The Popularity Formula: Unveiled
- ejorigin
- Feb 13, 2025
- 11 min read
Updated: Jul 27, 2025
Written by: Chaudhari Sapna Sanjay (23-A2), Goyal Naina (24-A2), Jessica Jolie (24-I3), Joshua Ong (23-U4), Lauren Tan (24-O1), Lim Sher Min (23-E1), Loo Hao Zhe (23-U2), Marissa Tan (23-O1), Ng Le Kang (23-I2), Odelia Tan (24-A4), Sophie Ho (23-E3), Tan Ting Xuan (24-E6), Tan Yi Ling (Chen Yiling) (23-A2) and Teong Chee Kai (23-O4)
Designed by: Jessica Jolie (24-I3)
Introduction
Popularity is defined as the state or condition of being liked, admired, or supported by many people and in this article, we will be examining the different factors that influence popularity. Popularity is something that none of us are exempt from, and may affect our perceptions of people subconsciously in our day-to-day lives. The determinants which affect popularity examined in this article include appearance, charisma, competence, personality, and interpersonal skills.
Appearances
‘Do I look fat in this picture?’ ‘Are you sure they won’t notice the Photoshop I did?’ ‘Don’t you think my smile looks a tad bit crooked here?’ These are the common sentiments that society in this day and age share.
Living in a world where beauty standards are prevalent, appearance has, undoubtedly, become one of the prominent factors that contributes to one’s popularity. Appearance is a complex interplay of various factors, both internal and external. Physical appearance is one that we are most familiar with, which includes facial symmetry, healthy skin, and physical fitness. These are the aspects that form one’s first impression within the first 7 seconds of meeting. However, as the saying goes, ‘there is more than what meets the eye’. Thus, it is safe to say that other factors contribute to appearance as well, such as confidence, personal style and communication skills. Qualities like confidence signal strength and self-assurance, which draw people in as humans have an innate tendency to be more inclined to those who carry themselves with poise and assertiveness. One’s personal style may seem attractive as they dress in a way that reflects their personality. Lastly, the ability to engage in meaningful conversations and listen attentively to people makes one attractive. Hence, other than physical appearance, there are external factors that come into play when determining one’s overall attractiveness.
From a young age, attractive people are perceived as more confident. There is a saying, ‘what is beautiful is assumed to be good.’ Attractive people are assumed to be more extroverted, happy and popular; and like a self-fulfilling prophecy it leads to them receiving more positive attention. This helps them develop these characteristics, which can make them more socially comfortable and skilled. These characteristics can also make one more confident, or at least seem more confident, which helps earn respect and influence over others. Conversely, those who are perceived as unattractive may be more insecure or shy because of receiving no attention or worse, negative attention, which can make them less popular. Attractive people are also deemed to be more caring, which contributes to them being able to form connections and expand their social circles. People want to be friends with people they think are attractive, as they feel that being friends with attractive people boosts their social status. There is also a cognitive bias, also known as the Halo Effect, that can make attractive people seem more likeable and trustworthy. Subconsciously, physical appearance tends to be emphasised in society, especially with how it is portrayed in the media. People therefore tend to prioritise and value attractiveness in social interactions, and hence attractive people tend to have more friends and are more popular.
There have been several studies citing the relationship between appearances and popularity. Two factors of appearance boost one’s popularity - their perceived attractiveness, and more importantly, their confidence. One’s perceived attractiveness can lead to others subconsciously having a more positive impression of their capabilities and even their intellectual abilities. For example, a Forbes study found that out of 752 economists, those who were considered more conventionally attractive were able to climb the corporate ladder more easily, and even had their papers cited more often than their less attractive counterparts. This applies not just to the corporate world, but even in other social settings as well. Research has indicated that among young children, the attractive ones were considered to be the most popular. This is especially prevalent among females, where studies have shown that in female social circles, the more attractive ones were taken more seriously and respected more than the less attractive ones. On a darker note, perceived attractiveness can also allow people to socially get away with wrongdoings more easily than others. This can be seen in the case of Cameron Herrin, a 21 year old man who was arrested for his illegal street racing activities which had led to him killing a woman and her child. Despite his heinous crimes, he garnered a fanbase on TikTok, and over 30 000 people signed a petition to free him from imprisonment, showing the more sinister aspect of the relation between appearances and popularity.
On the flip side, being considered unattractive can also pose several disadvantages to an individual socially. Studies have indicated that unattractive people are less likely to be hired for jobs or given a second interview. This applies to South Korea, which fell under scrutiny due to most companies there having a requirement for job seekers to attach a photo to their job resumes, due to their preference for hiring more attractive individuals to boost their companies’ image. Furthermore, there have been several cases of unattractive people being treated poorly or harassed simply for their appearance.
However, the underlying factor that connects attractiveness and popularity is self confidence. From a young age, attractive people receive praise from others, which boosts their self confidence, and leads them to become more extroverted and socially confident. While it may seem like attractive people are simply given more opportunities than others, their confidence and willingness to take initiative, which are traits arising from their attractiveness, also increase their social standing, making it easier for them to climb the social and corporate ladders. Thus, it would not be completely accurate to say that the attractive are simply given more opportunities, as their self confidence is also one of the main factors that contributes to their increased popularity.
Charisma
Charisma, defined as the compelling attractiveness or charm of a person that can inspire devotion in others, can no doubt influence the likeability of a person to their peers. In fact, its impact is so widely acknowledged that various social media users have adopted the slang term ‘rizz’ used to describe when a person is unequivocally attractive.
Charismatic individuals tend to make others feel a sense of belonging, hence they are able to foster a sense of connection. By practising active listening and empathising with others, a charismatic person is able to make other people feel heard, thus forming a genuine connection in which the other person feels safe. When charismatic people use subconscious body language cues such as maintaining eye contact, nodding, and smiling while talking, the other person might feel more at ease. This is as these subconscious body languages give off the impression of genuine interest, which is not always felt when interacting with other individuals. Charismatic people also tend to act more genuinely in their interactions, without worrying too much about how other people might perceive them. This can allow the person speaking to them to feel comfortable enough to stop putting up a facade, because they know that they are sincerely accepted for who they truly are regardless.
Charismatic individuals focus on other people instead of themselves. Generally, people are self-centred, and want others to give a listening ear instead of constantly paying close attention to what other people have to say. As such, a person who actually listens can feel like a breath of fresh air. Such people tend to respond with questions, because they are genuinely interested in what others are saying. Everyone likes talking about themselves, and will naturally feel more positive about someone who allows them to talk about themselves. When a person encourages someone to speak more, such as by prompting them to repeat certain details of their experience rather than simply speaking over us, they reassure and respect the speaker. Sometimes, when people are feeling down or elated after an achievement, they want to be heard and be acknowledged. Charismatic individuals are able to do just that.
Charismatic people generally have a good sense of humour. According to researchers at Calof University and Illinois State University, using humour when you are first getting to know someone can make the person like you more. Humour can bring a lightheartedness to even the toughest of times, allowing people to enjoy every moment with a charismatic person, regardless of how dull it may be. Additionally, suitable humour demonstrated by individuals can even act as a way to open up new perspectives of others, allowing them to view their problems in a completely different way. Humour can also break down barriers, especially in awkward situations: When everyone is in a new environment, those who can use the opportunity to crack a joke or two are always able to win over others’ hearts better, leaving a good first impression. By leaving a lasting impression on those who find a certain interaction with this charismatic person so enjoyable, it enables this person’s general social standing to go up, because people actually like talking to them, and they are popular with others around them.
Talents
On top of that, being talented in unique skills such as music, visual, performing arts or being sporty can also make one stand out. Such talent can attract positive admiration and help one stand out to be more popular. This is especially true when it comes to engaging with these talents. For example, during a sporting event such as a race, winners stand out brandishing medals and basking in titles of first, second or third. Such attention makes it more likely to be admired by people who may share the same interests. Take arguably the most naturally gifted athlete the world has ever seen, Usain St Leo Bolt, who created history at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when he achieved the 'Triple Triple' – three gold medals at three consecutive Olympic Games. These achievements due to his talents ultimately clinched him the title of being the 7th most famous athlete based on ESPN World Fame 100 in 2017.
Talents may also serve as a conduit to connect people of similar interests. This is as talented individuals often have a deep understanding of their craft. This would evoke interest to those who are passionate about this craft, and can sustain engaging and meaningful conversations. Their experiences could also induce respect from others as they are able to put into perspective their talents. As a result from sharing similar experiences, talents might increase relatability from the common understanding that is shared.
While talents can certainly impress upon others regard and adoration, talents by themselves are insufficient in driving popularity and likeability. This is as the attraction people have to talented individuals come not only from the awe, but the innate admiration of the effort that had to be put in to become so talented. Talents must therefore be paired with diligence of an individual. People could be briefly mesmerised by talents, but their sustained likeability comes from admiration of the effort put in for the person to become so talented in one’s craft. If the talented individual creates the impression of achieving talent without having to put in hard work, they would more likely create distance between themselves and others as their success becomes an unfair gift from birth. This could drive jealousy and feed dissent.
Moreover, it is possible too that individuals with significant talents or skills may come across as arrogant if they flaunt their abilities or belittle others. Naturally talented individuals may take for granted their gift and have the impression that everything will go their way. This inadvertently leads to a superiority complex formed. When they speak down to others, assuming their own superiority, they fail to consider the perspectives of others. An arrogant person is likely to one-up others and belittle their accomplishments. These are very unlikeable and undesirable traits and generally cause one to be disliked by others, as their success comes from putting others down. Hence, even though talents can add to increasing the attractiveness of a person, leading to increased popularity, it still hinges on the personality of an individual whether a person is likeable. Talents only add to likeability when other factors are achieved.
Personality
Furthermore, an individual’s personality is often one of their most distinctive traits, and can contribute significantly to one’s popularity. As compared to appearances or charisma, which are features or traits that are more obvious from the start, discovering one’s personality usually takes a little more time and effort.
This is partially due to the complex nature of personalities, as personality comprises many traits, behaviours, and characteristics that are unique to each individual. For us to fully understand someone’s personality, we would have to observe and interact with them over time.
For instance, studies have shown that those who can effectively use humorous communication in their relationships were found to be associated with lower levels of loneliness. Acquaintances also reported to perceive them as more socially attractive as opposed to their counterparts. Individuals who are able to integrate humour into their personality without demeaning or targeting others tend to be received more positively in their social circles and environments with the fundamental evolutionary purpose of humour and laughter being to facilitate cooperation between individuals. A laughing response signals that one is both ready and able to cooperate. Thus humorous individuals likely appear more open and approachable to those who engage with them. Finally, observations of primates have also suggested that humour may be linked to our need to partake in mock-aggression, creating a secure environment to resolve social conflicts or arguments, enabling individuals who utilise humour to be more able to manage interpersonal issues and disagreements in an amicable or effective manner. Charlie Chaplin, a famous comedian and comic actor, once said, ‘A day without laughter is a day wasted.’ Laughter is an essential part of life, and having a sense of humour is undoubtedly one effective way to build lasting, positive interpersonal relationships and boost one’s popularity within social circles.
It has also been observed that optimists inherently feel fortunate and unique, without being influenced by any external factors, hence experiencing high levels of self esteem. Optimists actively pursue social relationships, meeting and interacting more with others. Naturally, they are cheerful and carry themselves with more charisma, hence inspiring confidence in them by those they interact with. Studies have also found that others react more positively to interactions with optimists than to interactions with pessimists. People have long been known to detect threats and build trust more through feeling than logic. Hence, being able to give others the impression that they know what they are doing enables these optimistic individuals to easily build others’ trust in them. This also allows them to forge more, and longer friendships, hence becoming more popular compared with more pessimistic counterparts.
Interpersonal relationships
Last but not least, interpersonal relationships can be seen as another one of the fundamental aspects that give rise to popularity. Generally, the ability to maintain interpersonal relationships, otherwise known as interpersonal skills, refers to the traits a person uses to communicate and cooperate with others. These include soft skills such as empathy, effective listening and leadership.
People viewed as more popular and likeable tend to be people-centric and possess excellent interpersonal skills. They often take the initiative to engage with the people around them, by smiling, waving and saying a cheerful ‘Hello’ or ‘Bye’ upon seeing the other person. Many can also hold longer and more heartfelt conversations without making it feel like they are talking solely about themselves throughout. Instead, they ask questions and practise active listening out of genuine interest to learn more about the lives and personalities of the person they are conversing with. Through these interactions, the other persons feel heard, understood and cared for. This develops stronger bonds, and establishes greater connections.
People who enjoy bringing others together are also more likely to be popular and well-liked. By reaching out to the people around them and initiating and inviting them to fun gatherings and get-togethers, they expand and strengthen their social networks. By making more friends and acquaintances, they create a positive cycle that allows them to become more well-liked and popular.
Those that are deemed popular also pay attention to their current relationships with others. Maintaining interpersonal relationships is certainly not easy due to the significant time and energy required to sustain them. However, they are often willing to take the first step by checking in with their peers. According to Donald Miller, author of Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy, popular people understand the importance of staying connected to others, ‘You have to try to help people understand and accept you, which conversely means you have to understand and accept yourself enough that you believe you can make someone else’s life brighter just by being in it.’ By establishing themselves as an integral part of maintaining relationships, they remain respected and valued by their peers. This contributes to the lasting positive impression others have of them since they do not abandon old friendships in favour of new ones, further enhancing their popularity.
Conclusion
Popularity is a fickle thing, by nature it is subject to various interpersonal factors and innate personality traits. Be it appearances, charisma, talents, personality or interpersonal relations, these factors dictate our standing amongst our peers and greater commonality. While said factors have a heavy hand on our popularity, neither should one place overt emphasis or force such traits to come to the fore. Ultimately, popularity boils down to various characteristics that vary from individual to individual and at first glance, reveal little about individual quality.
Bibliography
McDonald, P. P. (2013). The philosophy of humour. Humanities-eBooks.
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