Behind the halo effect is a story of survival. Historically, aligning ourselves with a physically strong or attractive person proved a wise adaptive strategy, and it was generally fair to assume that one good quality indicated more. Twenty thousand years ago, if you encountered someone tall and muscular, you’d be reasonable to deduce they’d eaten more meat than average and were therefore likely a good hunter—someone you’d want in your corner. It was equally sensible to assume that a person with a symmetrical face and intact teeth had avoided disfigurement from lost battles and animal attacks,
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