Beards and Social Perception
Research shows females prefer males with a beard, and that beards make the wearer 'seem older, more dominant, and more aggressive.'
Studies show that men with beards are perceived to be 'more attractive, socially mature, dominant, and older,' than clean-shaven males.
Beards also communicate sexuality, maturity, and social dominance.
Ladies are not the only ones who go ga-ga for beards.
Beards cause other people to focus more on the wearer's face, according to research.
Beards and Sexual Appeal
Beards influence the sexual appeal of men. Women are more likely to find bearded men attractive. One study found that a majority of women found bearded men to be more attractive and youthful than non-bearded men. However, this is not universally true; as another study discovered that there are some women who find bearded men to be less attractive and masculine.
Many studies have found that facial hair and beard styles do, in fact, influence both men and women.
For instance, another study found that while women prefer men who have hair on their face, they prefer men with a full beard over those men who have stubble.
As shown in various studies, beards and facial hair influence people in many different ways. For example, it’s been shown that beards and facial hair may act as an aphrodisiac for some women.
In addition, beards and facial hair may help people to more effectively display their emotions. As a result, this may influence how others perceive them.
Finally and perhaps most interestingly, a study has found that facial hair may influence men’s attitudes and behaviors towards women. For example, bearded men are more likely than their clean-shaven peers to view women as sexual objects.
Beards and Trustworthiness
A study done in 2015 showed that people who wore beards were considered significantly more trustworthy than those with shaved faces. And another in 2011 showed that bearded men (and women) were considered more sexually attractive than those who were clean-shaven.
This study also found that both women and men were more likely to laugh at the expense of bearded men and women than they were to shave their faces bald! So if you are looking for more fun, laughter, and better sex in this world, grow a beard….
Beards and Dominance
Everyone knows the stereotype that most goats are bearded, but did you know that in primate families, beards are also a commonly found trait? The mythical Greek god Zeus was born with a beard, and the mythical Roman god Jupiter, not to be outdone, wears one too!
Jupiter and Zeus are not the only bearded gods and mythological deities. With beards, they are also hard-faced, aggressive, and full of testosterone.
In other words, they like to rule their domain.
A study in 2014 also showed that men with beards were inherently seen as being more dominant than those without beards.
Beards and Ability to Communicate
When we say that "language is the ultimate superpower," what we really mean is communication. It's what enables us to command armies, build Great Pyramids, and accomplish many great feats of humanity.
Beards and Respect
With a beard or having facial hair at all, you can encourage greater respect from different people and in different environments and situations.
It really is that simple.
A study in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology entitled "Male Beards Signal Physiological Quality" has shown that men with beards are perceived as more masculine and dominant, more aggressive, and older than men without beards.
Now, considering that men with beards were also perceived as being healthier (as they should be with more testosterone), it is not a great stretch to think that they would be given preference of being seen as more authoritative and deserving of respect.
Less men than women grow beards, and this contributes to why a bearded man is automatically perceived as more dominant.
If you’re planning on keeping/growing a beard then you get the respect that you will automatically garner.
Beards and Jobs/Job Interviews
A beard is a positive thing when it comes to any professional field. Especially when it comes to the “nerdy” culture.
Having a beard is one of the attributes that the nerds possess. By saying that, I am not saying that people who do not have a beard are not intelligent, that isn’t what I mean to say.
Which is clear in interviews. On the one hand, if you have a beard and you are walking around and eventually you have a job interview, that can be enough to boost your chances of getting the job.
There are logical reasons for this too. If you are working on a project and you have something really interesting included but people are not reacting to it, you can just show them your beard, and that will get their attention.
On the other hand, if you are going to an interview and you have a really clean cut appearance, and the interviewer is looking for someone who has the same characteristics as an employee, then the interviewer might just think that you don’t have what he is looking for.
‘Nerdiness’ stands out, and that is why companies like to go after people who are a little different.