So many percent of women find themselves prettier than their best friend
Of course you think that pants look fantastic on her. And you think her hair is beautifully colored. But yes, yours secretly looks really better.
We women are anything but modest, it turns out. Researchers once asked around and checked with more than 3000 people: who thinks of themselves more attractive than her best friend? The results are surprising. No less than 62 percent think they are a better catch than the buddy by their side.
But unfortunately for the participants: it is of course not always true. Sometimes we, eh, secretly just aren't the prettiest swan in the friend group. According to psychologists, this is because we always, albeit unconsciously, focus on our positive qualities. What we find less beautiful about ourselves we do see, but in general we all keep our self-image high by being positive about our own bodies. That little roll of fat? Oh well, everyone has that. Suddenly needing a size bigger in the world of jeans? Tsss, that comes with age. And those red bumps on your neck, surely no one sees those. And your hair doesn't look like a stray cat if you don't comb it once in a while. There.
This is actually logically explainable. We humans have a kind of mechanism in us that is always ready to boost our self-worth. Sounds sweet, and it is. We just always want to feel good – you can't help that. If you only think of yourself as ugly and a wimp, then getting out of bed in the morning or making small talk in the bar is a lot harder. For people whose mechanism is disturbed, who think worse of themselves than average, depression or possibly an eating disorder lurks. So it's not that bad to have that constant positive image of your own looks. Who thinks they resemble Doutzen a bit – hands in the air. You go, girl.
Men are indeed a bit more modest than women: only 52 percent think they are more attractive than their best buddy.
But hey, what do men know about it? We feel good and that's a lot more important. Hello, mirror on the wall.
FACTS
– Almost 20 percent of Dutch adults will ever deal with depression. This makes the Netherlands the most depressed nation in Europe.
– More than 100,000 girls between the ages of 12 and 18 struggle with an eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is the most common.
– Having a low self-esteem often goes hand in hand with feelings of insecurity, guilt, and inferiority.
Written by: Tessa Heinhuis
