This topic seems to make the popular news curcuits every now and then along with discrimination toward short men. It caught my eye and I started to think about the "moral" implications vs. human nature.

Many biases are obvious - race, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, age, weight etc but people truly do show preference toward attractive people. Less attractive women are paid less, marry less, less likely to be hired or promoted.  More atractive women are considered good, kind, honest etc. Less attractive people are more likely to receive poor performance reviews, and more likely to be poor. Children consider the prettier teacher nicer, better, kinder... Studies consistently reveal this human side toward preference of beauty.

It is said Abercrombie and Fitch held weekly meetings to review its sales associates for signs or weight gain, breakouts...

11 percent of surveyed couples would abort if the fetus was predisposed toward obesity.

I think the challenge is that people do not realize they are discriminating. Less attractive people especially women are being held back. Less money, less promotions etc. can strongly impact  someone's life in negative and limiting ways. I have seen this happen first hand. The people discriminating or showing preference are usually clueless as to their behavior. I recall a friend who commented on a professor showing great interest and encouragement that she should pursue politcal science. It was obvious to me that the professor was reacting to her being a "hot" long light blond haired woman. She was unaware she was being favored. There have been tests using extremely attractive women dressed in fat suits. They said they couldn't wait to get out of them. People treated them terribly; they were previously unaware that people treated them kindly because they were attractive.

I recall long ago I entered a building - opened my own doors, doors closed in front of me. The very next day I had an interview in that same building. I was dressed up, hair done, makeup. Men held the doors open for me. People talked kindly to me. The difference between the two days in the same doorway were drastic and eye opening.

I also had a job in which I learned the "pretty girls" made nearly $2 more than I did. I had a college degree, knew the computers, and did more work. They did not know the computers and simply processed and packaged the work to be sent out to clients.  My boss had a preferrence for pretty girls and rewarded them. The higher-ups were also convince of their competence and further rewarded them financially. Of course they were able to afford nice clothes, better cars, and vacations while I struggled to pay my student loan.

So the question is - is this our nature scientifically proven and all is fair, survival of the fittest, or is this discrimination a moral concern, afterall, some lives are being reward while other's are being limited?

Are some people more greatly challenged manifesting their desires in this world not because God or divine timing is not in alignment, but for the main reason that other people less prefer their looks? People prefer someone not only attractive, but someone who talks kindly or sugar-coats their words. Most people are turned off by someone who bluntly says the truth like it is and prefers someone who stays quite or says the "happy" version. Could we unknowingly be limiting someone elses life causing them hardships because we've judged them by their looks?

Although I am no longer a theist, some viewed attractiveness as good since the person was reincarnated as an attractive person because of the karma from doing something good in a past life.

Could the "doors" that "God closes" sometimes really be discrimination from other people and not a reflection of a less attractive person's efforts, skills, work ethic, and spiritual advancement? We are told "God has another plan for you" but could it sometimes be that really someone was subtly discriminating toward you? On the flip side, could a manifestation of a desire, good fortune, actually be a result of someone favoring your personality, demeanor, or physical looks? Could possibly the spiritual work that results in manifestion, that some more new agey types believe in, simply be the result of certain human dynamics?

As you note, taking care of your appearance in the fashion of the society you are trying to participate in is certainly important.  This is not so much discrimination as compliance.  Many years ago John Molloy did a study showing that dressing according to the fashion of the boss was critical to success all else being equal.  But that last phrase is the key.  If you don't have a clear advantage in some necessary aspect of the job, doing the best you can with what you have is the way to hold your own.  

But even then for the run of the mill anybody can do it type job the more attractive to the taste of the boss will always be preferred.  Life is a mating game. Being mammalian insures it, and attractiveness is always important.  Not the only criteria, certainly, but unless you are extremely and obviously superior in some important criteria, one had best try to be as attractive as possible, male or female.  As Arthur Miller noted if you have nothing else you can always ride on a smile and a shoeshine.  But even if you are extraordinarily competent, you better still have the smile and the shoeshine.  

Jun 12, 2010 -- 11:29AM, Myownpath wrote:

I recall long ago I entered a building - opened my own doors, doors closed in front of me. The very next day I had an interview in that same building. I was dressed up, hair done, makeup. Men held the doors open for me. People talked kindly to me. The difference between the two days in the same doorway were drastic and eye opening. 

But "ethics" proper must take into account that in some  ways, human society must impose strictures to avoid purely "Darwinian" ethics.  The problem is figuring just what & such-and-such is ethical, or not.

and this is difficult if people are totally unaware that they are showing favortism. Beauty is aesthetic and cannot be pinpointed as easily as say age or race.