In general, ugly people can live just as long as the people who are considered conventionally attractive. First of all, just like beauty, ugliness is subjective. For example, one person could look ugly to person A while they could still look beautiful to person B.
Still, let’s imagine there is a person that no one finds attractive. For such a person, we could say they are objectively ugly. If they have no health issues or deformities that are correlated to their ugliness, they should live just as long as an average or pretty person.
Unfortunately, there are some factors that can negatively affect the life quality and expectancy of unattractive people.
Possible Factors That Could Affect The Life Expectancy of Ugly People
Below, we will talk about possible factors that could shorten the life span of ugly people. Keep in mind that these estimations can’t be applied to every ugly person, as everyone is unique, with unique life circumstances and unique responses to such circumstances.
Physical Deformities
Sometimes, really unattractive people were simply born with physical deformities. These deformities aren’t just affecting the appearance but also the physical health, impairing everyday functioning.
These deformities can take a toll on the health, especially after several years, ultimately leading to premature death. For example, if someone has facial deformities that make it harder to breathe or that make them more prone to various infections, this can lead to life-threatening situations.
Obesity
Additionally, despite the efforts of the body positivity movement, society still considers obese people as unattractive. The more obese one person is, the uglier they are perceived to be.
Obesity comes with multiple health risks, including cardiovascular problems, diabetes, joint issues, reduced mobility, and many more.
All these health issues make the life expectancy shorter. So, in the case when a person is considered ugly because they are obese, they will probably live shorter unless they lose weight and make drastic dietary and lifestyle changes.
Mental Health Issues
Even without any serious physical deformities, people who aren’t attractive have harder lives. In most cases, their self-confidence is in shambles or non-existent. They often feel like they aren’t as good or worthy as attractive people.
This, of course, is wrong, as our value shouldn’t be determined by our appearance.
An ugly person can be just as smart, honorable, funny, and a good person as anyone else. However, it is hard to keep that confidence when the people around you judge and shun you because of your appearance.
Self-Harm and Substance Abuse
All this slowly wears down on a person. Many unattractive people develop mental health issues, such as depression. Some start to self-harm and even become suicidal. They start to hate themselves and even try to find some solace in alcohol, drugs, and other vice.
Consequently, such life choices usually lead to a shorter life expectancy, especially if said ugly person doesn’t have a network of close family and good friends. Ugly people often feel isolated and unloved, which makes them even more vulnerable.
Bullying and Hate Crimes
Unfortunately, no matter how accepting our society has become, people are still inherently cruel and prejudiced towards ugly people. Of course, there are many nice people out there who aren’t like that, but there are also people who are abusive toward ugly people.
For an ugly person, this often starts in their childhood years. In school, their peers tease and even bully them. With years, the bullying becomes even more extreme, especially during the teenage years when people are particularly sensitive about their appearance.
However, these problems often persist and continue well into adulthood. Ugly people get bullied in the workplace, on the street… Sadly, bullying can escalate into violence, especially if one finds themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.
These acts of violence sometimes end up in tragedy, prematurely ending the life of the victim – the ugly person.
Racial Factor
It is worth noting that hate crimes toward unattractive people are oftentimes racially based. Racist people with violent tendencies usually find all people from other races unattractive, even though that’s not true. There are beautiful people of every race, just like there are those who are average or ugly-looking.
Still, most racists don’t share this reasoning, especially if they want to be abusive and violent towards other races.
Racially-motivated hate crimes don’t happen because the victim is really ugly, but this shows how our perception of beauty is subjective, as well as culturally and racially based. It also shows how racists tend to dehumanize and villainize other races by labeling them as ugly.
Other
There are many other issues that ugly people face that make it hard to live long and happily. For example, numerous studies and research have shown that ugly people find it harder to advance career-wise. As a result, they are more likely to struggle financially, which is another factor that leads to shorter lifespans.
Additionally, some ugly people will undergo various surgeries in order to look better. While this is a completely valid choice, every surgery comes with certain health and life risks, even when it is done properly.
However, many plastic surgeries are done carelessly, without consideration for the safety of the patient, which can lead to death or reduced life span.
Ugly people, especially obese people, also may be victims of healthcare bias. Healthcare providers can sometimes be unconsciously biased toward obese or otherwise ugly patients, negatively affecting the quality of service.
Finally, ugly people struggle to find friends and partners. Apart from leading to the feeling of isolation and loneliness, this can also make them live shorter. In general, people who have friends and partners live longer than those who don’t.
Can One Live a Long And Happy Life As an Ugly Person?
Now that we listed so many factors that can indirectly shorten the life span of an ugly person, it might seem that these people are doomed to live short and miserable lives. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. Many ugly people still manage to lead happy and long lives, just like they deserve.
As we already said, everyone’s situation is different. Additionally, different people react differently to the same circumstances. Some people struggle with confidence, while others learn to love themselves despite their unattractive appearance.
So, the short answer is yes, ugly people can live long and happy lives. If they manage to rise above all these factors that can negatively affect their lives, they can be just as happy and even happier than attractive people.
Conclusion
Uglyness won’t make your life shorter. However, It will affect the quality of your life in many different ways, and this can indirectly make your life shorter.
With that in mind, it is safe to conclude that some ugly people live just as long as average and beautiful people. However, others will live shorter due to various factors that we explained in this article.
Regardless of how you look, try to love yourself and surround yourself with people who will love you for who you are. In the end, beauty comes from within, and every human being is beautiful in their own way.
