Not the same but as someone who had a “glow-up” the difference in treatment from ugly to normal is night and day.

I was overweight the first 2 years of college and in shape the last two. Not a single person talked to me in the first 2 years. Teacher would ignore me, forget my name, and other shit. When I started losing weight, my pessimism was funny and not concerning, my questions were interesting and not annoying, the people who sat were in my class talked to me and I made a few acquaintances.

But I never could forget that 95% of positive social interactions I ever received were because I wasn’t ugly. I wasn’t looking for romance where physical attraction does matter, I just wanted a friend. People are exactly as shallow and petty as you’d think, they just do it unconsciously. It’s the same reason why no one hates the ND outcast at school but not a single person would ever have a conversation with them. It’s the same reason the Karen who calls police on a black teenager doesn’t think she’s racist.

95% of humans are worthless slime until they confront their own internal biases. Now I hang out with other quiet people because at least I know they wouldn’t treat me like scum if they saw me 5 years ago.