The science of attraction.

5 Things That Make People Irresistibly Attractive According to Science

Jennifer Thompson
ILLUMINATION
4 min readJun 18, 2022

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Some qualities make some people more attractive than others. And this is backed by science.

Photo by Helena Lopes — Unsplash

What makes some people so irresistibly attractive? You may not have been the most popular kid in school, but it doesn’t mean you can’t learn the attributes of what makes some people more attractive than others. And it is much more than about the way you look.

This reminds me of Dale Carnegie’s classic bestseller book I read years ago: “How to win friends and influence people.” So, naturally, we are attracted to different qualities, but some common characteristics make some people more attractive than others. And this is backed by science. Here are five in particular.

When they are similar to us

There is truth in the saying, “birds of a feather flock together.” We find people who share our views, interests, and attitudes more attractive than those who don’t. According to psychology, we need to reduce cognitive dissonance, a natural survival mechanism. Therefore, we are most comfortable with people with the same views.

Dissonance occurs when someone holds and expresses views that conflict with your values. For example, I recall a friend’s husband…

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