What is the relationship between beauty and individuals' success in society?

Can beauty truly contribute to a person's social growth and ultimately lead to their happiness? The answer to this question has been addressed in a recent study by the University of Texas in the United States.

The University of Texas at Austin, in its latest research titled "Is Beauty the Secret to Happiness?" once again delves into the enduring and widespread discussion about physical beauty and its impact on our lives.

For this purpose, the opinions of over 25,000 people across four countries were collected and analyzed by two economists, Daniel Hamermesh and Jason Abrevaya..

In this study, the level of success and self-reported happiness of individuals was evaluated against their degree of physical attractiveness. The results were clear: 10 percent of those ranked among the top 15 percent in terms of beauty were, on average, happier and more content than those who were in the bottom third of the physical attractiveness scale. In other words, those considered less physically attractive were noticeably sadder.

Daniel Hamermesh states: "Individual beauty makes a person happier. Of course, I know this result is not surprising. But what is astonishing is that no one had previously measured this phenomenon so concretely."

So why were the more "ordinary" individuals sadder than the beautiful ones?
The answer lies in the challenges they have faced over time due to not being able to impress those around them. They practically earn less money... they struggle more in finding a life partner... and in societies that are increasingly valuing physical appearance, they face greater difficulties in being accepted.

All these findings may seem obvious so far. However, serious studies show that more attractive individuals, on average, earn 5% more over their lifetime compared to others. Beautiful women and men are actually paid more attention by teachers, mentors, and those around them.

The author of the article concludes:
"The reality of the job market is this: it is better to be beautiful with average intelligence than to be a genius with an ordinary appearance."