[imagesource: illustration by Levi Nicholson and Richard Redditt]

The assumption goes that the more attractive a person is, the happier, more employable, more trustworthy, and socially popular they are likely to be.

Researchers have backed up society’s bias toward attractiveness time and time again, so it stands that the more beautiful one is, the easier their life is.

Now, new research is saying that attractive people’s own beauty and self-biases play a role in political decision making, and may lead to some rather ugly results.

The bottom line: beautiful people don’t enjoy sharing.

While wealth redistribution is back in fashion, The Guardian reports, attractive folk tend to see it as a classless thing, and an “Italian wonk” has just gone ahead and made it science:

Our views on redistribution normally fit traditional left/right approaches, but you know what also matters? How beautiful you are… This holds for men and women.

So why do modern-day Adonises hate redistribution? Because beautiful people are more likely to think that success depends on individual merit. This research was on German beauties, who are more likely to vote for the economically liberal FDP.

What’s luck got to do with it, as Tina Turner would sing? Well, quite a lot actually.

If someone came out shining in the genetic gamble, they’re likely in denial about the role that their looks play in their successes and thus believe that if they’re not simply lucky, then they’re certainly deserving of their good fortune.

And they’re using that perspective to vote and veto life-changing things like redistribution.

What a shame for those of us with a pudgier nose or flabbier arms and as a consequence, fewer doors of opportunity.

You can read more about this image-shattering study here.

[source:guardian]