What Makes People Attractive to Others - Essay Example

3rd June Attractive people are lucky by birth. From a very young age they are loved by parents, cuddled more and are given the best presents. Further, down the road when these attractive kids start going to school, they are more popular, are less likely to be bullied and automatically have more friends. As adults, they are more likely to be married, can pull off more sex partners, earn a higher salary, and have a better job. People can naturally trust them, and some perceive them to be healthier and smarter. They are more likely to be elected if they go into politics. Have we ever considered why do we categorize some features as attractive and others as less attractive? According to scientific research, it is all dependent upon oxidative stress and anti oxidants. However, for some people it can be subjective. Therefore, this paper would discuss the essential aspects, which makes people attractive to others. People have researched on the different facets of being attractive. Research shows that an attractive person has many life advantages, which an unattractive person might be vulnerable to. Some researcher however thinks that being attractive is simply a learned criterion. The school of thought who opposes this theory argues that attraction to specific features is not learned. But over the period it has evolved as a way of distinguishing the virile from the weak. A lot of research has been done on this theory, and is hence supported. It suggested that if a person is attractive physically, then it depicts a biological signal of good health. Looking back at ancestral times, if any one feature of the partner would be attractive, it was considered as an omen for elongated survival (Dobson, 2010). A BBC study reveals that a newborn, just like an adult would be more fascinated to see an attractive face. In a research when an attractive and a less attractive picture was shown to an infant, he would look at the attractive picture for longer period of time as compared to the less attractive picture. This shows that everyone is born with a pre-programmed understanding of what makes a person attractive (Babies prefer beautiful faces, 2004). The old concept and expression which has batted for centuries is the concept of ‘opposites attract’. This idea can be considered as subjective when it comes to work, colleagues, or friends. This is because one generally does not like dealing with a person who are unlike of us. On the contrary, this concept can be considered ideal when it comes to love relationships. Research shows that on the Extraversion/Introversion and Judging/Perceiving scales, people are usually attracted to opposites. People who are exciting and different tend to attract us more naturally. It is more due to the quest of completion rather than the exciting difference that plays a role in being attracted to others. Every person has strengths and weaknesses. Individuals who possess strengths that are missing in us are more likely to be seen as attractive. This makes the couple a well rounded, functioning unit. This is how being attracted to opposites can make one as a more complete individual (Personality and Relationships). Apart from the biological features, the color, which a person opts to wear, might also play a vital role in being a magnet to attraction. If a man chooses to wear the color red so it makes him more attractive and desirable to woman. However, research shows that women are unaware of this arousing effect. According to a psychology professor, Andrew Elliot, the charm of cherry color makes men appear more powerful. He conducted a research through which he found that men who wear red are considered by women as higher in status, more likely to make money, and more likely to be social. Hence, the high status judgment makes a man attractive to women (University of Rochester, 2010). The question of beauty and attractiveness remains unanswered since the time humans have been civilized. Research shows that majority of men and women spend one-third of their income on looking good. According to a study carried out by the Federal Reserve Bank of St.Louis, attractive people are more likely to get attention from teacher, more likely to score well, get attention from the legal system and the court as well. Furthermore, they found out that beautiful people are likely to earn 5 percent more than their counterparts. Beauty being a personal phenomenon however remains a question. The reason behind being in frustration, one often gives up and claims that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder (Eden, 2009). Attractiveness inculcates both a tangible and an intangible description to its meaning. According to Robert Burton, vanity (intangible) if not chief, at least secondary feature of attractiveness; however, it may not be appealing for many. According to a research done by Germany’s University of Leipzig, it is the symmetry, which the opposite sex finds attractive in everyone. It is with good health and genetic quality that faces with a high degree of symmetry are associated with. However, according to a study in MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), it is women with symmetrical faces and hyper feminine facial characteristics that men go for. Hyper feminine facial characteristics include a small pointed chin. Moreover, full lips, smooth and clear skin, clear eyes, lustrous hair, and toned muscles are some added features that attract men in women. Some people say that men find baby faces attractive, however, research shows that baby facesness is not associated with attractiveness (The Pretty Project – What Makes Someone Attractive? , 2008). The way a women walks is also an important tool of attraction. For instance, if a woman has boyish instincts in her, fewer men are likely to be attracted. On the contrary, if a woman walks with a straight back, sexually and with her chin up, it can prove to be attractive for many men. Walking with a straight back is an indication that the woman is confident, which in returns appears more attractive. Hence, it is shown that attractive people are more likely to be preferred over their less attractive counterparts. From being a hold to an adult, they are being appreciated. The mystery of the factors that attracts people remains a question. However, research and other studies have tried to provide objective reasons, although the mystery remains subjective. Works Cited Babies prefer beautiful faces. (2004, September 7). Retrieved from BBC Home: http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/news_features/2004/baby_faces.shtml Dobson, R. (2010, October 25). The scientific rules of attraction. London. Eden, D. (2009). What makes us attractive. Retrieved from http://www.viewzone.com/attractivenessx.html Personality and Relationships. (n.d.). Retrieved from Personality Page: http://www.personalitypage.com/html/relationships.html The Pretty Project – What Makes Someone Attractive? . (2008, March 19). Retrieved from The Velvet Rocket: http://thevelvetrocket.com/2008/03/19/the-pretty-project-what-makes-someone-attractive/ University of Rochester. (2010, August 2). Women Attracted to Men in Red, Research Shows. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100802101821.htm Read More