Be careful with those generalizations... Everyday, people are judged by their appearances... by saying: "I don't see many average Joe's with stunners...unless they're minted!" You're feeding the same monster you're pointing out.
I personally know a great many average joes who's girlfriends are stunning... and even more ugly bettys with knockout guys on their arm. None of them had to write a check to get there. I personally look for something that can not be explained. Sometimes it gets a nice package, sometimes it's a bit plain. Either way, it's what I like that counts, not what someone else thinks. I find odd things beautiful.
"Have you ever met a discreetly confident person, humble and self effacing?" Quite simply, yes. They should be here posting the lovely things from their mind... but I'm sure they'd have no part in this.
beauty is in the eye of the beholder but popularity seems to be played from afar!
No matter what WE may think of ourselves, it always boils down to an outside opinion. So much so, that many have become reliant on outside concepts to sculpt our very image. Since it's a game of action & reaction, we simply have to control our personal reactions to it in order to limit it's power.
Perhaps, in my case at least, the expectations list is much shorter than my giving list. It's simply easier to start by filtering the crowd(sorry, if that sounds off) before offering the attributes up. I know I give tremendously to the one I am focused on... so finding him becomes more key.
RE: What are you looking for in a relationship?
I think you know where to find what you want... so it wouldn't surprise me.