Looks and character

I've come across many posts now talking about which is more important, etc. but I'm curious as to whether any of you believe that the two are linked.

Is it possible to tell anything about someone's character from how they look? I frequently make subconscious assumptions about people's personalities because they LOOK shy, kind, mean or intelligent/stupid. We probably all do to some extent and on the face of the matter, it's probably a wrong thing to do. I'm not saying that a pretty face will equal a pretty personality at all, but I do think that how someone looks can give at least some idea about what they're like as a person.

Maybe this is because of other things though - their smile, their posture, etc. and not necessarily about their features in themselves.

What do you think?

Edit: Sorry if this is in the wrong forum - I just think that it might apply to relationships quite often.

Reply 1

matt4504

2

mmm sometimes i think you can because when i used to work at Dorothy Perkins, i saw the deputy manager for the first time and before she talked i knew she was a bitch. tall, skinny, really short hair. no smile.

Reply 2

queenselphie

Yes I think they are linked - I believe in this very strongly.
I think that when a person moves and talks you can see in their expression, their hand gestures, their body language, their eyes, their facial expression so many things about them.
Its harder to judge by choice of clothes, though its still a factor, because not everyone has the money or is allowed to choose their own clothes (uniforms and such) but if everyone in the world designed/chose and wore their perfect outfit I think you could learn something from their character then.
I think this goes to some extend for hair styles and make up too - some people didnt choose their hairstyles etc, so we cant rely on it as a fair way or judging, but those who did are expressing their character in some ways through their preferences.
I dont know if voice counts, but that also can tell you a lot about a person. Softly spoken people give the impression of being gentle or shy - this might be a false impression, but we cant be sure about ANYTHING about anyone else really, anything they tell us about themselves could be a lie, so we can accept it at face value if we want and make deductions. People put on different voices in different situations as well, which can indicate how they are feeling about the situation/person and the expectations placed upon them there.
My parent generation says that shoes and wether your clothes are ironed and such tells you about a person. I suppose it does, but its very open to interpretation...in one person wrinkled clothes might mean they are a slob, in another, that they are too busy having a wonderful active life to iron, in another that they just dont care about superficial appearance, in another that they werent bought up to know different, in another that they actually prefer the wrinkles. Its so vauge, its hard to tell, same with things like clean shoes.
so..um...conclusion is you can learn some stuff, but its very open to interpretation so could be misconstrued.

Reply 3

covered farm wagon

11

Yeah, I think there's a link, but only with regards to things people choose to do. Like haircut and dress sense, and how much someone smiles all contribute massively to impressions of their personality, and are usually pretty accurate.

Reply 4

**noooni**

3

matt4504

mmm sometimes i think you can because when i used to work at Dorothy Perkins, i saw the deputy manager for the first time and before she talked i knew she was a bitch. tall, skinny, really short hair. no smile.

hey! i worked at dorothy perkins for a while and my boss was an absalute bitch.. made my life hell... sorryi know this has nothing to do with a thread i just thouht it was a coensidence :rolleyes:

Reply 5

JonnyB

2

matt4504

mmm sometimes i think you can because when i used to work at Dorothy Perkins, i saw the deputy manager for the first time and before she talked i knew she was a bitch. tall, skinny, really short hair. no smile.

I think that's my mum you're talking about

Reply 6

kokopops

10

theres this girl i know and she seemed really nice when we first met her, pretty too ... but now, getting to know her and seeing the real her makes her soo ugly to us! i think looks and character are definitely linked...

Reply 7

gss201

what about when people look at people of the same sex (assuming the observer is not gay) what does the appearence say then? its not all if they look fit then they will be like .... I believe that peoples personality has a lot to do with their appaerance but it is not the be all and end all so to speak, many people dress the way they do to be accpeted socially

oh well, my oppinions as usual

rei

graham

Reply 8

Geordie_in_HK

I think people look a lot like certain animals....

Reply 9

Zanniecat

I love sockpuppet!! He is cute and funny!!!!!!

Reply 10

Raziel

i think with most people you can tell what they are like just by the way they act and their body language if you base your opinion on that you wouldnt normally be wrong but you cant judge someone for how they look they might be mean looking but very nice people :biggrin:

Reply 11

saz_1989

2

i look like a bimbo but i'm not.

however you can tell what people are like from their body language.

Reply 12

TakemetoAvalon

1

Adhsur

I've come across many posts now talking about which is more important, etc. but I'm curious as to whether any of you believe that the two are linked.

Is it possible to tell anything about someone's character from how they look? I frequently make subconscious assumptions about people's personalities because they LOOK shy, kind, mean or intelligent/stupid. We probably all do to some extent and on the face of the matter, it's probably a wrong thing to do. I'm not saying that a pretty face will equal a pretty personality at all, but I do think that how someone looks can give at least some idea about what they're like as a person.

Maybe this is because of other things though - their smile, their posture, etc. and not necessarily about their features in themselves.

What do you think?

Edit: Sorry if this is in the wrong forum - I just think that it might apply to relationships quite often.

You can tell a lot about a person from their body language, and how they smell.

Reply 13

galadriel100

15

Geordie_in_HK

I think people look a lot like certain animals....

So do I. LOL. When I am trying to describe someone to someone else, I say 'if they were an animal would they be a baboon?'. I also think people look like fruit and vegetables. So i say 'Does the guy you are talking about look like a sparrow and if he was a vegetable he would be a lettuce?'

Most of the people at my school who put a lot of time into what they look like, are the mean ones, who are nice on the outside and ugly on the inside. If someone wears ripped clothes, and they have messy hair, my parents will thik they are a mean person with no education, but some people just don't care what they look like, which means they don't care what other people think. So , it is hard to tell what people are like based in what tehy lok like

Reply 14

FTSE100

10

i think Charles Darwin( or his bro. or someone related ) was looking through a picture of criminals and discovered that most of violent men were very handsome. And this contributed somehow to his work.

A persons Look is a direct reflection of ones Brain. some people suggest it is the same for palm print.

anyway this also explains how similar the identical twins behave. same look, same brain, same behavior.

Reply 15

_poptart_

2

Lozza

i look like a bimbo but i'm not.

What makes you think that you look like a bimbo? have people told you that to your face then?! :eek:

Reply 16

Cellardore

11

well i tend to look serious sometimes at school, but i'm not. Quite the opposite, lol. Infact the body language i show at school is completely different to the body language i display at home, so i think it can be quite difficult to tell what type of person someone is based on their looks.

Reply 17

_poptart_

2

I used to get told by people that I look "sweet" and "shy", and it gets on my nerves cos then people think they can take advantage of you. But id rather look "shy and sweet" than like a complete bitch i guess!

Reply 18

sparklyglitter

10

Yes I think they are. There are loads of people who look like they'd be complete arseholes...you get to know them then they are.

And good looking people-well there are good looking people who look really bitchy but good looking people who have big,friendly smiles also and are actually really nice.

It's hard to put into words!

Reply 19

812

I think there's definitely some kind of link, just with people's perceptions. For example, there are features that give the impression of intelligence, such as a prominent brow and thick eyebrows (these are also supposed to signify power), or even paleness. Fine, they may not be true but I always notice these kinds of things when I first see someone, and because first impressions are so important they help to give you a subconscious idea of the person's personality. Or not :wink:

Looks and character

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