According to a study to be presented at the Nobel Laureate Meetings in Germany later this month, the more gorgeous you are, the more likely you are to say, hog all the candy for yourself.
Researchers found that people with more symmetrical faces (think Kate Moss, whose pretty mug epitomizes extraordinarily even features) were not only less likely to cooperate with others, they assumed others were unlikely to cooperate with them as well.
MORE: How Important Is Face Symmetry?
Their findings emerged from a laboratory experiment in which the played the “prisoner’s dilemma” with groups of two subjects, who were each asked to choose between being a “dove” and cooperating for the greater good, or a “hawk” with the chance to gain more if the other player chose “dove.” A facial analysis revealed that the so-called finer featured of the crew were more likely to go with the more self-centered hawk option.
But before you discredit the morals of the painfully gorgeous, blame evolution.
After all, similar studies have suggested that the symmetrically-inclined tend to suffer fewer health problems and as a result, may have less need for seeking the help of others, which may help to explain those inherently selfish tendencies.
And brace yourselves folks, but being sick less often is just one benefit of physical beauty: Another recent study out of the University of Texas-Austin found that attractive people are generally happier and make more money than their mediocre-looking counterparts.
QUIZ: How do you feel about your face?
At the end of the day, our suspicions have been confirmed: Supermodels, they’re just not like us. That said, this certainly helps to explain some of those wild supermodel antics. Kate, Naomi, we’re looking at you.
