UN IT Beauty 5 B1+ READING MAGAZINE ARTICLE Skimming and scanning 1 Read this article from a magazine on the psychology of being a beautiful woman. Then, answer the questions. The Psychology of Beauty Ah, the beautiful woman. We all love to look at her, talk about her, wonder about her. She s got it all, right? The great job, beautiful friends, a date every night, and doors being opened for her both literally and figuratively. Okay, let s face it. When we meet someone new, a first impression is first about looks; only later do things such as personality, brains and character start to take on meaning. Data collected from several countries and cultures shows that beauty is absolutely connected with success well, at least financial success. Beautiful women have it even better and get away with things ordinary people can t. Try talking an officer out of a parking ticket or walking in without a reservation and getting a table at a busy restaurant. Beauty does make a difference. Beautiful women get more smiles and better treatment, and perhaps they expect it. Sometimes the beautiful woman has higher than normal selfesteem, coupled with the feeling that she is special and deserves the best. So, it s all good, right? Beauty is the bomb and those lucky enough to have it are the equivalent of genetic lottery winners. Nope, all that glitters is not beautiful. As with most things, there s a downside. Some would even say a dark side to beauty. How some beautiful women view themselves can border on obsessive. They B1+ UNIT 5 54 cherish their looks and use them, but if they find a blemish or a wrinkle, it can throw them into a panic. Low self-esteem is more common in beautiful women than you would expect. Some just don t believe they are attractive. They have a distorted self-image and don t believe others who tell them how gorgeous they are. Thus, in their mind everyone is a liar and not to be trusted. Some feel they have it all only because of their beauty and begin to see themselves as having no talent, no intellect, no qualities other than their looks. So, there is good and bad with beauty and the real question is what exactly determines which woman will turn it into success and which will succumb to the dark side? The answer is quite simple. Beauty is an asset, just like physical prowess, charisma, brains or emotional intelligence. The key with any gift is in the way that you use it. It doesn t define you as a person. Rather, it s an asset to be used judiciously and with an understanding of how it is just a small part of who you are. As with most things, beauty can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse. So, the next time you see a stunningly beautiful woman... enjoy the view, but don t judge her because she s beautiful. B1 Adapted from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ reading-between-the-headlines/201206/the-psychology-beauty)