Are You Superficial?

We are bombarded daily with ads and commercials of how women and men should act and how they should look. How does this affect our dating process though? Dating sites and apps have become more superficial, which in turn has caused us, as a culture, to become more superficial. We judge and form opinions based on looks which cause us to become more close-minded in our viewpoints.You can lie and say you don’t judge someone based off of their looks but on some level I think everyone does. We have become more accepting of other ethnicities but people still discriminate.

When dating, most guys won’t bother asking a girl out who isn’t at least cute in their eyes. If he sees her as ugly then he would rather ridicule and embarrass her than actually have a conversation with her. Why do men have this toxic attitude? It is because our culture influences it. Women are just as bad. If a man does not meet her standards then he is dropped just as quickly as he entered the picture. Within the first few seconds of meeting someone, you have already created an impression of that person. Studies show that 55% of people base their first impression on someone’s looks*! This is probably why people who don’t conform to this superficial culture are outcasted. People who do not conform are picked on and teased at a very young age and society pressures them to adapt to the overall concept of beauty. Conforming could mean dieting, shaving, waxing, changing hair colour, or extreme surgical procedures. Being different is strange and our culture makes us believe through ads, commercials, tv shows, and movies that we should all look and be a certain way.

What is the point of all this? Well, no one is perfect. Everyone has their flaws and everyone has their quirks. So why are people making snap decisions without getting to know someone? Why are looks the main reason guys will approach a girl? Why are good-looking men more likely to date around than average looking guys? The main advice you will hear from dating sites is to just be yourself, but what if an entire culture is working against you because you don’t conform to the typical view of beauty?

Society’s views will change and transform as time goes on but it is important that you recognize how you view people. Don’t let superficial views influence how you treat others and who you want to associate with. The more you let your surrounding culture affect your opinions the more you close yourself off to a whole world of possibilities. Be open to new experiences and viewpoints and broaden your horizons. Open-minded people attract new and exciting opportunities in every aspect of their lives. Allow yourself to recognize the superficial culture we live in and choose not to participate in it. The world is full of wonder so be present and aware before branding someone based on a first impression.

* http://www.businessinsider.com/20-ways-to-nail-a-good-first-impression-2010-12?op=1