Looks Matter More Than You think

About two years ago, I read about the “Halo Effect” while reading Daniel Kahneman’s book on cognitive biases, Thinking, Fast and Slow. (Side note: it’s a fantastic read if you want to better understand how your brain leans on mental shortcuts when making snap judgments.) The Halo Effect, in essence, refers to our tendency to let one positive trait affect our perception of a person’s other characteristics.

I started leveraging the Halo Effect last year when I began focusing on improving my social life, social capital (networking), and dating life by upgrading one of the first elements people judge you on: looks. Why? Evolutionary psychology suggests that our brains are hardwired to make quick friend-or-foe evaluations, and attractive people are automatically associated with positive traits. Think of heroes in movies and how their actors are almost always attractive.

The Snap Judgments We Don’t Notice

I’ve always tried to explain this to others in simple terms, often using this example: If I were to meet you on the street and notice that you’re good-looking and well-dressed, I’d be much more likely to assume that you’re also successful, healthy, and a good person, among other positive traits. It might not make sense to you, and you might be thinking that’s bs—that you’d never make such assumptions before getting to know someone. But I’d wager that your attitude toward that person would still be more positive than toward someone who appears unkempt or unattractive.

You might tell yourself that you don’t judge people this way, but research suggests otherwise. This is fast, subconscious thinking—your brain rapidly builds a story based on what it sees. I guess it may go like this:

• "They look sharp." → Probably successful.
• "Successful people are usually smart." → They must be intelligent.
• "Smart people are usually competent." → They’re probably good at what they do.

This process happens instantly, without us even realising it.

Not convinced?

For this article I quickly found two resources I had heard of or read about before, which I think back this up.

1. Attractive people receive lighter prison sentences—one claim suggests that unattractive criminals receive 308% harsher sentences than attractive ones. (Source)
2. Height influences life in several ways. For example, taller individuals (especially men) earn more on average and are more likely to be promoted to leadership positions. (Check out this thread on height bias.)

So why not leverage this knowledge?

Whether you’re aiming to expand your business opportunities or improve your romantic life, paying attention to your appearance can only help. I used to be the person who rolled out of bed, threw on the same black T-shirt every day, and shaved my head for convenience. That lifestyle didn’t ruin my life by any means, but once I started putting in a bit more effort—styling my hair, upgrading my wardrobe, and walking with confidence—I noticed a definite difference in how people approached me and how that gave me access to more opportunities.

No, it won’t magically fix every challenge you face, but knowing looks do matter gives you a simple, direct way to tip the odds in your favor. It’s another way of living an asymmetrical life: focusing on high-impact changes that can have an outsized return. If making a small shift in how you present yourself can lead to a big improvement in how the world treats you, why not give it a shot?

Oh and BTW: apparently this not only applies to individuals but to brands and companies as well, so take care of those as well!