It was a couple months ago, during a press conference called by two local elected officials, when the issue physical appearance entered into the conversation. One of the individuals lost in a previous election and the conversation turned into commentary on how he believed he was only “slightly less attractive” than his winning opponent. Albeit the comment may have been thrown out as a joke, but thinking about how other officials seem to be fixated on looks, it makes one question if some politicians think physical appearance (or the perception of attractiveness) are what is most important.

A couple other local politicians like to slap on words synonymous with “handsome” on anything and everything attached to their name. Whether or not it originates in a nickname they were given in the past, by doing so, it still puts forth an idea of being preoccupied with looks. For some, it looks like a desperate call for validation, calling on the public to affirm they fulfill some standard of beauty.

A 2014 Vox article by Danielle Kurtzleben looked at a study that found many who see themselves as attractive tend to believe they are of a higher social class than their peers – not the most modern of mindsets for somebody who wishes to serve public office.

The study, conducted by Stanford University professor, Dr. Margaret Neale, and organizational behavior graduate student Peter Belmi, found: “Participants who perceive themselves as attractive also tend to not only believe they are of higher social status but also to believe in group dominance – that some groups are just inferior.”

In a culture that openly (and proudly) looks down on individuals who are “different,” particularly those of a darker skin tone, that type of personality trait is not shocking; it’s just not an ideal one for a person who takes an oath to serve all people.

Reviewing the results, Kurtzleben surmised, for those who believe they are attractive, “It could also have something to do with the fact that we feel we are higher on the ladder, and even more deserving of being high on that ladder, if we think we are attractive.”

She also made sure to emphasize: “These results are only about how people perceive their own attractiveness, not how others perceive their attractiveness.”

Jaci Conry looked into where this type of mentality may have come from in a piece published earlier this year in The Boston Globe, taking a look at how little girls are raised and the impact of always focusing on physical appearances.

“Don’t talk about how people look,” said Northwestern University psychology professor Renee Engeln, in terms of raising children. “Don’t spend time focusing on who looks so pretty because that sends the message that ‘pretty’ is important.” It is very likely those obsessed with looks, conveying to the public just how attractive they perceive themselves to be, they grew up in an environment where they were constantly showered with praises – a rather fortunate atmosphere.

However, this personality trait exhibited by some in public office may simply be a sign of the times, as an article by Jonathan Wells last year for British newspaper The Telegraph noted, “Men place more importance on how they look than women.”

His piece looked at a study by Chapman University that found men, on average, when ranking the qualities that comprised overall life satisfaction, put physical appearance in second place – behind financial success; considering the background of most (if not all) people in elected office, they have already accomplished number one.

The study also found men take a longer time showering than women, along with selecting an outfit and shaving.

An article by Josie Griffiths in The Sun earlier this year echoed the same sentiment regarding male vanity, noting, “Men spend one and a half years of their lives worrying about how they look.”

She looked at a study conducted by hair restoration company KSL Hair that found half of those surveyed are not confident about their appearance. Given such circumstances, such insecurities can lead to an overemphasis on how one looks.

A 2015 study out of the University of Washington (UW) looked at the ways in which men overcompensate for things they may be lacking. Researchers tested individuals on a variety of assessments that graded one’s masculinity, including a handgrip strength test and an evaluation that looked at a spectrum between “traditionally” male and female traits. Those administering the test gave their subjects fake results, to see the reaction when one was deemed more or less “masculine.”

“This research shows that men are under very strong prescriptive norms to be a certain way, and they work hard to correct the image they project when their masculinity is under threat,” explained Stanford University psychology professor Benoît Monin.

Lead researcher, UW associate professor of psychology Sapna Cheryan, noted, “We discovered that the things that men were using to assert their masculinity were the very things that are used as signals of identity.”

This kind of obsession with looks is also driven by constituents, as Gideon Lasco wrote in an editorial for The Philippine Daily Inquirer. He used Senator Nancy Binay’s 2013 campaign as an example, with the public seemingly focused more on her skin tone rather than her professional background.

“There is a risk of turning politics into a beauty contest if we judge candidates based on how they look,” he wrote. “[It] reinforces a culture that overvalues physical appearance.”

Some may argue the Philippines has already gone down that road, with the multitudes of celebrities occupy every level of elected office solely based on being famous, which can be a burden to those who seek to hold office – even if they belong to some long-standing dynasty or have a last name attached to wealth. At some point in history, real issues must have mattered, but with such a focus on the superficial today, if celebrity status is off the table, the only other thing elected officials seem to fall back on as a campaign theme is physical appearance – whether it is an apparent element of the candidate or something voters need to be convinced of./WDJ