Why Are Beautiful People Happier? Mainly Because Good Looks Help Them Get Rich
Beauty is the path to happiness—by way of money. A new series of studies shows that attractive people earn more money and marry better-looking spouses, and that the economic benefits of being good looking make them happier than their homely counterparts. Logically, you’d think that efforts to improve one’s appearance would somehow lead to more happiness. But researchers say makeup, designer clothing, and plastic surgery aren’t the answers.
Economists at the University of Texas-Austin, led by Daniel Hamermesh, are fascinated with beautiful people. Guess that doesn’t make them unique. What’s special is that these economists have been analyzing years of surveys to determine correlations between appearance, income, and happiness. In early studies, Hamermesh and his team have pointed out that more attractive people tend to make more money and pair off with more attractive spouses.
Now, researchers have reached the conclusion that beautiful people are happier, and a big reason why they’re happier is that they have more money.
