UrbanUpdate

Since the beginning of time, certain strapping Adonises have used their full-grown looks to win money, success and power with considerably more ease than your average guy. Just think of Mad Men’s Don Draper: sure, he’s talented and all, but he’s also unpredictable, prone to running off to California at a moment’s notice in the middle of important strategy meetings. Still, the guy’s a corporate darling, and that’s at least partially due to his jawline. Rugged and mature with chiseled traits, high cheekbones and perfectly honed five-o’clock shadows, men like him excel simply because they happened upon a winning ticket in the genetic lottery.

But what about those on other end of the spectrum? That is, what about guys that aren’t endowed with those perfectly mature facial qualities that add up to the dandy wildman? We’re talking about the weak-chinned many, the hairless horde, the vast assemblage of everyday men who face the world every single day with visages that don’t scream, “Sure, I can chop down your tree, no problem.” The Pete Campbell’s of the world, if you will. Are they to be relegated to the B-team both professionally and romantically, doomed to be one-upped by square-jawed he-men sporting facial rainforests that rival the Amazon? Or, can baby-faced men overcome their unfortunate youthful features?

Historically, the answer’s complicated. Mark Zuckerberg hasn’t done too poorly for himself, despite looking like a middle schooler at the age of 31. Neither did Napoleon, even with his pinchable cheeks and lack in stature. But then again, the former’s perceived as kind of a dick, and the latter…well, he died a pretty lonely death in exile on St. Helena and has been remembered ever since as “the guy with the complex.” So they’re probably not the best examples of success stories.

Aw, just look at that punim.

De Agostini/Getty Images

Now, what does science have to say on the matter? As it turns out, there’s both good and bad news here, too.

Let’s start with the bad. In the world of social psychology, there’s something called the “babyface overgeneralization effect” and at its crux, it’s exactly what you’d think: guys with more child-like features are treated more like children, at least compared to mature-faced folk of the same age. This effect is the reason that unfortunately, according to a comprehensive study published in the Social & Personality Psychology Compass, those with babyfaces are often seen as “naïve, submissive, [and] weak”, and so are more likely to be “passed over for mentally challenging tasks and leadership positions.” Which sucks, obviously, since we know that you’re totally competent, regardless of what your doughy cheeks are telling the world. (They’re saying that you’re ready for snack time, and then a nap.)

On the other hand, the effect also has its upsides, especially with regard to trust. Another study, this one from the Journal of Consumer Research testing “the effects of babyfaceness on the trustworthiness and judgments of a chief executive officer in a public relations crisis,” states that a baby-faced CEO is more likely to be trusted when shit hits the fan for a company. Apparently, a younger look implies a level of honesty over that of your more manly cohorts, which people seem to be able get behind. Plus, there’s also a third studythat says that baby-faced guys are more likely to get off scot-free when they screw up with the law. Because how could someone so cute try to break into an ATM?

On the whole though, the jury’s still out on whether or not your pre-pubescent profile is working against you. If you’re still trying to climb the corporate ladder then, yeah, you might have a harder go of it. But if you’ve managed to claw your way to the top, you might manage to stay there longer than your strong-jawed counterparts. The pro-con list is almost endless. Only one thing is truly certain: your face is what you make of it. So go forth with confidence, my baby-faced brethren. Take what’s yours.

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