Current image for reference. http://imgur.com/Uaoxt7C. Even now I'm not sure I would call myself a "hottie," but I definitely get comments on my looks fairly often, even in the work environment.

For me, and a lot of other folks it seems on here, I was a "late bloomer." I was always the skinny/pale awkward kid, and I played a lot of sports growing up so I was teased about it during practices constantly. That didn't exactly help my self confidence, and it really affected how I saw myself for a LONG time. It wasn't until I started weight and fight training that I noticed a transformation not just of my body, but of how people interacted with me.

In some cases it's been great--people are generally nicer to you and are willing to help you out more, especially if you are polite to them first. Other times it can be a little annoying. My current girlfriend had initially assumed I was a "tool" (her words) because of my looks and general confidence that came with that. I'd never describe myself as a jerk, but I really enjoy sarcasm and joking around.

Her friends apparently warned her about dating me, as they assumed I was a "womanizer" and "slutty," which irritated me to no degree. Especially since I really liked this girl. Obviously things ended up working out.

Professionally it's been a double-edged sword. In my field (PR and Comms) it helps because you can hold people's attention for longer, but in other cases they don't take you seriously. This is evident mostly when I'm the only guy in a room for an event or something similar.

Because of my ugly duck roots it has kept me pretty humble. I grew up watching the guys who were aware that they were good-looking socially or situationally bully others by using that advantage. As someone who was the recipient of that bullying, I never wanted that to be me.