Amy Reed
Attractiveness – what does it really mean?
Some might say it’s all about the eyes, the figure, the symmetrical face, and the clear skin, but that couldn’t be further from the truth!
Most people are way more attractive than they think. And it isn’t because they straighten their hair or actually have better teeth than they realize.
It’s because of how they act! The way they quietly go about their everyday lives makes a lasting impression on most people – without them even realizing it!
When you have these 8 subtle traits, you’re way more attractive than you think – and it’s about time you realized it!
Up first:
1) You smile and laugh all the time
It’s like the old saying, “A smile is the prettiest thing you can ever wear”.
Smiling and laughing genuinely are attractive in a person. A study even proved that people who smile are socially perceived as more attractive.
What’s even more interesting is that the study found that every 10% increase in the width of a smile, the level of attractiveness perceived also increased by 10%.
And I get it! I’m way more drawn to strangers who smile at me or laugh freely than those who don’t.
So if you smile all the time and laugh often, you’re probably way more attractive to other people than you think!
2) You wear your clothes with confidence
Some people think it’s the clothes you wear that make you more attractive. And yes, some people do look good in a suit or when they dress to impress!
But it isn’t really what you wear that makes you attractive. It’s how you wear it.
When you wear your clothes with confidence – whether it’s a tracksuit, a $2 jumper, or an expensive pantsuit, you look better. People gravitate towards you and feel inspired by your confidence.
Wearing your clothes all stiff and uncomfortable doesn’t give off the same vibe. Confidence is key – and it’s very attractive!
3) You have your own style
I hate stumbling across videos online of people saying, “People who still wear these jeans are so out of touch” or “These shoes don’t look good on anyone anymore”.
Fashion is just a personal preference. There’s no “in” or “out” clothes, really.
Everyone has their own style. When you own that style, you’re more yourself than anyone who makes videos like the above or judges others for their clothing choices!
You’re also more attractive. Why? It comes down to your confidence, once again.
When you own who you are and what you like, wearing clothes you feel comfortable and yourself in, you look more confident. And like we said earlier, confidence is attractive!
It’s even been proved in research that men and women rate confidence as very attractive in a partner.
Why, we don’t really know. But it’s assumed to be because it signals trust in themselves and therefore more valuable.
3) You own your imperfections
I know it’s hard to feel secure in yourself all the time. I used to hate the shape of my nose. I used to despise how my feet looked in sandals. Whenever I got a spot on my face, I’d do anything to hide it – even style my hair a certain way to cover it up!
I didn’t used to get many dates, and I always put it down to these things. When really, it was probably my lack of self-esteem that played the biggest part in it all.
Because when you feel secure in yourself, you’re more likely to get those dates. Why? Because people find you more attractive!
This was proved in a study performed on college students. It found that people with secure attachment styles were seen as more attractive than those who displayed insecure behaviors.
It also found that seeing your body and personal features as “flaws” negatively impacted your own perceived level of attractiveness.
So basically, the less secure you are in yourself, the less attractive you and others find you!
Whereas if you own these things about yourself – wearing those sandals, smiling even though it makes your nose look bigger, and flicking your hair out of your face even though it’ll show your spots – you’re more attractive to others than you think you are.
4) You’re kind to others
Have you ever seen someone on the subway shove another person out of the way? Or met someone at work who’s always gossiping about everyone else?
What did you think of those people? I know I’ve met people who I didn’t find physically attractive until I got to know them. Just like how I’ve met people who initially seemed good-looking. Until I saw them shout at the old lady who was taking a little bit longer to get off the train…
It’s cliché, but beauty really is on the inside. Kindness is attractive.
Most people who share the same values as you will see this – if not immediately, it’ll become apparent as soon as they get to know you better.
If they don’t find your kindness attractive and they feel threatened or insulted by your warm heart, they’re not really worth worrying about, in honesty!
5) You respect strangers
It could be the tiniest thing you do in your everyday life that people notice and find you attractive for it.
Like how you don’t crowd the subway doors before other passengers have had the chance to get off. Or how you say, “No worries” when the stressed-out cashier apologizes to you for the long wait.
Sometimes you know you’re being respectful. You say your please and thank you’s and you intentionally stick up for the new girl at work when she’s not around.
But mostly, you’re just being completely and utterly yourself in a polite way. And even though you don’t think much of it, other people definitely do!
6) You look on the bright side
“Well at least this thing went right”, you say at work when a presentation didn’t exactly go to plan.
“It’s good [this] happened though”, you say when something goes wrong for a friend on their first day at work.
“I think this is going to be good for me”, you say to yourself when a big change thrusts itself upon you.
I.e., you look on the bright side of life most of the time!
When everything is going wrong, people can always count on you to find the silver lining and keep everyone going.
That doesn’t mean you don’t get sad sometimes – you do. You just tend to focus on the positives, rather than dwell on the bad.
When things get you down in life, you deal with them and move on, rather than let the bad thoughts linger for too long.
You might not think it, especially if you don’t even realize you do this, but it’s an attractive trait. And trust me, other people notice it even if you don’t!
Your positivity is probably what gets some people out of bed in the mornings. It might even be what’s got them out of bed for years after you’ve met – just because of a casual (but very positive) comment you once made!
7) You’re passionate about some things
I always remember a moment at work when I realized a coworker was way more interesting than I thought. I mentioned a TV documentary I’d watched recently.
Her eyes lit up, “I’ve seen that, too!”, she exclaimed, before bubbling away about how good it was with a huge smile on her face.
I instantly liked her. I gravitated towards her after that. Why? Her passion.
Seeing her light up while she talked about something she liked was mesmerizing. It drew me to her and the words she was saying. It drew me to her smile and her eyes.
It made her so much more attractive than I’d ever thought before – just because she was excited, enthusiastic, and so, so positive.
I’m sure you have things that make you feel this way, too. And I’m sure you’ve reacted in the exact way I’ve described above so many times before!
Which means someone has definitely been inspired by your enthusiasm before, and they’ve found you infinitely more attractive for it.
Final thoughts
You know when you see a couple together and they say, “He/she wasn’t my usual type, but there’s just something about him/her”.
Well, that’s because attraction isn’t skin deep. What makes someone truly attractive isn’t about their hair color or how tall they are.
It’s what’s underneath the surface.
It’s the things that DON’T hit you in the face when you first meet. It’s their subtle behaviors and the way they live their lives that really matters.
So if you don’t think of yourself as attractive, but recognize many traits on this list, think again!
You are way more alluring than you’ve been led to believe, and it’s about time you started loving yourself for it!
