Research Study: "Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful!"

Have you guys seen this article? Published in the Toronto Star, a recent study titled "Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful" found that attractive, good-looking people have lower job and scholarship prospects than others who aren't as attractive, particularly if they're assessed by someone of the same gender. Wow. Whatever happened to assessing someone based on competence and actual ability?

To read the full article, click here.

The first thing that came to mind as a reason behind such results is, obviously, potential jealousy. Although we're often unaware of this habit, people (particularly women) have the tendency to whip out an appraising, judgemental eye whenever we see an attractive person walk by. I'm guilty of it too. We check out their hair, their makeup, their shoes, their purse, or omg, is she dressed better than I am?!?! The article even notes that some women have admitted to disliking the idea of working with someone more attractive than themselves. Because for many in the workforce & in the academic setting, beauty can be perceived as a social threat.

But judging someone at face value is a terrible habit, and its a habit we need to stop excercising if something as important as scholarships & jobs are involved. This is money for someone's education, this is a job a person needs to pay off their mortgage... and you'll pass them over because of their flawless skin tone?!? Perhaps we should stop judging and start exfoliating instead.

We need to get past our initial reaction to someone's attractiveness and remember that judging someone by how they look really isn't fair. Beauty and intelligence are not mutually exclusive. And while we may envy their Chanel flats, Burberry rainboat, and gorgeous MJ purse, we have to go beyond how a person looks and remember that one day, their looks will fade too. But their mind, their intelligence, and their brilliance will always be there. Reward them for that.

"All things splendid have been achieved by those who dared to believe that something inside them was superior to their circumstance."
- Bruce Barton

My Daily Routine... With A Twist

So this morning, I went through my usual routine: got up later than I should have, showered, dressed, ran out the door, and jumped into the car so my Dad could drive me to the GO station. I caught my GO bus, and settled into my amazingly comfortable seat to take a little nap before I had to get off and tackle another 8 hour work day.

Naturally, after 40 minutes napping, you tend to be a little sleepy, perhaps even a little disoriented when get you get off the bus. So I continued my daily routine, walked across the street to trusty Tim Horton's, and ordered my usual Banana Nut muffin (Yummy. Side Note: I love eating the crunchy muffin tops first then leaving the rest of the muffin for later. I'm just not interested in anything that isn't a muffin top, honestly).

However, as I turned to leave Tim Horton's, I got distracted. I was trying to figure out where to strategically place my Banana Nut Muffin in my crowded purse to ensure that it wouldn't be squished during my walk to work (squished muffin tops are seriously the worst). But I got so distracted that as I turned... I, honest to goodness, walked straight into the glass door.

And it wasn't even a mere bump that I could play off & giggle about with my audience before I walked off. Oh no, no, no. I walked into that shiny glass door so hard that it made a banging noise loud enough to cause the entire (massive) Tim Horton's line-up to turn and stare in concern. I was stunned, and my face, arm, and knee started to seriously sting. By the way, my little scene was also witnessed by a group of construction workers, professors, businessmen, and half the people I ride the GO bus with every morning! It was so fantastically embarrassing that even I had to giggle.

As I sit here at lunch, munching on my (un-squished, booyah!) Banana Nut muffin top, I am now sporting an awesomely red tinge on my right cheek, a purple bruise on my right knee and a slightly swollen upper lip. To be honest though, I'm not that embarrassed at all. What's life without a little twist to our daily routines now and then, right? ;)

Hope everyone's having an awesome week!

“For myself, I am always an optimist - it doesn't seem to be much use being anything else.” - Winston Churchill

Office Politics - You Thought High School Was Over?!

I remember a year ago I was at the height of one of the biggest dilemmas of my life: to take a year off after graduation or to stay an extra year of undergrad and extend my major to a specialist. After (an insane amount of) deliberation, I decided to graduate on time last June and ventured uncertainly into a year in The Real World. I was off to work for a whole year before grad school and law school, and I was terrified!! The sinking-not-sure-what-you're-going-to-do-with-your-life feeling was something new to me.

Months later, in retrospect, I am so so glad I took a year off to experience an actual full-time job. There are some things you learn in the working world that you just can't learn in school. Out of all the experiences I've had this year, there's one aspect of The Working World that I'm glad I got to witness: the phenomenon of Office Politics.

I'm so fascinated by some of the things I've witnessed this year: the backroom deals, the brownosing, the firing, the insane obsession over money, the politically charged relationships, the power-play, the constant need to make the company look good, the pushing and shoving to get on the boss' good side, the list goes on!!

Despite the suits, designer bags, fancy language and veneer of professionalism, The Working World is still full of petty high school teenagers vying for popularity, for status, for power. A 58 year old woman can be just as exasperating as the girl who sat next to you in English class pretending to be your friend so she could copy your notes.

As with many things in life, things function around age and seniority. And due to my status as the youngest employee in the company, I wasn't seen as a "threat" to the internal power struggles. To them, I'm still a kid. I therefore got to sit back and watch the grown-ups provide me with some awesome entertainment....

I've watched men and women over the age of 50 spread petty gossip a la Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls (I shamelessly love this movie lol). I've watched middle-aged grown-ups tattle on other co-workers. I've learned that women over the age of 50 are still capable of trash-talking former bosses in order to get on the new boss' good side. I've witnessed petty tugs of war between highly respected managers over seniority status. But most importantly, I've learned that money is the sole driving force behind everyone's actions. The need & greed for money can drive even the most skilled, most recognized provincial politicians to succumb to petty high school tactics.

Despite their 6 figure salaries, their age, and act of professionalism, some grown-ups have never really... grown up. The way you handle these people is the most important lesson you can learn.

Stay out of the drama, friends. There's nothing more stressful than getting caught in the middle of an office power struggle. Avoid choosing sides. We're talking real life here. You risk more when you choose one side over the other. We can't all have Lindsay Lohan's Mean Girls ending--high school isn't a fairy tale, neither is real life.

Despite the most outrageous (albeit entertaining) incidents I've witnessed this year, I'm still thankful to have had this experience. I've met the most awesome, understanding boss who has taught me more about Real Life than she will ever know. And once you learn these lessons... you'll take them with you to the next chapter of your life, just like I will with mine.

"For the rest of my life, whenever the sky is grey, I'll remember that the blue's still there above the clouds and the sun's still shining." - Pauline Fisk