Today, there are countless misconceptions that people involuntarily fall into. We know that these manifest themselves both in relationships, careers and daily life. Of course, it is not easy to eliminate them before being objective and acknowledging their existence. “I wonder if I have any of these too?” If you are wondering, you can click on this link and do a small check for mistakes.
Now, in addition to these, we will also look at a psychological fallacy that you may be carrying without your knowledge. Earlier, we mentioned whether beauty misleads people or not. Now we will look at what kind of situations the symmetry of the face reveals in people.
First decide for yourself, which of these faces seemed more pleasing(?) to your eyes at first glance?
First of all, it should be noted that. If the symmetrical one of these faces is pleasing to your eyes, don’t let it make you feel bad. Because most of the similar misconceptions happen unconsciously. We often do not even notice the presence of symmetry; In such cases, only certain judgments circulate in our consciousness.
Why is symmetry pleasing to our eyes?
To start with the simple factor, we can show humanity’s association of symmetry with ‘being good’ in general. In fact, not only us, but also many professors who have carried out their research in this field definitely point out this factor.
This was also the case in ancient times of history. When we look at the wings of butterflies that still look like reflections of each other, the dancers following each other as if they are mirrors, and more, we feel pleasant. When these are not symmetrical, they do not look that good to our eyes.
Today, this has a name in psychology as ‘perceptual bias’:
Although this is actually a more general term, we can relate it to our subject since it includes prejudices about symmetry.
We can explain it as the way that conventional judgments distort people’s thoughts. You can take action from the “X feature is bad sign” outline. Red cheeks, big ears, small hands… it’s endless.
Another important factor stems from the returns of the evolutionary process and our medical knowledge.
As we said, as humanity, we tend to associate symmetrical things with good in every aspect, including health. This is a plus point in the search for a spouse in ancient times (even today). The fact that unsymmetrical faces are seen as unhealthy also plays a role in this, that is, the idea of ”symmetry equals good” that manifests itself in the search for a partner. After all, our body has a unique order and development.
Therefore, if there are no problems, this unique development can continue. This gives the impression that if there is a symmetry problem, there is also a problem in the development of the body.
For those who are looking for the best possible mate (and we’re all naturally included), those who don’t have symmetrical facial features start 1-0 behind. In fact, it’s not just about choosing a partner…
You don’t need to stand here and say, “I would never do that”. Because these are not things you do consciously. Because in line with the information placed in your consciousness, you inevitably have preliminary information about people.
Unsymmetrical facial features are just one of many other stimuli. For this reason, put aside the idea that I will never do it and try to be objective at all times.
This can be observed even in friendships.
We are not talking about the idea that we should not have friends who do not have symmetrical faces. The physical features of your friends, for better or worse, take a place in your mind and when you think about why they are close to you, at least 1 feature comes to mind that prevents their physical flaws. Or vice versa.
Maybe they are very handsome or beautiful, maybe they have a lot of money, maybe they provide you with friendship and trust that you can’t find anywhere else.
And think of people who are in the spotlight even though they have nothing to offer.
It’s pretty easy for companies these days to take one and make it strong. We can see this in singers, many influencers, and many others who were created from scratch for purely financial purposes and instantly became famous with company support. If you have put aside all the names that come to your mind, “What does this have to do with symmetry?” Let’s answer the question.
As these people continue to be famous because they are famous (as money attracts money), the attention from both other companies and people is building on them. As we said, perfectionism is at the forefront as much as possible in the search for a partner or friend. The same situation manifests itself when it comes to symmetry, and it is seen that interest arises in the same way.
Wanting to be friends with the strongest in the school, finding a rich husband/wife, being with someone with symmetrical facial features… All of them are requests that lead to the place we are talking about.
But as you will realize, no one wants power or money out of the blue. They are constantly chased and never stand still, as they provide advantages to individuals in the race within the society.
You can see this more clearly when you look at the journey from the times when overweight women were seen as attractive to today’s thin waist criteria.
Let’s summarize all the content:
Although symmetrical faces are associated with intelligence and health, scientists have studied it and have not found a link between symmetry and intelligence and health.
On the other hand, it is quite possible that there are genetic defects in faces that are too asymmetrical. But here, our rapidly prejudicing brain seems to be overreacting. Not every person with an asymmetrical face will have genetic problems. It’s like thinking that someone who just sniffs is a corona patient.
Roughly, we can attribute this fallacy to our brain’s pleasure(?). Because when given certain stimuli, he reacts faster to what he can analyze more easily. This puts symmetrical objects one step ahead. Of course, too much of this can be tiring.
If you want to fit this topic better, don’t forget to take a look at our content below:
- Sources: Sites at Penn State, Live Science, National Library of Medicine, Psychology Today, Be Applied
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