8 Unexpected Facts About Human Attraction
Human attraction is a complex thing. There’s the way we’re biologically programmed, then there’s the way we react once we’re in love with a specific person. It’s all rather different for everyone, but also quite the same. No one is above noticing a nice feature, but the way that information is interpreted, and the reasons why we look, change person to person.
Here are the 8 unexpected facts about human attraction:
#1 Attraction Is One Thing, Love Is Another
Love takes time to build up. Although some claim that love at first sight does exist, it’s very hard to come by. Most people believe it is a myth, because it doesn’t happen often at all. Normally love takes interaction with the person, getting to know him/her, and really making some memories together. This will eventually pave the way for love to bloom. Until that happens, what you have is just attraction, which isn’t a bad thing. Everyone starts somewhere.
What’s more is that you can be attracted to someone and never fall in love. But you can never fall in love without being attracted first.
#2 All Men Look But Not For The Same Reasons
There’s a hard lesson for women to learn: all men look, married or not, in a relationship or not. The reason is because men are hardwired to look at physical attributes to gauge compatibility. This ensures offspring has a better chance of survival. Women do this too, for the same reason.
And just like women, men also look at men. They will acknowledge when another man is handsome, taller than they are, or has a nice, kept-up beard.
In other words, there are many reasons to look at other people in general, not just other females. And just because he is looking at another woman, it doesn’t mean he’s necessarily checking her out. It could be he’s wishing you’d wear your hair like hers. Or it could be he’s looking at her outfit and wondering if you have something similar. It could even be that she’s hideous and he’s preparing a good joke!
#3 Your Parents Play A Role
A person born to a couple in their 30’s grows up to find older faces more attractive. Weird, right? That means if your mom and dad were between the age of 30 and 39, you were raised seeing older faces growing up. And you consider that the normal, expected thing, so that’s what you gravitate towards.
Meanwhile, if you were born to a couple that was in their 20’s, you saw younger faces growing up, so you’re more inclined to date within your age range, not aim higher.
#4 Dark Eyes And Dark Limbal Rings Attract People
Limbal rings are what you call the dark rings around your iris, the iris being the colored part of the eye, of course. Think of your eye as three major parts, although there are certainly more: the sclera (whites of the eyes), the iris (colored part) and the pupil (dark, center dot). There should be a dark ring around the iris, enhancing the sclera.
That ring is at its darkest in your 20’s, lightening up and even disappearing as you age.
Both men and women find that darker limbal rings, or even just darker eyes in general, are more attractive. This is mainly because it makes the whites of your eyes look even whiter, giving off a healthy vibe. People want healthy mates.
#5 Birth Control Pills Alter Your Scent Preferences
For women, going on the birth control pill can alter your scent preferences. Naturally, women gravitate towards men who smell like they have dissimilar genes. This is nature’s way of preventing inbreeding. However, when you’re on the pill, studies have shown that you’re more interested in similar genes.
Eek!
Also, say you have a partner and you suddenly stop taking the pill. Uh, oops, now you may break up, because there is a high chance of being repelled by his smell now.
#6 The Smell of Your Tears Is Turning Him Off
Call it nature’s way of bringing your dude back down to reality, but the scent of your tears makes him want to keep his clothes on. So if you’re arguing, or you just got some terrible news, and need a good cry, the reason he’s not trying to make you feel better in a sexual way is because naturally his sex drive is suppressed. If anything, he’s more concerned with getting you to stop and cheer up.
Men like it when their partners are happy, as with anyone. When you cry, they often don’t know what to do to help. But they want to!
#7 Whoever Makes The First Move Is Less Picky
The myth is that women are pickier than men. But in reality, studies show that it’s whoever is getting hit on that is the most picky. It just so happens that most people getting hit on are women, hence the myth.
In other words, when you decide to go up to someone and initiate conversation, you’re less picky, because clearly you’re the one who has to do this more often. On the other hand, if you were to sit at the bar for once and wait for someone to strike up conversation, you’d likely be far more picky. Because you know you can say “pass,” and wait for a more attractive person to come along.
#8 Your Hunger Levels Dictate Who You Attract
Here’s something shocking, aright! Men choose their female dates, but their ideal female bodies change depending on hunger. For instance, if a man is starving, hasn’t eaten yet, and gets asked to select his female body ideal, he will choose a heavier woman. Not overweight, but still on the heavier side.
If a man has already eaten, he will select a woman in a normal weight range. Some may even select very thin women.
But on the other end of the spectrum altogether, if a man is super stressed out, he will choose an overweight woman. Bigger than those men who are just hungry.
That's all - you've just read 8 unexpected facts about human attraction.