Want a happy marriage? Marry someone poor and ugly!

Yes, that’s right, forget Prince Charming and look for an ugly sister. (How’s that for a mixed metaphor!)

Time reports the findings of a University of California study:

Lower-class” individuals—i.e., folks without much money or education—demonstrate more compassion and empathy than their wealthy counterparts, according to a series of psychological studies. In social scientist speak, “self-oriented behavior” is more likely to be exhibited by people with good educations, prestigious jobs, high incomes, and overall higher-ranking social status.

This follows hard on the heels of Edinburgh University research into the impact of beauty on ethics. It was published in the journal Economics and Human Biology and concludes “Pretty people are more selfish.” Time explains:

New research suggests that people with symmetrical facial features tend to be selfish and are less likely to cooperate with others. Facial symmetry is believed to have a large hand in how people perceive aesthetic beauty and physical attractiveness…

Attractive people are not only selfish by nature, but also more self-sufficient. They are less likely to ask for help, which kind of debunks that whole damsel-in-distress stereotype.

It all brings to mind the vivid imagery of gold jewels and pigs’ noses, doesn’t it (Proverbs 11:22).

I wonder what would the male equivalent of that proverb would be?

I hasten to add that my own wife blows this research out of the water!