This brings up a point which I forgot to mention. So many people have already brought up such cliche points as: it’s the personality which really counts, it’s what’s on the inside that matters, society is so past judging people so superficially, etc…
But don’t we tend to build general implications and assumptions about people by the way they look? Doesn’t it happen all the time? Even if you make an effort not to do it, it still kinda sits in the back of your mind. I’ve taken a short psychology course before and I think I remember hearing how its been statistically tested that people tend to assume others who are more attractive to also be more confident, charismatic, and optimistic. Vice versa, people who are unattractive tend to be assumed as more timid, monotonous, and pessimistic, regardless if the they are really that way or not. It’s like a subconscious impulse.
I guess the opposite effect can also occur too where you might assume an ugly person would try to severely overcompensate for their ugliness by being extremely funny or exuberant; but then it again these expressions are probably not manifested authentically but rather out of bitter irony. Which in this case, you’re really still assuming that these people actually have timid, monotonous, and pessimistic undertones beneath their facades.
These concepts of stereotyping are used all the time in tv shows, movies, etc. The good looking people are usually the more “normal” type of characters while someone who’s fat and ugly is usually something more polarizing like a really dumb person or someone really evil.
So ya, you might say, “well for me it’s the persona that counts” but aren’t you also simultaneously thinking “…but this ugly bastard’s mostly likely an asshole or an insecure, awkward mess with all kinds of issues. It’s a safer bet sticking to the more attractive/normal person”.
Or maybe when it comes to hiring someone for a job you think “hmmm…this person’s smoking hot, but probably a shallow airhead. I’m gonna go with the ugly bastard who’s going to constantly try to overcompensate for being so aesthetically challenged”
Again, yes yes yes, there’s always exceptions but we’re talking about what you think happens overall.