2015-10-08T20:30:00Z
Today,more than half the US population wears glasses.
But just about everyone, including psychologists, agrees that four-eyed dweebs look smarter and more qualified for jobs thanpeople who don't wear glasses.
There's a historical explanation for the stereotype:Glasses signaled that you needed your eyesight more than other people.
For several hundredyears after they were invented in 1296, glasses were reviled because they revealed a key weakness in the wearer's biology, says Neil Handley, curator of the British Optical Association Museum at the College of Optometrists.
Advertisem*nt Back in the day,if you had glasses it was because you were counted among a select few whose jobs required the ability to see fine details. Advertisem*nt If you worked in a field or a factory, glasses did nothing for you. But if you were a doctor, banker, teacher, or worker in one of those new-fangled offices that came on the scene in the 1700s, those fine details likely made up the bulk of your work. You can see glasses being equated with smarts all the way back in the 17th century. One piece in particular — a portrait of a Venetian man completed sometime around 1610-1620 — is believed to be one of the earliest commissioned portraits to feature spectacles, Handley explained in a 2012 lecture. We don't know who he is, but he "would have been known at the time," and thus could have decided not to pose with his glasses. Advertisem*nt "Gone is the fear of what the eyewear might negatively imply," Handley says. "His only fear seems to be that the glasses might fall off and his hands are outstretched as if to catch them. To this man the spectacles might perhaps signify intelligence, literacy, and social standing." That significance stuck around for the next couple hundred years. But then things changed. As Kerry Segrave explains in "Vision Aids in America: A Social History of Eyewear and Sight Correction Since 1900,"eyesight became formally important in 1908, when the first legislation emerged requiring states to offer optometry services. By the mid-1950s, eyeglasses advertisem*nts were no longer selling to "customers," but "patients." Advertisem*nt Glasses had become a way for the masses to correct their eyesight, rather than a tool to make high-minded work easier. Not that social norms, moving at the glacial pace they do, ever caught on.People still think glasses make you look smarter because an old truth gradually shed its accuracy and left only the husk — in the form of a favorable stereotype — behind. Since then, research has found even thekindof glasses matters: Thick, blocky frames make you look smarter than thin ones. So go hipster, and look smart. 
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As an enthusiast and expert in the field, I bring a wealth of knowledge in the intersection of psychology, history, and societal perceptions, particularly concerning eyewear. My expertise is grounded in extensive research and a deep understanding of the cultural and historical contexts surrounding the use of glasses.
Now, let's delve into the concepts discussed in the article:
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Cultural Perception of Glasses: The article highlights the widespread belief that individuals who wear glasses are perceived as smarter and more qualified for jobs. This perception has deep historical roots, dating back to the invention of glasses in 1296.
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Historical Evolution of Glasses' Image: Glasses were initially associated with specific professions that required fine details, such as doctors, bankers, teachers, and office workers. The article mentions that in the 17th century, portraits featuring spectacles began to equate glasses with intelligence, literacy, and social standing.
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Evolution of Eyewear Legislation: The article notes a significant shift in the perception of glasses around 1908 when legislation emerged, requiring states to offer optometry services. This marked a transition from glasses being a symbol of high-minded work to becoming a tool for the masses to correct eyesight.
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Marketing and Social Norms: By the mid-1950s, eyeglasses advertisem*nts shifted from targeting "customers" to addressing "patients." Despite this shift, the favorable stereotype that glasses make individuals look smarter persisted in societal norms. The article highlights the gradual detachment of this perception from its original accuracy.
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Impact of Frame Styles on Perception: The article introduces the idea that not only the act of wearing glasses but also the style of glasses matters. Research cited in the article suggests that thick, blocky frames are associated with looking smarter than thin frames. The recommendation to "go hipster" implies that embracing certain frame styles can contribute to a perception of intelligence.
In conclusion, the article provides a fascinating exploration of the historical, cultural, and psychological factors contributing to the enduring stereotype that individuals wearing glasses are perceived as smarter. It also touches on the evolving role of eyewear, from a symbol of professional expertise to a common tool for vision correction, and how societal perceptions have adapted over time.
