Three Beautiful Perks Of Being The Ugly Duckling Analysis

In his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde stated, “It is better to be beautiful than to be good….” This quote encompasses the stress society places on beauty, as Wilde explains the importance of beauty even surpasses a great personality. Nevertheless, Thought Catalog contributor Amanda Ting disagrees with Wilde. In her article entitled, “Three Beautiful Perks of Being the Ugly Duckling,” Ting claims growing up ugly causes guys to treat girls as human beings, saves them from drama, and makes them more confident. However, her points lack credibility and fail to convey truth in a universal manner. Contrary to Ting’s opinion, a person who grows up “ugly” does not have advantages over a person who grows up attractive, unless they bring

God into the picture.
First, Ting states that guys only treat ugly girls as human beings; however, she forms her basis on unjustified truths rather than evidence.

For example, she argues guys view pretty girls as sexual objects instead of human beings. However, while men might not view unattractive females as sexual objects, they still do not treat them humanly. In fact, many guys ignore ugly girls and treat them as invisible. Ting also states that her, “lack of physically hotness makes it easier…to form an emotional connection.” Contrarily, according to studies done by psychologist Paul Dobransky, “In the first five minutes of meeting someone, it’s generally physical beauty that attracts men… It’s not about personality...”(Brennan). Although Ting believes guys treat unattractive girls better than attractive girls, facts state

otherwise.
Also, Ting states, “being ‘ugly’ causes you to keep your guard down and stay drama-free,” but she fails to present broader views. Ting argues that because unattractive girls receive less attention, they become less involved in catfights and do not receive attention from guys with immoral motives. However, this point alone in no way justifies her statement that “being ‘ugly’ causes you to keep your guard down and stay drama-free.” For instance, bullies strive on teasing insecure people and tend to bully unattractive individuals. Additionally, unattractive people also cannot afford to keep their guard down as they suffer from negative comments due to their appearance. While Ting believes unattractiveness benefits individuals by saving them from drama, it does not truly allow them to escape the drama that comes with life.
Finally, Ting states, “Being ugly makes you confident in your own skin because no one expects you to be super hot;” however, she fails to address the fact that “being ugly” itself causes people to feel insecure about their looks.

For instance, most people who hate themselves share the common feature of hating their appearances. Sometimes, an ugly appearance exists as the sole link to self-hatred for a person. Additionally, although Ting states unattractiveness counteracts the high standards of beauty most attractive people face, it does not. Because of today’s shallow society, everyone feels the pressure to look a certain way. Good-looking people feel the weight of this by trying to keep the same level of attention and compliments as before, however it leaves ugly individuals longing for something they cannot achieve. This does not result in confidence; instead it leaves those individuals feeling worthless or simply not good

enough.
In conclusion, beauty matters to the world, as attractive people succeed more than unattractive people. One study revealed “Workers who were among the bottom one-seventh in looks earned 15 percent less per year than similar workers whose looks were in the top one-third — a lifetime difference of $230,000.” Despite this evidence, Ting tries to find the “perks of being ugly” that simply do not exist in the eyes of the world. Luckily, God thinks differently. 1 Samuel 16:7 states, “…People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Even the Bible states people care about appearances and treat attractive people better, as Samuel wanted to make the attractive son the king of Israel. However, knowing that God does not care about appearances and that he focuses on people’s hearts can give peace and confidence to people struggling with self image, as only God’s unwavering love truly falls under the list of “perks of being the ugly duckling.”