Despite the fact that I live at the epicenter of American and world politics - inside the Washington, DC Beltway - and count many politicians, ambassadors and government officials among my patients, I'm probably one of the least politically savvy people you'll ever meet. That said, the recent gossip about Senator Hillary Clinton's aide, Huma Abedin, has made me sit up and take notice because it has an interesting side-story.

Even as the precise nature of Abedin's relationship with Clinton is being dissected by commentators of various political persuasions, Abedin's credibility and fitness for her duties have come under fire because of her attractiveness.

In response to a recent celebrity gossip blog about Abedin, a poster writes: "I'm a professional woman like Hillary. This may sound patronizing, but I'd never ever considered hiring a secretary/personal assistant who is that much of a knock-out. Extremely attractive people can be a distraction; in my field, I want the focus on me, on my work and my message... No fashion models need apply."

Then there's James Carville, a former advisor to President Bill Clinton, who clearly bears Abedin no hostility when he describes her to the New York Observer as "... an unbelievably, stunningly gorgeous woman" and goes on to say: "Nobody in that position can be that good-looking; it just doesn't happen."

Over the past few years, we've been bombarded with the notion that beautiful people are more successful, both professionally and socially. The premise is that we assume a physically attractive person is also attractive in other respects, such as personality and skills. This has been cited as an example of the Halo Effect - our tendency to judge people highly overall if they possess one outstanding trait.

Besides beauty, the Halo Effect also applies to youth. A recent New York Times article on ageism and societal pressure to look eternally youthful cites a study showing that a younger female job applicant was much more likely to receive an interview than an older applicant with the same resume, and quotes the author of the study as saying that "seeming young can definitely help your economic status, and that pays the rent."

In addition to catapulting into blogs normally reserved for Hollywood's elite, Huma Abedin is also the designer dress-clad darling of Vogue. Although this has led to allegations that she's no victim, but instead the beneficiary of a well-orchestrated stealth PR campaign, I believe that she is in some regards a victim of the Halo Effect in reverse. It seems that her attractiveness has caused some to question her competence and trustworthiness.

Are there professional fields in which it's a disadvantage to be perceived as too attractive? We're familiar with the concept of the glass ceiling - the situation whereby a qualified person is prevented from advancing beyond a certain level due to covert discrimination, usually based on sexism or racism. Is there a variant of the glass ceiling - a looking glass ceiling, perhaps - that applies to those who are considered good-for-nothing because they are good-looking? I know for certain that you don't have to be as beautiful as Huma Abedin to be misjudged by your looks... because it's happened to me.