day life. People who are “attractive” may be used to receiving compliments, having their things paid for, and possibly get more opportunities. Though it’s a bit more complex than that. Pretty privilege tells us that people who are seen as attractive are treated better, but why? In a Forbes article, Mark Travers explains this through terms like “the halo effect” and “appearance-based confidence”, while these may seem complicated, it’s actually a lot simpler than you may think.
The halo effect
The halo effect refers to the idea that people who are “attractive” are more likely to be a better person. While we obviously know that this isn’t completely true, the idea is that if they already have something good going for them (in this case their looks) then they must have everything good going for them (specifically, their morals). This causes us to ask ourselves, why is beauty so important, and what makes someone attractive? While beauty is definitely subjective, the term “conventionally attractive” is used so much, but in reality, why are those specific traits seen as conventionally attractive? It’s honestly impossible to answer this question as it goes back centuries. Though it’s super interesting to think about.
Appearance based confidence
Something else that relates within the term “pretty privilege” is the idea of appearance-based confidence. This means that if someone is “attractive” then they are most likely to have a high confidence level. While this does make sense, it really ties into the pretty privilege aspect. Someone with high confidence is more likely to succeed as they are confident in themselves and their abilities. Whereas someone who is not as confident may be doubtful in their own potential and convince themselves they are not capable even if they are. Also brought up in the Forbes article, people who are confident are more likely to have a better work experience as they feel more comfortable asking for things like raises, time off, and promotions.
A Psychologist Explains The ‘Pretty Privilege’ Paradox
What does this mean now? The term has been making its way around social media for a while, so here are some videos that are relevant to the topic. All these videos show a perspective of what people think pretty privilege is. Whether they are correct or not is completely up for debate, but these videos create space for us to ask questions.
The Nuances of Pretty Privilege: Unveiling the Psychopath Diary | TikTok
The idea of pretty privilege is complicated. What makes someone attractive? It’s hard to answer. It’s important to know that looks are one hundred percent not everything. And even then, attractiveness is subjective. I know that some of my friends’ celebrity crushes are not even close to what I would find attractive, and that’s okay. While recently looks have been the focal point of everything from businesses, social media, and just everyday life, it’s refreshing to separate yourself from that and realise that there is so much more to life than what you see.