How Significant Are Physical Appearances in Attraction and Compatibility?

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The discussion centers on the significance of physical appearances, such as looks and smell, in attraction from a biological perspective. It is suggested that better-looking individuals may appear more genetically suitable, but the complexity of attraction is acknowledged. While some believe that opposites attract, others argue that many couples resemble each other. The conversation emphasizes that being nice is crucial in attracting partners, with the notion that personality often outweighs physical traits. It is noted that kindness can lead to meaningful relationships, although physical attraction remains a strong factor in initial attraction. The concept of "love at first sight" is debated, with some framing it as "lust at first sight," highlighting the role of appearances in attraction. Overall, the dialogue underscores the interplay between looks and personality in romantic relationships, suggesting that while kindness is essential, physical attraction also plays a significant role.
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How important are appearances (smell, looks et.c.) from a biological standpoint? I heard that the "better looking" the person is, the better he appears as genetically suitable for the female.. Is this true?

I've heard that apparently partners with different looks are attracted to each other - but then again there are lots of partners who look alike each other.. What do you think? Is such an analysis of a person a good way to find a partner who is attracted to you?
 
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Nikitin said:
How important are appearances (smell, looks et.c.) from a biological standpoint? I heard that the "better looking" the person is, the better he appears as genetically suitable for the female.. Is this true?

It;s a bit more complex that that, but looks count a lot.

Nikitin said:
I've heard that apparently partners with different looks are attracted to each other - but then again there are lots of partners who look alike each other.. What do you think?

Different attracts is bull.

Nikitin said:
Is such an analysis of a person a good way to find a partner who is attracted to you?

No. And what is more important is who you are attracted to, not who is attracted to you. Why should you care that X or Y is attracted to you if you wouldn't sleep with them never ever ?
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Last edited:
Dan...just, :smile:...
 
lisab said:
Dan...just, :smile:...

I know, I know, I'm going to burn in a very special level in hell ::smile:
 
well, I just read about it and thought it was interesting. wanted to know peoples opinions.

PS. it's not like I would use this like a guide to find a girl, I think you misunderstood :D
 
Nikitin said:
PS. it's not like I would use this like a guide to find a girl, I think you misunderstood :D

You'd think, eh ?
 
Nikitin said:
well, I just read about it and thought it was interesting. wanted to know peoples opinions.

PS. it's not like I would use this like a guide to find a girl, I think you misunderstood :D
If you want to find a girl, BE NICE. You don't have to be tall, muscular, handsome, etc to attract girls - just BE NICE. Guys who are decent, caring, and comfortable to be around attract women who are worth having a relationship with. If a girl only looks for physical characteristics or money (guy whose parents bought him a new car in HS, for instance), or peer-status (quarterback of the football team) she really isn't worth your effort.
 
turbo-1 said:
If you want to find a girl, BE NICE. You don't have to be tall, muscular, handsome, etc to attract girls - just BE NICE.

Humans universally want someone who is nice to them. But that alone, will only get you so far. The total package is important. And the best predictor of getting a second date is physical attraction.

I seen men who where the nicest beings around, they would always be respectful and nice and caring towards women. And they fall in love, they would do just about anything for her, and they got completely shut off. It's not like the woman in question didn't want someone who is nice to her. She simply wanted a different man to be nice to her.

And she was with that man. One which maybe wasn't so nice to them (not a jerk either), but it averaged to more than the "nice guy".

Just being nice won't amount for too much.
 
DanP said:
Just being nice won't amount for too much.
Being nice lays a LOT of track with the ladies. I had lots of female friends (as opposed to girlfriends) in HS, and the ones that were "just" friends often played match-maker, trying to hook me up with other girls. They seem wired that way. I stand by my BE NICE rule.
 
  • #10
turbo-1 said:
Being nice lays a LOT of track with the ladies. I had lots of female friends (as opposed to girlfriends) in HS, and the ones that were "just" friends often played match-maker, trying to hook me up with other girls. They seem wired that way. I stand by my BE NICE rule.

It pays off to have female friends, yeah. Good relations with females means more social connection , you are never alone and you are never hungry. Pretty useful for a man, which benefits a lot from those links.

But as I said, when you want to bed a women, being nice will get you only so far.
 
  • #11
turbo-1 said:
If you want to find a girl, BE NICE. You don't have to be tall, muscular, handsome, etc to attract girls - just BE NICE. Guys who are decent, caring, and comfortable to be around attract women who are worth having a relationship with. If a girl only looks for physical characteristics or money (guy whose parents bought him a new car in HS, for instance), or peer-status (quarterback of the football team) she really isn't worth your effort.
+ 1

Looks have never mattered to me, I dated men based on them being nice, intelligent, and funny. My girlfriends always asked me why I was attracted to *homely* guys. They weren't homely to me. I'll take personality over looks any day.
 
  • #12
Evo said:
+ 1

Looks have never mattered to me, I dated men based on them being nice, intelligent, and funny. My girlfriends always asked me why I was attracted to *homely* guys. They weren't homely to me. I'll take personality over looks any day.

You are atypical Evo :P After all, you are the one who dumped a football player just because he had a rock hard body. And btw, personality can be even more deceiving than looks. It's not so easy to see through another human sometimes, especially when blinded by attraction. You get together with someone, time passes, and slowly his true colors will show. And bang, bang, surprises follow.
 
  • #13
DanP said:
It pays off to have female friends, yeah. Good relations with females means more social connection , you are never alone and you are never hungry. Pretty useful for a man, which benefits a lot from those links.

But as I said, when you want to bed a women, being nice will get you only so far.
When I was in college and living in my own apartment, I didn't know any women who could cook. They would come to my place for food. Two very pretty ladies from across the street would gladly show up on any supper invite. They'd bring a couple of decent bottles of wine, and I'd serve them home-made stews, whole wheat bread, spaghetti, garlic bread, biscuits, etc. Inexpensive, simple foods, that you couldn't get on-campus or in local restaurants - at least not properly-prepared with good quality.
 
  • #14
turbo-1 said:
When I was in college and living in my own apartment, I didn't know any women who could cook. They would come to my place for food. Two very pretty ladies from across the street would gladly show up on any supper invite. They'd bring a couple of decent bottles of wine, and I'd serve them home-made stews, whole wheat bread, spaghetti, garlic bread, biscuits, etc. Inexpensive, simple foods, that you couldn't get on-campus or in local restaurants - at least not properly-prepared with good quality.

Hell yeah ! Food with friends. Awesomeness.
 
  • #15
DanP said:
You are atypical Evo :P After all, you are the one who dumped a football player just because he had a rock hard body. And btw, personality can be even more deceiving than looks. It's not so easy to see through another human sometimes, especially when blinded by attraction. You get together with someone, time passes, and slowly his true colors will show. And bang, bang, surprises follow.
I have definitely been fooled before. I have found some attractive men to have great personalities, but mostly they are jerks and I avoided them. I find that my idea of what is physically attractive is not the norm. I see men on tv and in magazines that women go nuts over and I think they're hideous. One facial feature that always attracted me was a large nose, go figure.
 
  • #16
Evo said:
I have definitely been fooled before. I have found some attractive men to have great personalities, but mostly they are jerks and I avoided them. I find that my idea of what is physically attractive is not the norm. I see men on tv and in magazines that women go nuts over and I think they're hideous. One facial feature that always attracted me was a large nose, go figure.

What exactly is a jerk in this context ? Where exactly is the line between a jerk and a man with options in your view ?
 
  • #17
DanP said:
What exactly is a jerk in this context ? Where exactly is the line between a jerk and a men with options in your view ?
A jerk is someone that is more concerned with what he wants, he doesn't see a relationship as an equal partnership, he wants a woman that looks hot as a trophy to make other men jealous. They play games. Women can also be jerks, they do the same things. I want no part of it.
 
  • #18
Evo said:
e wants a woman that looks hot as a trophy to make other men jealous.

Or maybe men want hot women because hot is hot, and its attractive.

Evo said:
. They play games. Women can also be jerks, they do the same things. I want no part of it.

Don't we all play to some degree games in a relationships ?
 
  • #19
DanP said:
Don't we all play to some degree games in a relationships ?
I don't, perhaps that's what I'm doing wrong.
 
  • #20
To be fair, saying "just be nice" is easy for married 30-50 year olds. Completely different rules 4 unmarried adolescents like me. And yeh, "just being nice" won't get you laid.. It will get you friends tho. If I were to make a guess, being nice coupled with the correct appearance will get 1 a marriage though.

I am genuinely interested in "love at first sight" - it is definitely a real phenomenon and there has been research on it... I've experienced mutual attraction with other girls b4 many times (it's always a *certain* type, I can't describe it) that come out of nowhere.. It's not random at all...
 
  • #21
Nikitin said:
I am genuinely interested in "love at first sight" - it is definitely a real phenomenon and there has been research on it... I've experienced mutual attraction with other girls b4 many times (it's always a *certain* type, I can't describe it) that come out of nowhere.. It's not random at all...
It would more accurately be "lust at first sight". Not true love (being in love). Or the loose use of the word love as in , "that doggie figurine is so cute, it was love at first sight".
 
  • #22
for me its more like love at 100th sight - one day you just see them in a totally different light, for no particular reason, its like you just notice them anew.
 
  • #23
Evo said:
It would more accurately be "lust at first sight". Not true love (being in love). Or the loose use of the word love as in , "that doggie figurine is so cute, it was love at first sight".
don't lynch me now;

Well, that "lust" is a big part of appearances and thus attraction. You can't simply deny that looks are meaningful..
 
  • #25
Evo said:
It would more accurately be "lust at first sight". Not true love (being in love).

Thanks for totally stealing my comment.

And yes, being nice gets you everywhere. I tend to have more friends that are females than males. Not only does it get you more closer into social interaction between you and girls but it also helps your train of thought understand how they think. Even so, they help give the best advice IMO.
 

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