Despite the advent of Internet dating, high-tech profiling, and no shortage of wannabe yentas, finding a modern mate is more of a challenge today than ever before. We have to sift through so much more information than our grandparents did. Still, finding the right match is often guided by very old instincts.
We are products of the generations that have come before us, and, like it or not, our parents' stories influence our choices. If you grew up in a perfect house and your family valued an orderly life and things of beauty, you are likely to be attracted to someone who has similar taste.
We are also greatly influenced by the media. What society perceives as "hot" or not has its effect on us, and even if we think someone is a good person and might make a great parent and partner, we may actually turn them down because they don't fit our vision of the person we think we should be with.
Looks are important and not just because we've become indoctrinated by the Hollywood ideal. The truth is that the physical attributes we find appealing in a prospective partner are actually part of an evolutionary process designed to propagate the species. For better or worse, this evolutionary dance has been going on for millennia, and understanding it a little better will make contemporary coupling a lot easier.
When we are attracted to a person with long, thick, and luxurious hair, it is actually our prehistoric instincts telling us that this person is physically healthy, not merely good looking. Men don't go for women with hourglass figures because of physical appeal. It is because some ancient message is being transmitted, saying that these women will bear healthy children. And women who like big and strong men are most likely reacting to a primeval need to have a man who can physically protect the family from errant dinosaurs.
So you can understand that liking beautiful people is not just a reaction to what we see on the Style Network but is a natural impulse that helped us at one time to choose a healthy mate. Of course, we no longer use our incisors to chew raw meat. Likewise, when it comes to forming a perfect union, we don't have to rely on our prehistoric tools. After all, it takes more than physical attraction to make a good match.
When searching for a mate, discovering numerous things that are attractive to you is just common sense. Consider how good he or she is to you, how well you communicate, and make sure you have similar goals.
Physical beauty may instinctually draw us to a mate, but successful relationships need a foundation that will never fade.
