Z
Zeekie
Iron
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I've been really invested in the topic of what truly makes someone attractive, not from a social standpoint or what people tend to say or believe, but from what scientific research actually suggests. I think I've compiled a list of traits that make up 99% of romantic/sexual attraction for men. I'd love to hear opinions on this, did I miss anything?
They're ranked 1 through 6 in order of relevance.
1. Physical Attraction
2. Charisma
(Charisma is complex, but these are the personality and charismatic traits most often cited by research. You don’t always have to be these things, just make others perceive that you are.)
3. Social Status
4. Intelligence
(Like charisma, intelligence is hard to define. But again, it's about appearing smart, even if you're not.)
5. Mutual Interests
(This depends on the woman. If you’re targeting someone specific, learn her interests, music, films, hobbies, and show genuine interest. Women love it when a man engages with things they like. If you’re just going for broad appeal... I don’t know, listen to Lana del Rey or something modern women are into.)
6. Emotional Intelligence
(Foundation = Healthy coping mechanisms and healing from the past)
If you’ve got unresolved trauma and no emotional regulation, you’ll likely struggle to connect emotionally, especially romantically. This is the most overlooked aspect of attraction for men. Unlike men, women care a lot about emotional availability. That’s why "pretty boys" often beat hypermasculine guys, they seem more emotionally in tune.

They're ranked 1 through 6 in order of relevance.
1. Physical Attraction
- Height – Being tall is obviously important. The taller the better, but realistically, as long as you're at least 2+ inches taller than most women, you'll probably do just fine. Generally, being between 5'8" and 6'5" is ideal. Research shows 5'11" or taller is preferred. Anything over 7 feet starts becoming unattractive, however.
- Sexual Dimorphism – Perhaps one of the most important factors in sexual attraction as a man: you don’t want to look like a woman. This is true for most guys. Sure, some can pull off a few feminine features, but that’s usually a niche appeal, which isn’t the point here. We’re aiming for broad appeal. This is a huge topic in itself, but to name a few important traits: facial bone mass (cheekbones, brow ridge, etc.), appropriate body hair, muscular body and wide frame, thick eyebrows, and so on.
- Symmetry – Having a symmetrical face is a universal sign of good genetics and attractiveness. If your face is largely asymmetrical, you’re unattractive. If it’s symmetrical, you’re attractive. This shouldn't come as a surprise.
- Skin & Glow – Having clear skin and a "natural glow" is very important, as it signals good health. This means minimal texture, no acne, no hyperpigmentation, not being too dark or too pale.
- Scent/Smell – If you stink, you're automatically done. Doesn’t matter if you're a PSL God, if a woman catches a whiff, it's over. This ties into your hygiene, diet, grooming, and use of cologne or other scent enhancers. Avoid feminine scents, especially if you look masculine. Nothing more off-putting than a 6'6" muscle hunk smelling like lavender and roses.
- Eyes – "Hunter eyes," or the closest thing to them, are ideal. If you’ve been down the looksmaxxing rabbit hole, you already know what they are, I don’t need to explain.
- Hands/Vascularity – Super underrated. Women notice hands more than you think. Keep them trimmed, get manicures if possible, this falls under grooming. You also need vascularity, especially in forearms and hands. Think flavonoids, vasodilators, electrolytes, hydration, low body fat, training, you name it. But, everything in moderation. Too lean or overly vascular (e.g., from steroids) can look excessive and thus unattractive.
- Beard – Clean-shaven or full beards are often less ideal according to research. A light to heavy stubble is almost always more attractive. That said, if you have a god-tier jaw, or a very weak jaw, exposing or covering it accordingly might be better regardless of what research says.
- Fitness – Be lean, be relatively muscular (BMI between 22 and 27), engage in sports, cardio, athletic activities, eat well, optimize your hormones, sleep well, etc. These are foundational to physical attractiveness.
2. Charisma
(Charisma is complex, but these are the personality and charismatic traits most often cited by research. You don’t always have to be these things, just make others perceive that you are.)
- High Openness – Curiosity, willingness to try new things, appreciation for art, music, and intellectual pursuits.
- High Conscientiousness – Organization, responsibility, dependability.
- High Extraversion – Sociability, energy from others, comfort in social settings.
- High Agreeableness – Compassion, cooperation, empathy.
- Low Neuroticism – Low tendency to experience anxiety, depression, or anger.
- Communicative Skills – Don’t stutter, enunciate clearly, speak slowly, articulate well, be a good storyteller.
- Honesty & Reliability – Be seen as honest and dependable. Follow through, avoid blatant lies, offer small gestures.
- Powerful & Dominant – Controversial, but dominance matters. Don’t let others walk over you. Be assertive when needed. If you’re anyone’s doormat, your social attractiveness drops significantly. Stand up for yourself (or others) when you know you can win.
3. Social Status
- Successful Career – Success in your field gives you status. Research on which careers are attractive is mixed, but some (e.g., lawyer, military) are consistently seen as appealing. Regardless, be successful at whatever you do.
- Social Media Presence – Having a solid online presence (+1k followers), an attractive profile, and good content makes you miles more attractive in today’s world.
- Good Network – Ties into wealth and career. Be the "I know a guy" person. The more high-value people you’re connected to, the higher your status.
- Wealth – Do I even need to explain? If you’re wealthy, it hardly matters how you look, you’ll still appeal to most women.
- Rare Travel/Experiences/Hobbies – Be a sexual peacock. Unique experiences, niche travels, or high-class hobbies (art, music, fencing, etc.) make you irresistible.
- Mystery & Emotional Inaccessibility – Reveal very little but imply a lot. The more mysterious you are, the more attractive you become.
4. Intelligence
(Like charisma, intelligence is hard to define. But again, it's about appearing smart, even if you're not.)
- Giftedness – If you excel at anything, show it. Expertise is very attractive, be it math, chess, art, music, cooking, even cleaning. Einstein was ugly, but he could’ve bagged Marilyn Monroe (probably false, but fun to imagine).
- Engage in Intellectual Pursuits – Read, watch films, learn languages, explore art. Even if you’re faking it, you’ll thank me later.
- Extensive Vocabulary – Ties into communication, but worth emphasizing: knowing a wide range of words (and using them well) boosts perceived intelligence a lot. Just don’t overdo it.
5. Mutual Interests
(This depends on the woman. If you’re targeting someone specific, learn her interests, music, films, hobbies, and show genuine interest. Women love it when a man engages with things they like. If you’re just going for broad appeal... I don’t know, listen to Lana del Rey or something modern women are into.)
6. Emotional Intelligence
(Foundation = Healthy coping mechanisms and healing from the past)
If you’ve got unresolved trauma and no emotional regulation, you’ll likely struggle to connect emotionally, especially romantically. This is the most overlooked aspect of attraction for men. Unlike men, women care a lot about emotional availability. That’s why "pretty boys" often beat hypermasculine guys, they seem more emotionally in tune.
- Empathy – Most men are terrible at this. Maybe we see it as feminine, or just aren't used to showing emotion. But women expect emotional attunement. If you can’t feel empathy, just learn how to fake it, psychopaths do it really well. You don’t have to be empathetic, just seem like you are.
- Emotional Support – Know how to comfort someone in a time of need. Learn your partner’s love language. This is essential to keeping long-term romantic relationships alive.
- Attachment Style – Don’t be too attached or too distant. Emotional unavailability is unattractive, and clinginess is off-putting. Find a balanced, secure style.
- Conflict Management – Critical in any relationship. Learn persuasion, rhetorical skill, and how to defuse conflict. You don’t always need to win, sometimes it’s smarter to appear like you’ve compromised. And if you're wrong, apologize properly. A tactical loss is better than long-term relationship damage.
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