Sorry Ladies, Guys Are Turned Off By Your Witty Personality If You’re Not Hot
They say looks aren't everything when it comes to dating.
For the most part, this is certainly true. Being physically attractive can only do so much for you if you're boring, vapid or unintelligent. We have all fallen for the trap of believing that someone is perfect simply because of how hot they were, only to later realize they can barely hold a conversation.
However, new research suggests that if you're an "average-looking" woman, your subpar looks will pretty much keep you single — no matter how great your personality is.
Christopher D. Walkins, a lecturer in the Division of Psychology, School of Social and Health Sciences at Abertay University, found that if you're an average-looking man, being witty and creative will increase your overall attractiveness. But if you're an average-looking woman, being witty and creative could actually hurt your overall attractiveness. (Yikes.)
To uncover these findings, Watkins asked a group of volunteers to rate the attractiveness of male and female head shots without providing the volunteers with information about each person's personality. Then, he asked a different group of volunteers to rate the attractiveness of the same male and female head shots, but this time he included information about each person's personality.
The information about each person's personality came in the form of short essays they wrote. In one essay, they were asked to describe a painting, and in another they were asked to make up an additional use for a car tire.
Some people wrote creative essays, whereas others wrote boring, unimaginative essays. Essays were "creative" based on how "original, clever, imaginative, captivating, funny, entertaining and charming" they were.
The volunteers rated less physically attractive men who had written creative essays as more attractive overall, and they rated less physically attractive women who had written creative essays as less attractive overall.
The findings even suggest that less physically attractive men who are creative are equally as attractive overall as men who are objectively good-looking but who are not creative. On the contrary, less physically attractive women don't hold a candle to women who are objectively good-looking, regardless of how creative they are.
The findings even suggest that less physically attractive men who are creative are equally as attractive overall as men who are objectively good-looking but who are not creative. On the contrary, less physically attractive women don't hold a candle to women who are objectively good-looking, regardless of how creative they are.
According to Medical Daily, Watkins believes that creativity is a sign of intelligence, and women are "more selective" about choosing a mate because they are more cognizant of passing good, strong traits (like intelligence) onto their potential offspring. Basically, the findings of this study are a result of evolutionary biology.
Which... ugh.
Look, obviously "biology" is not the only factor that influences human beings on a day-to-day basis. We aren't thoughtless animals running around in the forest, succumbing to our innate desires to eat and have sex. We're more complex than that.
Because of this, any study that suggests that human beings don't care about personality and nuance when searching for a potential mate is probably bullshit. I am sure if the volunteers were given the chance to actually talk to the people in those head shots, they'd uncover a lot more redeeming qualities than a so-called "creative" essay could provide.
Take this study with a grain of salt, ladies, and keep being your fucking hilarious selves. The right guy will love you.
Citations: Creating beauty: creativity compensates for low physical attractiveness when individuals assess the attractiveness of social and romantic partners (Royal Society Open Science), Gender Double Standards: Why Creativity Boosts A Man's Sexual Attractiveness, But Hurts A Woman's (Medical Daily)
