OK, I admit it. I was wrong.

A few weeks ago I wrote a column called “Are good-looking people more successful?’

It’s a question I’ve been kicking around for decades that started when a few of my male buddies insisted they could tell who would get hired and who wouldn’t simply by the applicant’s looks and physique.

For reasons I don’t understand, that only applied to female applicants. At the time I should have asked if they believed it mattered how guys looked because they were only saying female applicants are judged by appearance.

I argued it was qualifications that determined who would get hired.

We contained that good-natured debate for a long time as the guys kept giving me examples to prove it’s the good looking applicant who gets the job.

I finally conceded their point might be valid in some cases. But while good looks might get someone in the door, it’s job performance that will keep them there.

Do you know how many readers agreed with me?

None.

For the most part, readers responded by saying regardless of the job, looks are the important factor in who gets hired or promoted.

“It isn’t just television personalities that have to have what you call “the look.” That’s the case in so many jobs, including our office. And they get to stay on the job regardless of their poor performance,” wrote one Allentown reader.

One Emmaus reader had a similar view.

When there was a cutback in sales jobs, women with the “right appearance” were retained while others were eliminated, he said.

“Only one qualification was needed to be hired, and it wasn’t a brain,” said the Macungie man.

Another Macungie man said when it comes to hiring, a lot of the time the attractive candidates will get the job, even if they are not as qualified as other applicants.

Writing from personal experience, one Lehighton woman said she had a great resume and a lot of experience in a specialized job for which she was well-qualified.

“A cute little chick with no experience got the job,” she said.

John makes an interesting point when he said it doesn’t always have to do with the one hiring. A lot of times it has to do with the attitude of the applicant,” he said.

“People who think of themselves as attractive have much more confidence in themselves and so are able to present themselves in a more positive way,” wrote John.

He’s so right about that. The importance of attitude is a major factor in so many areas of life, not just on the job.

If you are brimming over with confidence and a sincere desire to do well, you’ll have much more success. Of course, it’s important to show confidence in a winning way, not as a know-it-all.

In my earlier column on this subject I mentioned a major study in Psychology Today that concluded attitude was far more important in job success than high intellect or experience.

I always like feedback from readers, and the subject of good-looking people brought out some interesting aspects I didn’t consider.

“It depends on what you mean by good looking,” said one Bethlehem reader.

She made the point that “good looking” doesn’t necessarily mean a pretty face and appealing figure.

“We all work at putting our best foot forward by making the most of what we have. That’s because whether it’s in the dating scene or on the job we are judged by looks,” she noted.

I think it’s true in dating that we relate to someone, by their looks - at least at first. But if we’re not turned on by outward appearance it will seldom be a match.

One woman told me the story about her experience on match.com. She was pleased when she was matched with a guy with whom she had so much in common. They wrote back and forth for a while until they made plans to meet in person for the first time.

She’s quite pretty, extremely smart and is an interesting conversationalist. They should have had a nice first date.

Instead, the guy showed up at the coffee shop, took a long look at her, then walked away without a word.

Talk about devastating.

“I guess he wanted a little size 2 because he never gave me a chance,” she said. Sadly, that incident stripped her confidence and she never had the courage to go on another dating site.

A friend of mine said I should not have been surprised when readers said looks matter. She admitted when she’s at a restaurant a good-looking waiter with a nice smile prompts a bigger tip from her.

“It’s human nature to respond to good looks,” she said.

Well, when I think about it I realize that the animal world also responds to looks. Some pick a mate based on strength while others look for desirable physical qualities. Birds, we’re told, pay attention to looks.

According to the Scientific American website, Charles Darwin believed the bright colors of the males help attract favorable mates. Studies also show female birds select a mate based on looks, judging the size, color and quality of feathers.

So there you have it. I have to acknowledge looks definitely matter, at least for many.

Contact Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net.