You can’t really help the fact that you look a certain way, but could your genetics be working against you in the work place? Today I found an interesting article about how your ugliness could suppress your ability to “appear competent” to your colleagues and management.

Sure it’s no secret that if you want to get ahead in life you gotta look like you know what you’re doing, e.g. suit and tie. Sure we all have things about us that are undesirable, but if your one of the hook-nosed, pasty-white, scraggle-tooth, no-upper-lip-having individuals no manner of suit, tie or dress is going to save you from THE SUBCONSCIOUS DESIRE OF SEX! (Ouch. That was rough.)

This subconscious desire, according to Freud, derives itself from a natural instinct to preserve and/or improve our genetic dominance.

Basically people with “better” looks have “better” genetics, and that’s the only way human animals have to determine who among the many is an adequate mating partner.

This desire, however, manifests itself into real life in many interesting ways. Not limited to finding a sexual partner.

So how ugly are you?

If you’re partnered off it’s easy to stop caring about your appearance since you feel confident with your mate, but what about the rest of the world? Worse, what about your co-workers??

A large majority of women — 61 percent — said they thought men judged them on their looks and 54 percent said they were being judged on their body and weight. Work ethic and accomplishments came in third and fourth, followed by talent.

Men, on the other hand, were more likely to believe that women judge them in the workplace based on their work ethic (43 percent), or accomplishments (40 percent). Factors like talent, sense of humor and looks were lower on the list.

Based on our survey, men may be living in a state of delusion since appearance seems to play a big role in how subordinates perceive their bosses.

I can’t explain to you enough how important “looks” are; presentation is everything. Maybe you’ve heard that mantra before?

When it comes to people and their judgments you only get one first impression; the decision to buy or not to buy is almost instant, and is based 90% on the display (according to some statistic I read in my marketing research) — buying things? That’s a whole other ball game.. Or is it??

“Physical attractiveness creates a halo around a person,” said management psychologist Ken Siegel, summarizing a vast body of research. “We still place a premium on physical attractiveness as a mediator of other things, and we do not attribute favorable qualities to people we deem unattractive. It may even occur on an unconscious level.”

Anyhow I could go on for days on this subject, but I would rather get you to that article for now.

Check it out: Power of Attractiveness Rules in the Work Place.