I guess I think that it is not a social issue for me, and it's up to others to make their own interpretations.<p>I think there are a <i>lot</i> of disadvantages that could drag you down: you're losing your hair, you're short, you're ugly, your parents put you through a rotten childhood, and so on. But you can always find examples of people who have those same disadvantages and are thriving anyway.<p>I knew this girl once who thought she was ugly. She mentioned that it goes beyond mere social conditioning, that even newborn babies react more favorably to pretty people. So I said: who would a newborn react more favorably to, a pretty stranger or her own homely mother?<p>If I am facing some type of disadvantage, I am always going to be looking for a way to stack the deck in my favor to get around it.