stufftodo
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There's a concept in evolutionary and social psychology known as optimal distinctiveness which explains that people are most drawn to those who balanced familiarity with distinctiveness.
However, studies also show that average faces are rated more attractive.
These two concepts can explain a great majority of facial attractiveness on top of harmony or cultural influences.
Notice how the most attractive people carry one or two distinct striking features that are extremely rare for their phenotype. For example, Alain Delon and his orbital shape, or Haruma Miura and his zygos, even Henry Cavill can be described having an extremely idealized classical look.
The important thing is, attractiveness can be greatly improved if a person has even one unphenotypical feature. As within any ethnic group, there’s a range of features like bone depth, brow projection, eye aperture, pigmentation tone, etc. When someone sits at a rare combination point (high contrast between eye depth and skin clarity, or sharper cheek contours with lighter skin), they create visual contrast, which the human eye interprets as striking and photogenic.
Therefore, it's more important to chase idealized phenotypical features rather than the features of a specific other phenotype. Such as having colored eyes as an South Asian, or ideal nasal/upper maxillary projection as an Asian, or Elias De Poot-esque eyes if you're European. All these traits fit within your phenotype but is unbelievably rare, making you more attractive than others with the same features of different phenotypes.
I feel it's important, especially with the influx of greys, to lay out this fundemental understanding for attraction.
TLDR: Don't read if you're not a grey
However, studies also show that average faces are rated more attractive.
These two concepts can explain a great majority of facial attractiveness on top of harmony or cultural influences.
Notice how the most attractive people carry one or two distinct striking features that are extremely rare for their phenotype. For example, Alain Delon and his orbital shape, or Haruma Miura and his zygos, even Henry Cavill can be described having an extremely idealized classical look.
The important thing is, attractiveness can be greatly improved if a person has even one unphenotypical feature. As within any ethnic group, there’s a range of features like bone depth, brow projection, eye aperture, pigmentation tone, etc. When someone sits at a rare combination point (high contrast between eye depth and skin clarity, or sharper cheek contours with lighter skin), they create visual contrast, which the human eye interprets as striking and photogenic.
Therefore, it's more important to chase idealized phenotypical features rather than the features of a specific other phenotype. Such as having colored eyes as an South Asian, or ideal nasal/upper maxillary projection as an Asian, or Elias De Poot-esque eyes if you're European. All these traits fit within your phenotype but is unbelievably rare, making you more attractive than others with the same features of different phenotypes.
I feel it's important, especially with the influx of greys, to lay out this fundemental understanding for attraction.
TLDR: Don't read if you're not a grey
