The Beautiful Woman Syndrome: How does it affect them?

Now for the biggest surprise of them all. The ones most victimized by the beautiful woman syndrome aren't the men they date (they usually wise up and find someone else), but the BWSers themselves. Their lopsided view of the world isn't conducive to true love, so they are often emotionally isolated from others. The love that men have for beautiful woman syndrome babes is often intense but just skin-deep. BWSers aren't loved for who they are or what they do, but how they look. Men are happy to give love (and lots of stuff, of course) to BWSers, but they become frustrated and often angry (sometimes murderously so) when they realize that BWSers cannot reciprocate in the way they want. Those men usually move on, but the BWSers are stuck with the consequences of their narcissism forever, or until their looks fade. Even then it's usually too late, because it takes a lifetime of development to make you the person you are. You can't acquire desirable attributes overnight just because a need for them develops.

If the beautiful woman syndrome has such negative repercussions, why does it persist? First, BWSers don't think they have a problem. They're great — it's others who have problems. Second, BWSers think the games they play (never recognized as such, of course) will enhance their happiness and get them more of what they want. In truth, they usually do end up with more money and more stuff, and the men they sleep with are more likely to be a CEO than a guy flipping burgers. Yet their happiness often isn't commensurate with those outward successes, and most of what they do experience as joy is based on superficial things. Just like them. Surprise.

How to deal with someone who has the beautiful woman syndrome >