Beauty and Success: How Attractiveness Affects Our Opportunities

Beauty and Success: How Attractiveness Affects Our Opportunities

On June 4, 2025, a research team led by Wladislaw Mill from the University of Mannheim and Benjamin Kohler from ETH Zurich published a comprehensive study in the journalScientific Reports. This research analyzed the influence of beauty on social success and cultural perceptions of attractiveness in different countries. The researchers developed a cross-national index based on large language models to examine the associations between the term “beautiful” and positive characteristics such as “successful.”

The results of the study show a striking “beauty premium” that is widespread around the world, but which varies considerably in its form and definition. While in Western countries, such as France, Italy and Finland, beauty is often linked to competence, intelligence and trustworthiness, in Eastern Europe, particularly in Romania, and in some Asian countries, such as Vietnam, perceptions are significantly different. Here, beauty is less often associated with positive and often even with negative characteristics, which raises questions about the cultural perception of beauty.

Cultural norms and their implications

The study also identifies a significant influence of cultural beauty norms on social power structures. These perceptions could have far-reaching implications for the distribution of opportunities in areas such as job applications and salary negotiations. Mill and Kohler suggest that in some cultures beauty ideals may provide evolutionary advantages, explaining unequal perceptions of beauty. This is consistent with further findings that beauty is valued differently in different social contexts.

Additional research highlights the complexity of the relationship between beauty and career success. A study by Satoshi Kanazawa and Mary Still concludes that beauty alone is not a determining factor in income levels. Rather, intelligence, health and personality play crucial roles, making the view of a general “beauty premium” non-existent. Nevertheless, an earlier study by Eva Sierminska shows that attractiveness can noticeably promote professional success in certain industries.

Influence on professional success

On average, beautiful men earn between 5-7% more than their unattractive colleagues, while for women the difference is between 2-4%. However, critics emphasize that there is a lack of a uniform definition of beauty and that self-confidence and charisma are also crucial for professional success. The complexity of this topic makes it clear that the understanding of beauty is multi-layered and goes beyond external appearance.

In another social study, many respondents said they made themselves more beautiful for themselves than for others. This was the result of a survey by the women's magazineBridget, 94% of women surveyed said they style themselves for themselves. This illustrates that the process of beautifying oneself is often viewed as a deeper identity work that does not merely pursue superficial motives.

The ideology of the beauty trade shows that beauty is not only a female concern but is also increasingly influencing men. Historically, men have been guided by ideals of beauty that have changed over time. Even in modern society, for many people, acting beautiful is a means of social recognition and establishing contacts.

In summary, it appears that beauty practices reflect social norms and expectations and that physical attractiveness is perceived as increasingly important for professional success. Beauty is viewed not only as an aesthetic judgment, but also as a social process that emphasizes individuality and authenticity, making the understanding of beauty and its influence on success in professional and private life complex and dynamic.

Mill and Kohler's study thus offers valuable insights into the nuanced effects of beauty and highlights the need to critically examine the social and cultural dimensions of attractiveness. In the future, it remains to be seen to what extent these findings could change society's perception of beauty and its value in everyday life. uni-mannheim.de reports that… Arbeits-abc.de shows that... bpb.de highlighted that…