Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This statement is quite true in today’s world. Attractiveness was a simple, straightforward mating mechanism but has now developed into a multifaceted system. In early human history, strength and size were primary factors in how attractive males were, while youth and physical features went for women. However, today, we worry much less about personal safety from animals and other humans, so we have evolved to find things like personality, economics, and social status attractive. The world has become more globalized than ever, so individuals can pursue whatever aspects of people they find desirable. More importantly, though, we have learned that attractiveness stretches much further than simply mating. Being viewed positively gives individuals more opportunities, makes them appear more trustworthy, establishes confidence, and more. These new aspects of attractiveness and the benefits that come with it have led Americans and many other people from first-world countries to believe that they are uniquely more attractive than the average person. 

Attractiveness is a very broad term. In short, it means the quality of being appealing. This feeling has been innate within humans since our arrival on this planet, and it even extends itself to the animal kingdom. As humans have evolved, so has the spectrum of attractiveness. What once was simply a physical trait is no longer.

Personality and economic status are equal to or more important than physical traits regarding overall attractiveness. Character is obviously important due to the compatibility between two people. However, as the world modernizes and technology advances, people interact with new people more every day. This leads to people meeting various personalities, allowing them to understand what they like specifically and what they are most compatible with. Financial status is also a significant factor in overall attractiveness. Of course, being higher class and being able to buy any materialistic items is attractive, but financial stability is most important. Unlike in the distant past, regular citizens no longer need to defend their families from wild animals that attack their encampment. People must protect their families from being poor and living on the streets, and being able to provide for the whole family financially rather than being able to protect them physically is the modern form of attractiveness. 

While the world has moved to a more intangible understanding of attractiveness, physical appearances still have a role. It is commonly said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, most of society has the same general idea of what makes someone attractive. A study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information aimed to determine whether women like masculine faces or more feminine faces clearly showed that women chose masculine faces as the most attractive. Masculine faces consist of having an oval face shape, a strong jawline, and a symmetrical face. Although facial features play a major role in overall attractiveness, fitness and height are also factors. Overall, fitness factoring into attractiveness is straightforward enough. People would much rather have their significant others be healthy and physically fit than be unhealthy and overweight. However, the attractiveness of height is not strictly because of the height itself but because of what it may represent. Taller men are seen as more powerful and higher in social status than shorter men. Although physical features such as strength are not as important as they used to be when factoring into attractiveness, favorable physical features such as a masculine face, good height, and overall fitness are still very relevant.

This understanding of attractiveness leads to how it is applied today. In America, a first-world country and global power, it has been determined that individual citizens find themselves more attractive than the average. So, the question becomes, why?

Americans are often viewed as arrogant and very self-centered, which may be true. As a result, they view themselves as more attractive than the average person. What makes Americans, as a whole, have a self-inflated view of themselves? One of the answers lies in technology and social media. Americans are more focused on looking at themselves on their phones and mirrors. They are constantly posting themselves on their social media and flaunting something about their lives and looks. As they look at themselves more and more, they become more accustomed to seeing themselves. They have also inadvertently studied what makes them physically attractive and unattractive and have worked to improve their appeal. 

Unlike citizens of third-world countries, Americans have the luxury to pursue attractiveness. Americans can improve physically because they have the economic means and resources. Citizens of countries with a lower GDP must spend more time working and making money to provide for themselves and their families. They have less time to go to the gym, get a facial to improve their skin, or attend classes to get an education. But Americans will work their 9-5 office job and have ample time for self-improvement. They can afford a gym membership and have the time to seek self-improvement daily. Americans also have access to the best plastic surgeons, doctors, and cosmetologists to change themselves to be more attractive.

Seeing yourself as more attractive can be a significant advantage in your life. Feeling attractive can enhance how others perceive you and allow you to do things someone with low self-esteem could not. The more confident someone is, the more opportunistic they will be. This is precisely why people in first-world countries like America pursue aspects of attractiveness that suit them. Maybe you’ve gone bald, but at least you have a million dollars. You might be overweight, but you’ve obtained a doctorate in biomedical sciences. With so many ways to pursue attractiveness and the benefits that come with it, it is only fitting to assume that this is why so many Americans see themselves as more attractive than the average person.