Although most people tell us not to judge a book by its cover, it is nearly impossible when we first see someone or something. Appearance is the first dataset handed to us, and it takes time to genuinely get to know someone. Until then, a person’s appearance serves as the sole source of information for others to base their opinion on. For this reason, many people pay a lot of attention to how they look. Society’s beauty standards have changed and keep changing over time, but the fact that people will do anything to attain beauty stays constant and often leads to detrimental results.

For example, putting too much emphasis on looks justifies unethical behavior. We often see good-looking people escaping trouble or being criticized less than others because of the double standards that work in their favor. Research has proven that good-looking criminals in court tend to get a lower sentence than those that are less attractive, despite committing a crime of the same gravity. For example, despite confessing to murdering almost 30 women, many people were dazzled by Ted Bundy’s good looks. He even gained popularity as women who found him attractive defended his crimes. Although Bundy was eventually put to death, the fact that many people still championed him despite everything he did merely because of his appearance is very concerning. This case has shown that attractive people can get out of trouble more easily than others while their victims are left with no one to help them fight against their aggressor.

Putting too much emphasis on looks also strains social relationships. Because of the role that appearance has on forming an image of someone, we are often prone to assuming what other people are like instead of actually getting to know them. We utilize the physical attractiveness stereotype, assuming that good-looking people have other positive qualities, so we provide them unfair privileges. On the other hand, we apply a much more rigorous standard on those whom we do not consider good-looking when evaluating what kind of people they are. Therefore, they must work harder to prove their worth. This is especially prevalent when we are young and immature because we may vocalize our negative opinions about how other people look and end up hurting their feelings, often leading to trauma on the victim’s end. Alongside these rash first impressions, we start to neglect the importance of other areas such as personality, mindset and morals, which can lead to making wrong judgments about others. Low self-esteem derived from insecurities can hinder others’ confidence, making it difficult to form relationships.

Putting too much emphasis on looks can also lead to dangerous situations. Our society imposes unrealistic beauty standards, and in effort to pursue them, people resort to unsafe measures. For example, people go through risky surgical procedures, altering their genetically-gifted features to meet society’s expectations. Often, people participate in weight loss methods that significantly impair their health. Some go above and beyond their means, getting into financial trouble for beauty while wasting time that could be spent doing something more productive. This is especially concerning in regards to young children, who do not have the ability to filter what they absorb. The media they consume may convince them that they must look a certain way, and they may believe it without knowing that what they see may not be real or attainable.

As we get to know someone better, the impact that looks have on evaluating their character becomes smaller and smaller. Those that are very attractive can have terrible personalities and those who are not so attractive can be genuinely kind and selfless. Although it is crucial that one knows how to maintain basic personal hygiene and dress appropriately, we must not be too overwhelmed by the pressure to meet society’s standards of attractiveness.