As kids, we were constantly told never to judge a book by its cover. We were drilled with the idea that there is so much more to people than just their appearance. The idea that appearance shouldn’t be a factor in our relationships at all. Superficial images have come to bear negative connotation, and the judgement based on this has essentially become taboo. The thing is, as much as we might deny it, appearance will always inevitably affect how we treat others and our first impression on them. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, per se, but history and research have both proven that we, the human race, have thrived based off an attribute we condemn.
“Where’s the evidence?”

Simply put, it’s us. When we meet other people, whether it be for business or in a party, we instinctually assess them. We scan the entire person. We examine their haircut, outfit, shoes, body build, height, and body language among several other factors.

“Why?”

It’s a good indicator of what we’re going to expect from a person. In a job interview, good grooming and a professional appearance shows that an applicant truly cares about the way he or she holds him/herself in front of others. This would be opposed to a completely disheveled applicant, who seems like he or she does not care at all about the job they are applying for. Appearance is a sign of preparedness and motivation, therefore a professional look is important in business situations, especially with people you’ve never met, or with people you need to impress. In social situations, a nice outfit is an indicator of wealth, taste, and style. Aside from these factors, a person’s physical appearance is often a sculpture, carved by a life’s worth of experience. A person’s life experiences and habits often translate into their body image. Their diet, amount of exercise, effort put into study, and other factors.

Wait a minute. I have numbers too. Based on a Kaiser Foundation survey/study done by Nancy Signorelli, 58% of the females in movies had comments made on their appearance. Almost a quarter of males in movies had similar remarks. Clearly, even in the entertainment industry, actors are critiqued on a basis of how they look. Who’s to judge? Besides the lines they basically fake, the only other thing we know about these actors is how they look. A similar occurrence happens in the commercial industry. In 56% of commercials, beauty is used as a main selling point in trying to entice consumers in purchasing a product. These companies aren’t trying to insult our superficiality. They’re targeting our innate, raw instincts. By using more attractive people, companies try to send a message that more gifted, and otherwise successful, people use their products, which is why an average consumer should use their products. Usually, we’re convinced. If Jennifer Aniston’s hair looks that good in that L’Oreal commercial, it should make my hair look just as great. Right?

People even take a judgement of appearance into their decision of their nation’s leaders. In the presidential election between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, the United States of America was torn between an intelligent, capable man and a charismatic man who exuded confidence. The difference was how the voters received campaigns and debates from each president. Supporters of Nixon were mainly intrigued by his ideas. It wasn’t clear who would win from the start. Popular votes between Nixon and Kennedy had margins of handfuls of percents, leading to one of the most competitive presidential elections in an extremely long time. Each president got a chance at the presidential term, and although Kennedy’s was short-lived, one should already know about the Watergate Scandal that occurred during Nixon’s presidency. Thus, Kennedy’s demeanor, charisma, and ultimately his stage presence foreshadowed a term of hope and good legislation. It’s true that we had to consider the president’s ideas and leadership qualities through their speeches; it’s just that we constantly fail to acknowledge that we judge people, often accurately, based on their appearance.

In the media, celebrities have tainted our views of beauty and perfection, giving us a skewed image in comparison to the past.  People like Kanye West, who have a huge grab on the fashion industry, are defining what clothing brands and styles are ‘in’, nowadays. Models give us an idea of what the ideal body type is. Together, teens are often given a very unrealistic view of how they should materialistically acquire clothing and unnecessarily seek an unattainable body. It’s not our superficiality that is to blame for our sense of judgement in regards to image; it’s the celebrities and how the media portrays them. Technically, it’s not the celebrities fault either. They’re just wearing what they want and living how they want to live. Their power simply has so much influence on teens that our immature minds grab onto these stylistic trends in a heartbeat, after a single glance on a magazine cover or an online news article.

We can’t neglect the fact that appearance is a key to our existence. Without it, first impressions would be hard to obtain. Take the dating scene, for instance. People meet up with each other through apps like Tinder based on a couple words, but mainly through one image that covers the other 80% of their screen. It’s not a sin to arbitrate others on the premises we judge ourselves on. We use body image to set goals for ourselves and to loosely judge others upon our first meet with them. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely not a purely good thing to care so much about others and ourselves in regards to appearance. In fact, 78% of American teenage girls are unsatisfied with their own bodies. Nonetheless, this “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” should really be changed. Rather, maybe we should judge a book not only by its cover.