Few people admit, or even realize, that they judge people by their looks at the workplace and many other seemingly unrelated aspects of life, for example, allocation of tennis courts for tennis matches at the Wimbledon-see our April, 2010 article in the section on news). With regards to their looks or Physical Attractiveness —much to the benefit of people with higher PA and much to the detriment of people with lower PA—people are not defenseless. Because many factors, both physical and non-physical, determine a person’s PA, most people have actions and alternatives available to them to take their PA higher. "People should 'not do nothing', just because they 'can’t do everything'" as Kate Lorenz, Career Builder, says.

Taking actions to enhance inherited Physical Attractiveness is not new, nor is it cost free. People of all ages and genders expend their limited time and energy, often at unreal and dangerous levels, in pursuit of unattainable goals of higher Physical Attractiveness. Some people similarly expend financial resources. Taking actions to increase Physical Attractiveness ranging from noninvasive creams and injections to invasive surgeries is financially costly “but patients say it is worth it,” as reported in a 2004 issue of Newsweek. Robin Bothkopf, a 46-year-old real estate investor in Massachusetts, states, “The cost does bother me, and it’s a pain to go back every few months. But what’s the alternative?”

Higher PA Gets Good ROI
There is no comparable alternative. Expenditures to enhance Physical Attractiveness actually translate into financial payoff if higher Physical Attractiveness is achieved, which might help explain why more than 40% of the more than 8.7 million people who received elective cosmetic surgery in the United States in 2003 financed their pursuits of greater Physical Attractiveness with loans. Based on a 2005 survey of 1,700 Americans concerning Physical Attractiveness, Allure Magazine’s editor in chief concluded, women today “like spending time and money taking care of themselves [to increase their Physical Attractiveness] because they get back a return on that investment (ROI).”

Economics has not turned a blind eye to the power and monetary values of PA. Nor has The Federal Reserve Bank. A 2005 issue of The Regional Economist made public a study about PA (conducted by economists) at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Conclusions from their research corroborated a principle finding identified repeatedly by separate researchers — people with higher Physical Attractiveness receive higher pay.

The Federal Reserve Bank research conclusion provides a sense of assurance and thus comfort about the accuracy of similar findings by dissimilar researchers. But, the Federal Reserve’s conclusion does not lessen the discomfort of knowing that reality.

Recommendations concerning a person’s PA in today’s workplace and other areas of life are not unlike mainstream recommendations concerning a person’s finances in today’s economy. For example:

• Don’t overstress and let fear or anxiety irrationally overpower your thinking about PA
• Don’t hastily jump to abruptly overhaul your physical appearance.
• Expand your portfolio of alternatives to improve your PA to increase probabilities of favorable career and other outcomes, just as you diversify your financial portfolio
• Don’t panic each time when the latest publicly reported PA research findings come to your attention. If you do nothing different immediately, the probability is good that nothing dramatically negative will occur. Of course doing nothing carries the same likelihood of nothing positive happening.
• Don’t over-react in pursuit of abrupt enhancement of your looks. Before taking action, take reasonable time with reasonable thought. Remind yourself that you have achieved your current relatively comfortable lot in life with your current looks.

To achieve the highest likelihood of best overall returns, a good financial portfolio should diversify among many investment components and alternatives. Analogously, to achieve your best overall appearance for your workplace and other life goals, you should diversify your alternatives among the many components that contribute to a person’s overall PA.

Expand your thinking, with realistic perspectives about alternatives to improve or at least maintain your PA. Most importantly be aware that appearance is a multi-dimensional landscape, in which PA is a powerful prevailing dimension with many defining features—some that represent assets and some liabilities.

Small Differences, Big Consequences

Small differences in a person’s PA can translate into big consequences for career and other successes. A complete makeover is neither necessary nor likely appropriate to reap benefits of looking better at work. And remember there are many non-physical aspects that impact Physical Attractiveness. Adopting a balanced approach is the best way to higher Physical Attractiveness.