Guy who gets jacked so that his arguments are more convincing

— The Brossiah (@vontallboy) December 29, 2020

I’d forgotten what it’s like to be fawned over!

When I went to renew a certification recently, there were two early 30s women in the test center responsible for helping cert-seekers. I am sure they were nice people just generally, but I am equally sure I wouldn’t have been treated this way if I looked like the schlub I was two years ago.

Anyway, they were so solicitious and amiable and mildly flirty that I was almost shocked. And then I realized I was wearing one of my older t-shirts from when I was schlubby that is now tight on me.

People treat you much, much better when you are fit and strong-looking. Not out of intimidation — it’s another version of the halo effect. People want to be around me more, want to please me more, listen to me more, and treat me more respectfully, now that I have a far better body.

These two ladies were basically almost holding my hand and leading me around to do what I needed to do and the other couple of guys who came in there didn’t get that treatment.

That’s one clear advantage of being really fit that I had forgotten but now stands out for how long it was absent from my life.