by Karen Chamchuk

Created on: July 20, 2011

The images we see on television and in magazines are often of perfect-looking people who work out at the gym six hours a day. And all of their so-called flaws are hidden by professional make-up artists and airbrushing. It’s easy to feel like you fall short of the mark when you compare yourselves with movie stars and models. The self-esteem of the average man or woman can plummet if they holds themselves up to such high standards. However, if we have an inner confidence that is unrelated to our appearance, our self-esteem and ultimately our happiness will not be affected by these unrealistic images.

If you feel attractive, you are more likely to want to go out and socialize with friends. Being around our  friends on a regular basis increases our level of happiness. We need friends in our lives to share in our joys and our heartaches as well as for some good advice on occasion. Conversely, if we are having an “ugly day”, we often don’t feel like going anywhere with anyone. Getting out of the house is important for our emotional health and well-being. Since feeling we are sufficiently attractive often provides the momentum we need to call up a friend, beauty does affect our happiness in this way.

If a beautiful child is born to an average-looking parent, sometimes the parent will not give as much care and nurturing to the child due to jealousy. They believe their child can get by in life on their looks. But, if a child grows up feeling unloved, they will have trouble establishing close friendships later in life. We need to develop friendships if we are to reach our full potential in life. The alternative is a sad and lonely existence.  

I would venture to say that average-looking people might be the most likely to find and attain happiness in their lives. The extraordinarily beautiful people may spend too much time wondering if people like them for who they are on the inside or if they like them for the shiny package they come in. The average Joe or average Joanne can trust that people like them for who they are.

Those who are better-than-average looking, often feel they are defined by their appearance.  As they get older and their beauty starts to fade away, panic can set in as they struggle to hold onto their youth. Who are they if not beautiful? If they don’t have a solid answer to this question they can become insecure and unhappy individuals.

People who are perceived

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