It doesn't matter how old you are or how many
healthy relationships you have been a part of, one thing that remains a mystery to most of us is what makes us attractive to other people. Some people can pull it off, but
the rest of us tend to scramble around trying to look good, only to find that the times we look the best have nothing to do with trying.
That time you were staring off into the distance, wondering exactly how Scooby Doo gained the power of speech? That was probably the time someone noticed how great you looked, not the time you were self-conscious about it.
However, when you get into scientific studies and sociological research, you can discover some interesting facts about what makes people
attractive to one another, as you can see in the below list.
1. Grow a beard (if you can)
This one, obviously, is one for the men out there. While some research has found that women find men with stubble more attractive when it comes to flings, fully-bearded men are a better match for long-term relationships. While there are bound to be plenty of people out there that can't stand a bearded face, the average says that they're very popular.
2. Nod your head in conversations
It seems like an obvious thing to do, but you'd be surprised how much of a difference this can make. A Japanese study found that nodding increased perceived approachability and attractiveness by up to 40%.
3. Women wearing red
Various studies over the years have shown that men are more attracted to women wearing red than any other color. Or, as Joe Thoden put it, the color "represents passion, power and sensuality".
4. Socialise as much as possible
In a psychological study, researchers found evidence of the "the cheerleader effect", in which people seem more attractive as part of a group than in isolation. So if you're out in a bar with a decent-sized group of friends, you'll appear more attractive to other people.
5. Smile
This may be a problem for those of us with resting bitch faces. A 2013 study showed that people are far more likely to be attracted to a smiling person than those without one. In fact, when shown 'less attractive' but happy faces, they were judged as equal or more attractive than 'attractive' but less happy photos.
6. Women arching their backs
A slight arc in a woman's back apparently makes her more alluring, according to a study in Evolutionary Psychological Science. The head of the study, Farid Pazhoohi, wrote that this might explain why some women like to wear heels, as they cause backs to be arched slightly.
7. Eat carrots (if you're white)
Strangely enough, A 2011 study found that caucasian skin with a slight yellow hue, which is the result of carotenoids found in carrots, is seen as more attractive and healthy.
8. Have a dog
You should probably get a dog anyway, because they're amazing. But there is another reason to invite a pooch into your life. Apparently, including a dog in your Tinder profile is sure to have some good results, as a 2015 study showed that people have far greater success on the dating app with a dog featured - especially for men.
9. Skip the small talk
It turns out that the most successful questions in a date conversation are the ones that create closeness between the two of you, usually by gradually revealing personal information about each other.
10. Low voices from men and high voices from women
Alec Beall, a psychologist, wrote that men tend to prefer women who have higher-pitched voices, while men with low voices were more successful with the opposite sex.
If there's one thing you can definitely learn from this list, it's that you need to get a dog immediately - or at least take a few snaps with one. In all seriousness, skipping the small talk on a date is an excellent idea, as no one really wants to talk about the weather (even if we do it all the time).
