They say that good looking people get all the breaks.. the best jobs, the best sexual partners, the best service n a restaurant.
Well, it turns out they also get the most relationship instability. A fascinating study by Christine Ma-Kellams at Laverne University asked 2 women to rate the attractiveness of 238 people based on their photos in old high school yearbook photos. She then looked at the relationship history of these 238 individuals as their progressed through their lives. It turns out that those ranked most attractive had a significantly higher rate of divorce, as compared to their less attractive classmates.
So, while the world seems pretty rosy for attractive people, there appears to be a downside.
It makes you wonder why attractive people divorce at such high rates.
I suspect opportunity has a lot to do with it. Bill Maher, the comedian, had a great line – ‘men are only as faithful as their options.. his fidelity is probably less about his love for you as it is about the fact that no one else will fuck him.’ I suspect there is a lot of truth in that. If you are still attractive to other people and are presented with opportunity, you will avail yourself to those opportunities.
I also wonder if the act of keeping yourself attractive makes you more prone to divorce. This may be more of a stretch, but I suspect that those to work to be attractive do so, in part, from a personal ambition to continue to enjoy life. They know that staying attractive opens all kinds of doors that are closed to those who ‘let themselves go’. And some of the doors are sexual in nature. I’ve been accused of liking attractive people more than unattractive people. And its true – I do. But its not because of their attractiveness that I like them. It is their quest for attractiveness that I like. In my experience – and this is not a hard-and-fast rule attractive people – or at least people who consciously work to be attractive – are more energetic, adventure seeking and fun than those who are not. And I love this.
So, it may not be surprising that attractive people divorce more. It is unfortunate, but it may simply go with the territory.
Hmm, interesting.
Reading this at first shocked the hell out of me. However, I suppose it does make sense. I think I’m in the attractive camp… and I feel like I shouldn’t have to settle. Granted, no one feel like they’re settling in a relationship! But I do think those that have ‘let themselves go’ become more content and perhaps don’t think they have other options.
This is really fascinating, never seen it in that sense.