Why are so many people shallow?

Question

-Why do looks matter? -Why don't people stop being shallow or try not to judge others based on appearence?

Answer 1

I think it is because they don't real good about what they look like, so they want everyone else to feel even worse about how they look. So that they can feel better about how they look.

Answer 2

because we cant swim

Answer 3

cause of the way you look.

Answer 4

As they get older they will have no choice.  The outside falls apart and the inside comes together.    It is our society unfortunately.  It will take a big change in the mind set of our society (media, etc).

Answer 5

because we are told what to like and what to look like by the media

Answer 6

i agree with most of those, but the main reason is that the Bible said that this would and is happening for ever and its only gunna get worse.

Answer 7

Because shallow people generally can't stand what they see if they look into themselves.  So they pretty up the outside and think the problem is solved.  It's easier to judge others than it is to have a hard look at yourself!

Answer 8

I've written about this several times...The World of Advertising has convinced us (with the millions of dollars in their budget) that we are inadequate and need their products to be appealing and more importantly ...accepted. With the advancements in technology and people of all ages getting it from all ends....the situation is at epidemic proportions...You have children as young as 5 or 6 worrying about being attractive enough. They are being targeted as the next generation of "consumers". Read some of  these questions that are being sent in...You have dozens of 13 year olds who already are feeling terribly inadequate..They spend hours looking at themselves in the mirror comparing themselves to the "airbrushed" models who advertise products. Let me ask you a question...What 13 year old hasn't experienced a skin breakout or a bad hair day?  So...The kids go to school and select their friends based on their appearance..Shallow...of course...Fixable? Only if people of all ages say "Enough Already" and stop promoting this obsession with "looks.

Answer 9

Many people do try not to, actually.

We do tend to rely on first impressions - which are more than just appearance - this is because the apes that survived and reproduced were generally not the apes who hung back thinking "Now, does that tiger *really* look hungry or is he having a bad day?" - we are predisposed to think and act on immediate impressions to some extent (not 100%). Also, appearance can tell us a bit about the *majority* of people who look that way. I.e. we can tell who's narcissitic, who takes care of themselves, and who is possibly depressed or suffering from low self-esteem just from personal grooming. Yes, it's an assumption, but not a base-less one.

I agree, first opinions should be adapted in face of contradictory evidence and you should give pretty much everyone a chance (someone screaming and running at you swinging a baseball bat... you might want to act on your first impression). So it's not that black and white. Things never are. Also - you can be deep in some areas and shallow in others. There have been very good philosophers who have been fairly shallow about appearance. As you say, you can't judge the whole of someone from one aspect, be it looks, or one part of their personality.

Answer 10

they think they are too cool for others, but theyre not

Answer 11

Because 'we are living in a material world'.  Cavemen became 'materialistic' when they discovered that certain 'materials' were useful in defense and hunting.  

Looks matter because we are biological creatures who are innately predisposed to mate with those our brains have been programmed to be attracted to.  

Answer 12

Well, for guys I think it's because they don't wanna look like a loser stuck with a girl who's maybe overweight and has acne. For a girl, they want a muscular guy who's maybe on a sports team. That's because they wanna be high in social standing. High popularity and such.

Brains mean nothing and looks mean everything.

Personality is senseless and looks are the world.

Such is the motto of shallow people.

Answer 13

Because our society has brainwashed people into that kind of thinking.

Answer 14

Because, ironically, shollowness has drowned our perceptions.

Answer 15

Because a man or woman who looks good has biological appeal for procreation.  Nuff said.

But also it has been skewed disproportionately for looks to assume that a person is worth more, is a more accomplished, important, and superior human being.  It's a deep prejudice in favor of the beautiful people.  The fact that you are setting yourself apart from people who look "better" or "worse" is in itself acknowledging this seemingly inherent trait in humans to judge based on appearance.

The other reason, and the reason that I am more drawn to, is that people are afraid of being intimate with one another.  Looks appeal to the senses and tantilize to a degree.  But once the senses have been piqued, it's necessary to go deeper and discover the soul.  But when this is thwarted by fear, then looks once again become apparent.  It is the constant fear that people live in that make looks seem so significant.  They are important, but equally or more important is what Dr. King said -- "The contents of one's character."

You can tell when a person who is attractive has overcompensated for his or her inner depravity when the looks are just a little too done up, pretentious, false, and luring.  

Answer 16

Because it takes work to be deep, non-shallow.

Because we are not encouraged to have more to us than shallow character.

Because we are an entertainment-driven culture, and primarily we admire looks in its stars.

Because it takes courage, too, since to be deep and reveal that is to risk ridicule.

Answer 17

I have wonder this as well . I think it does limit ourself to help others . Think if ppl money and time on  a charity and less on looking good.( with things as well,like cars we dont need etc . )  

Answer 18

because not all human beings are born with at least 2 digits IQ.

Answer 19

Fear and ignorance.