Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Good looks = good books ?

In this fast paced world where first impressions count does it actually help if one actually happens to be good looking. Does it give certain individuals an unfair but distinct advantage over a lot of other people. Would they be more successful in getting their cup of coffee on time in a crowded Starbucks? Or say have slightly more success in handing out some lame flyer to a bunch of largely disinterested people? Would they be able to stay on the sane side of the fine line separating harmless flirting and eve (or adam) teasing? Would they stand a better chance at making through those harmless intern positions? Would they be attracting more hits on their blog irrespective of the garbage they are churning out everyday?
If so we are a society obsessed with cosmetic beauty and we need to be looking at ourselves harder at the mirror everyday. Now if only I would be able to find mine.

25 comments:

janani said...

Sad but true! I see this happening everyday and almost everywhere. I don't know if it always would stretch as far landing intern positions though! :-) So find your mirror quick!!! :-)

Jinguchakka said...

You are asking a rhetorical question dude! Good looks go a long way! They get you many things.
But comments on your blog is not one of them I guess. For that you need to write better. See my blog. Am good looking (;-)) but only average 4 to 5 comments! :-(
"Now if only I would be able to find mine" - What do you mean? Mirror or Good looks? :-)

Casablanca said...

Yup they go a distance... its associated with pleasantness. Good looks, good grooming, good voice... lots of things get us unfair advantages in life. But we've gotta live with it I guess? I mean, who are we to judge that money can earn you an advantage but looks cant?

Would they be attracting more hits on their blog irrespective of the garbage they are churning out everyday?
This is stretching it a little... but then I wouldnt know, since my blog readers dont know what I look like :) Maybe you can enlighten us? Is this the reason you have this smiley profile pic of yours? ;)

Anarkist said...

Been wondering why I was not getting a job. Now I know. The only job that I got had a telephonic interview. Hmmm....

Madame Mahima said...

i think with regard to the real world, yes they do get that little extra and yes i think people are willing to go an extra mile for them..
and well we're only human, we cant help but make snap judgements..it makes sense evolution-wise, so we're just hardwired for it..

as for the virtual world, i think looks only take u so far at the beginning (perhaps in getting extra hits? i dont know..)
the rest is quality-specific, coz i mean a blog is meant for reading..if theres gonna be crap and people are turned off then it completely defeats the purpose!

but having said that, i dont think being good looking guarantees u anything, it could work as a double edged sword

Anonymous said...

You could do a PhD on this...hmm.

ligne said...

sure looks make first impressions.
but what i have found is when i think someone is good looking, there are some friends who agree and some don't.
sure have a pleasant sort of looks might get you some edge for starters. But I take consolation in the fact that it is relative.

Its not just looks, its actions too..that make your first impresssions.. so it probably evens out in then end.

oh btw your poem was nice..the blogger wouldnt let me comment on it that day for some reason :(

Rohan Kumar said...

@janani It is definitely a sad reflection, forget intern positions and wonder why the front desk receptionists at almost all hotels and offices have to be the pretty ones?

@jinguchakka Good to see we are on the same page, blame those 4-5 comments on your reluctance to put up a pic on your blog then ;). I am looking for my mirror awrite, there’s not much help searching can do for me on the other front :(

@casa Good looks being associated with pleasantness ya sure enough if you want to sugarcoat the facts. As for my profile pic its who I am and there’s not much changing it (its not part of any special effort to rain in the hits, as a matter of fact it might be discouraging ppl who don’t like the pic)

@anarkist But of course its the 2nd rule on 'How to land up a job for dummies' chapter 13 pg 221 :), I still dunno though if you agree with what I have stated in the post ?

@mahima ‘As far as the virtual world is concened I think looks only take u so far at the beginning’ Finally someone who agrees and doesn’t feign ignorance to that fact and of course crap will never survive in the long run. Agree with you on it being a double edged sword, you of course will know better ;)

@ananymous They tell me I dont qualify as I dont have the prerequisites :)

@ligne Oh but of course guess thats why Shania Twain sang 'So u r Brad Pitt, that dont impress me much ;), thnx abt the poem

By Deepa and Supriya said...

1) I don't think so
2) Maybe
3) Definitely
4) Again, no
5) Hmmm, something to think about, maybe I should run to Glamour shots today and have them take that uber-glamorous picture , eh?
Now, here is one of my own, question, I mean
Would women still drool over Brad Pitt if he was an alcoholic and a wife beater? Maybe, looks are only part of the equation? Sorry, did not realise there was already a reference to Brad Pitt. Let's change that to David Beckham, yum!b

Point 5 said...

I have no problems with this at all. When u r doling out flyers, your acquaintance with that person is only fleeting. For such small passage of time first impressions / superficialities will surely take precedence.

Why do u think Tom Cruise is a billionaire and not me ?

Anarkist said...

Yes I agree, we are a society obsessed with physical beauty. I usually compensate by being an obnoxious jerk. I find that works better at getting a coffee in a crowded starbucks than working out and getting a six pack. I don't quite get what you said about eve teasing. Do you mean only plain looking girls are eve teased while when you do the same with a supermodel, its "harmless flirting"??

Saurabh said...

I guess you are mixing stuff here. Giving promotion to incapable interns (the only thing they can do right is look good) is different from having good-looking receptionists. Reception is the first impression of the place...that the receptionist is really efficient may or may not be noticed, but that she looks good will be noticed at first sight. You will not paint your house with a paint that is long lasting, but offensive...would you?

totti said...

Sounds like a south park episode can be made out of this. You know i learnt something today.. yesterday night there was an awesome episode about hypocrisy of going to war or not..the 100th one i guess, it was awesome :p..i have mixed opinion about this and it keeps changing with time..

totti said...

and what is the funda of the title?

Rohan Kumar said...

@Orchid The uber-glamorous picture will never hurt I guess. DOnt you think Brad Pitt still has a better chance of making a big impression over you first hand than say someone like Gandhi even though the lattter is much more wiser and nobler in his thinking (I know I am comparing apples with ranges here but that's the only way of getting my point across)

@Pointy Dont you think in an ideal world the flier should have an equal chnce of getting picked irrespective of who's handing it out. Forget Tom Cruise and thank God you retain your sanity and still think couches are something to be seated on :)

@Anarkist The eve teasing thing refers to how good looking guy or girl can get away with an act which would have deemed as adam/ eve teasing coming from another.

@golu You said it yourself when you say that a good first impression can only be gotten by placing a good looking receptionist up front .... need I add more?

@totti Stop plugging for SP in these comments section .... I for one would like to hear about your mixed feelings on this issue. The title refers to the fact whether good looks can get you in ppl's good books directly.

6:44 PM


totti said...
and what is the funda of the title?

Anonymous said...

Good looks do get you places for sure, but we as a society are also obsessed with being light skinned. If you notice the first thing people look at is, oh look how fair he/she is? The plethora of skin lightening creams would be a good example (Fair and lovely for women and men!!) It's sad but very true.

As for a blogger getting more hits, no matter how good they look its the content of their posts that keep brining me back.

Anonymous said...

If looks mattered all that much, all top entrepreneurs and successful people would be 'pretty'. But that isnt necessarily the case.
Of course, everyone has a weakness for beautiful things. Which is why even the Presidential candidate in the U.S. is selected with utmost care. Take for example the President of the U.S. before the T.V. came into homes. Back then, noone really knew what the President looked like because all they heard was the radio. They could be fat, short , dark or ugly because it really didnt matter. But its not the same case anymore- the Presidential candidate is expected to look tall, smart and handsome. Infact Bush, Kerry, Clinton all look alike in these aspects.
So I guess it works both ways depending on the situation.

Madame Mahima said...

haha u know i honestly believe every blogger is a bit of a narcissist (or a closet narcissist) so a pic or good writing or both- whatever works for them ;)

and yea..as for the sword..thats subjective yaar..i mean one mans honey is another mans poison..one mans eye-candy is another mans er...not-eye-candy

sheesh.
u get my point right?
hahaha

Rohan Kumar said...

@anon 1 I am glad you brought up the light skinned thing up coz its odd how some ppl in one side of the globe place undue focus on being lighter with their skin tones while ppl in the other keep trying to get darker skin tones with fake tans etc.

@anon 2 On that topic don’t you think a certain Mr.Clinton got away with a lot more stuff due to general acceptability, his charisma he had over the masses?

@mahima You are right good writing will eventually prevail if you discount for blog stalkers and lechers. As for getting the point well I do get it I guess .......kinda....sort of…… ;)

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of something that happened a few yrs ago. 107.1 FM (I think) radio in Mumbai had a very popular RJ. His voice was so freakin sexy that women all ages used to drool over it and ofcourse the show's ratings were sky rocketing.
One fine day, Bombay Times happened to post his pic on page3. Needless to say, most women were extremely disappointed. It might sound shallow but right after that, everyone I knew stopped listening in to the show.

Saurabh said...

of course...and I think it is perfectly natural...it is called classification of labour...for jobs like receptionist, you do need good looks...for an intern you dont!!

Rohan Kumar said...

@Anonymous Interesting and does this 'everyone I know' pool include urself?

@Saurabh Try placing yourself in such a scenario when you apply for such a position of a receptionist and lose out just coz someone looked prettier. This is almost like or probably worse than racism ... it's hypocrisy on the part of the firm that they claim to give out jobs only on your ability irrespective of you sex, creed and religion while discriminating on your looks.

Saurabh said...

Dude...you dont get it, do you? ...you will understand one day when you grow up!

Shivangi Misra said...

I REALLY think looks can do wonders... But yes, superficially. Everybody likes to interact with beautiful people. At the same time, 'interaction' is short. An employee will be able to approach the toughest of ppl in his/her organisation on the basis of looks, but from then on, its really your ability and IQ...

Rohan Kumar said...

@golu Whatever man whatever

@Shivangi Very true