Friday, April 27, 2018

WIRTW #503 (the “bald is beautiful” edition)


I need to get something off my chest. An albatross I’ve carried since my teenage years. I’ve been crushed by the weight of success, intelligence, and sheer masculinity.

And now science has finally, and thankfully, provided a rational explanation for my years of pain.

Men with bald heads are often seen as more dominant and successful by everyone around them, according to a study of the University of Pennsylvania
The american scientist Albert E. Mannes … conducted a study in 2012 with 59 subjects. He wanted to find out how people react to men with shaved heads by showing them a series of pictures.

The subjects got to see each photo twice, once of a man with a full head of hair and once of the same man with his hair shaved off. The subjects reported that they thought the bald men were more dominant, bigger and stronger.… 
But bald men are not just more powerful, they are also seen as more intelligent. A global study conducted by the psychologist Ronald Henss of the University of Saarland with over 20.000 subjects suggests that bald men are estimated to be older, but also seem wiser and more intelligent.
Makes perfect sense to me.

*Disclaimer no. 1: Mannes happens to be bald. But, science! Who am I to argue?

*Disclaimer no. 2: Only fully bald men need apply. Bald patches or pattern baldness were seen as less attractive and weaker. (George Costanza, I’m looking at you.)

Here’s what else I read this week:

Discrimination

Technology

HR & Employee Relations

Wage & Hour

Labor

OSHA & Safety