Woman Is Thankful She Has 'Ugly Privilege' Because Men Don't Find Her Attractive So They Leave Her Alone
"It's very rare that I get male attention in real life."
Andrea Piacquadio | Pexels Many of us have heard of pretty privilege, you know, being treated better than others simply because of attractiveness, but have you ever heard of "ugly privilege?"
One woman named Sarah took to TikTok to extol the virtues of "ugly privilege," claiming the lack of male attention in her life has been a benefit. Many related to her experience as they also navigate their lives without dealing with men.
The woman is thankful she has 'ugly privilege' because it makes men leave her alone.
Sarah explained that whenever she talks about having "ugly privilege," she is usually met with responses like, "You're not ugly; you're pretty" which she said she appreciates, of course, but when discussing her "ugly privilege," she doesn't mean that she thinks of herself as unattractive.
"For the most part, men think I'm ugly, and they leave me alone, and to me, that's a privilege," Sarah said.
She knows that men do not find her attractive because she doesn't get hit on or asked out on dates; she hardly receives male attention in her everyday life.
She finds peace in the fact that men ignore her existence because she doesn't face any harassment from them. This is why she considers her "ugliness" a privilege; it saves her from dealing with men.
Many also found solace in being considered ugly by men.
Sarah's experience wasn't unique. Others were also thankful that men's disinterest in them allowed them to lead their lives more comfortably.
"We are just invisible. Men take no notice, and while it does hurt the ego a bit, it leaves us feeling comfortable and relatively safe in most situations," the most liked comment read.
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Commenters noted that factors such as weight, height, and age affected how they were treated.
The more you weighed, the taller you were, or the older you got, the more invisible you became. Essentially, the further you stood from the traditional beauty standard, the less attention you received, whether for better or worse.
Pretty privilege is a social construct that deserves to be questioned.
It certainly isn't groundbreaking to learn that studies have found that more attractive people are generally treated better in life. Most people's subconscious reaction to society's adoration feeds this. Georgetown English professor Gretchen E. Henderson described society's idea of ugly as "something to be feared or dreaded."
But as evolving creatures with the ability to reason, we have the wherewithal to fight against the idea that appearance somehow trumps the true quality of a person. Does that mean a pretty person can't be a good person? No. It also means that attractiveness should not determine how much a person earns at their job and yet studies have shown that beauty influences success.
Ultimately, Sarah's level of attractiveness isn't the issue here. It's taking the power back, that is. It's saying, "This is who I am," and "This is how I look," and since I'm okay with it, you should be, too.
Anthony Synnott, a professor of sociology at Concordia University in Montreal addressed it simply with the New York Times: “It hasn’t been politically correct to talk about uglyism. But there’s no reason for us to think that beautiful people are actually good and ugly people evil, yet we do.”
Will beauty always be equated with fame, fortune, success, and happiness? For the foreseeable future, yes. But as Plato said, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." That means it's ultimately up to you to decide how you view yourself and others in the world. Sarah is choosing to view her looks as her superpower despite convention.
Sahlah Syeda is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.