“American business has a habit of rewarding and punishing people because of the way they look (…) better-looking men earn four per cent more than average-looking men of similar education and experience, and uglier men earn thirteen per cent less (…) Height, too, affects how people do in the work force. Taller people get paid more, on average, and have a better chance of getting hired and of ending up in management positions.”
“To be fair, there are non-superficial reasons that employers pay attention to appearance. Studies suggest that better-looking people are more confident, on average, which in some circumstances could translate into better performance.”
“Beyond these quasi-rational factors, though, there’s something else; namely, the fact that we tend to associate good looks with unassociated virtues. We assume that good-looking people are smarter and more effective than they really are, and that homely people are the reverse.”
