Reference: Sanders, Christopher A., Jenkins, Alexis T. & King, Laura A. (2023) Pretty, meaningful lives: physical attractiveness and experienced and perceived meaning in life. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 18:6, 978-994. DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2022.2155222 Does physical attractiveness give our lives meaning? Psychologists wanted to understand how beauty may affect existential meaning—the feeling that life has purpose, significance, and makes sense. They recruited over 1000 participants across three studies that examined the attractiveness-meaning link using self-reports, observer ratings, and general attractiveness assessments. Results? Study 1 revealed that participants who rated their own attractiveness highly felt like their lives had more meaning and experienced more pleasure. Study 2 revealed that people rate attractive people as having more meaningful lives. Study 3 revealed that people believing themselves to be attractive is more important to their feeling of well-being than other’s ratings of their physical attractiveness. Thus, one’s self-rating of one’s own attractiveness was more predictive of their own sense of self-meaning and well-being than others' ratings of their attractiveness. Our society often over-emphasizes the importance of one’s appearance. Advertisements set narrow beauty standards. This study indicates life becomes more meaningful when your own judgment impacts your feelings of life’s meaning. Remember, you can be an attractive person other than in physical features...kind acts, sense of humor, cheerful smiles, and good works to help others and the world—all can bring meaning in life.

Written by Jarret Bain B.S.