Newsweek.com just published The Beauty Advantage, a special report that explores America’s pursuit of good looks and the advantages that attractive men and women have in the workplace and in other areas of life.

Although we may try to judge people purely on their personality, character, or competence in the workplace, there are other biases at work, the report suggests. “Looking good is no longer something we can ignore or dismiss as frivolous or vain,” argues reporter Jessica Bennet.

If society were not biased in favor of attractive people, would these statistics be true?

• “A good-looking man will make some $250,000 more than his least-attractive counterpart, according to economist Daniel Hamermesh.”
• “Fifty-seven percent of hiring managers told Newsweek that qualified but unattractive candidates are likely to have a harder time landing a job.”
• “More than half of those hiring managers advised spending as much time and money on “making sure they look attractive” as on perfecting a résumé.”

Lots of surprising statistics are cited throughout the report, but what’s more interesting are the biological and psychological explanations for the beauty advantage.  Is our bias an appreciation of the Platonic ideal form?  Are we unconsciously surrounding ourselves with attractive people in order to produce healthy offspring?  It’s unlikely that a single answer can satisfy our curiosity on this topic.

For many people in our generation, it comes down to an individual choice: how far will you go in your pursuit of beauty?  In the continuum of choices you can make to change your appearance, it’s not always clear where to draw the line.  Many people are quite satisfied with little more than a stylish wardrobe or haircut, but not every person begins their pursuit with the same beauty advantage.