FACIAL DISCRIMINATION

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but let's be real — some people just behold a little more favorably when the subject has a symmetrical face and good bone structure.

- RICARDO T. PAMINTUAN

Welcome to the world of facial discrimination!

It's a harsh world where physical attractiveness can trump talent, experience, and sometimes even basic competency. We want to believe we're rational, objective creatures who judge others based on skill, merit and "inner beauty," but science, including real-life proof, suggests otherwise.

We see it every day, on socmed and in (gasp!) newspapers: want ads for positions ranging from the pits of organizational structure to high-level executive positions professional headhunters salivate over. They're almost always looking for long experience, impeccable credentials, and a proven track record of success. Hopeful unemployed (or disgruntled) folks send in their applications, complete with their CVs and, of course, photographs.

Let's say, among the finalists, Candidate A is almost overqualified, with two decades of relevant experience, and looks as wrinkly as a prune, while Candidate B has "adequate" academic achievements and had been job-hopping for six years but resembles someone who just walked off a K-drama set. Guess who gets the job?

If you answered Candidate A, congratulations on your optimism! Research suggests that attractiveness can influence hiring decisions, promotions, and even salary levels. Studies have shown that good-looking individuals are perceived as abler, more likable and trustworthy, even when their actual abilities suggest otherwise. It's like the world is programmed with its own unfair Instagram filter.

In reality, the selection process in most enterprises is imbued with the secret shame of facial discrimination, a term of undetermined origin that has gained popularity in recent times, especially in discussions about workplace bias, AI facial recognition, and beauty privilege. It has been used in different settings to describe unfair treatment based on physical appearance rather than merit or character.