JOIN US Economists at the University of Texas-Austin analysed data from five large surveys conducted from 1971 to 2009 in the US, Canada, Germany and Britain. They found that beautiful people are generally happier than the plain Jane or even ugly Joe. And they say it s the economic benefit that results from beauty that accounts for at least half of that extra happiness. “The majority of beauty’s effect on happiness works through its impact on economic outcomes,” the Age quoted lead author Daniel Hamermesh, as saying.
Numerous studies, including his earlier research, have concluded beauty helps the budget by providing greater wealth: better-looking people generally earn more money and marry those who are better looking and higher earning. In the new study, participants were asked about their levels of happiness; their looks were rated by interviewers face-to-face or from photos. Those in the top 15 per cent of people ranked by looks were more than 10 per cent happier than those in the bottom 10 per cent.
Although the findings hold true for both sexes, the researchers said beauty affects women’s happiness more directly than that of men.
“For a woman, it just matters to walk down the street being good-looking,” said Hamermesh. “For a man... it will give you a better-looking wife, a higher-earning wife and, most important, extra earnings,” he added.