u/LogiK19

I’ve been slowly realizing my asexuality over the past few years but at the same time but it’s also made me think about how much value people attach to physical appearance. Like I understand naturally allosexual people are gonna be more drawn to people that they find attractive, but I get the sense that to many people it’s like a moral characteristic as well.

It’s utterly insane how much people will assume about your character from appearance alone, like being unattractive is some sign of failure or social decay. Less attractive people are treated worse, regardless of who they actually are as people. And I feel like this has a bit of overlap with ableism as well; people will just assume the worst about neurodivergent people, people with Down syndrome, etc. because they “look funny” or look “chopped” or whateverthefuck. Fat people get treated the same way too I notice, like a fat person is automatically gross and unhealthy no matter what they do, but a skinny/toned/muscular person who actively promotes unhealthy behaviors/lifestyles is just fine in the eyes of some (keyword some, i know anybody can be criticized for pushing harmful stuff, but still). Meanwhile, there are dozens of attractive people who have done horrendous shit and yet are adored the world over.

And while I can recognize that some people are “conventionally” more attractive than others, I don’t put anybody above or below one another based off how they look. Why can’t others do the same? I know it's easy for me to say because that extra layer of sexual attraction isn't there, yet I still don't understand. Anybody whom some people don't immediately perceive in a positive way is just not worth being given the time of day.

I’m not saying this bc I’m envious of attractive people or anything like that. I just wish attraction wasn’t as much of a driving factor in how the general public perceives others as it currently is. Because there is so much to a person, every single person really, beyond just their appearance.