The science of attraction.

5 Things That Make People Irresistibly Attractive According to Science

Jennifer Thompson
ILLUMINATION
Published in
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 making racist comments while I was at their place for dinner. It made me sick to my stomach that I felt compelled to leave before dinner was over.

Spending time with people with similar values and beliefs reduces cognitive dissonance and conflict. They make us feel understood. And we all want to be understood.

People appear more attractive when we (yes, we) are feeling happy

People who happen to be near us when we feel happy appear more attractive. Engaging in endorphin-producing activities such as exercise or yoga may make you naturally attracted to the person who happens to be nearby.

And it has little to do with who they are. But everything has to do with the endorphins your body is producing. Psychologists term this as misattribution. When we are happy, we incorrectly attribute our happiness to whoever is around us, even if they have not…

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Jennifer Thompson
ILLUMINATION

Content writer, money, life & business coach. www.jenniferthompsonmoneycoach.com