Erotic capital and subjective well-being

This article empirically analyzes how an individual's degree of subjective well-being is affected by erotic capital. Using Hakim's theoretical schema and emic and etic criteria as references, we shall test several hypotheses regarding the importance of erotic capital compared to other types of capital (economic, social, human). Our main argument is that, while people consciously believe social or human capital to be most important for attaining a good life, erotic capital actually wields the most power. The data is based on the 2013 Spain's General Social Survey. The results show the importance of erotic capital as a generator of subjective well-being and a better predictor of it than other types of capital. When the effects of ugliness or beauty were studied separately, levels of subjective well-being were decreased more by ugliness than they were elevated by beauty.