Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Online trends make our heads spin. The latest beauty fad will be obsolete by tomorrow. Fashion is fickle. So, how does one actually better their attractiveness? It may surprise you that what truly makes a person attractive has nothing to do with looks at all.
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1. Kindness
You’d think this was a no-brainer, but kindness seemingly flew out of humanity’s window. The general public nowadays doesn’t exactly have the same level of empathy it once did, which makes legitimate kindness all the rarer—and more attractive.
2. Good Sense of Humor
It’s always attractive when someone can take a joke or make the entire room crack up. A good sense of humor can also bring people out of their shell, making everyone at the dinner table feel welcome.
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3. Empathy
It’s one thing to sympathize with someone, but legitimate understanding helps best sometimes. Empathizing shows you care about others, free from judgment because you’ve been there too. It’s an attractive quality to truly level with someone.
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4. Helping Animals
From petting rogue dogs to bringing stray cats home, helping animals is the biggest green flag. You can catch us smiling bashfully at anyone who stops traffic for a waddling row of ducks.
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5. A Great Smile
Great smiles don’t have to be pearly white veneers—a lot of personality comes through a person’s smile, including imperfect teeth. An unashamed, honest smile brings out the light in others, so show off that tooth gap!
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6. Wearing Less Makeup
There’s nothing wrong with a full face; lord knows makeup artistry takes years to master. But there’s something different about unpainted faces. Perhaps it’s the natural look or maybe it’s someone unabashedly being themselves, but we love it all the same.
7. Letting Someone Talk
There’s nothing worse than speaking with someone who isn’t listening. It’s obvious when someone’s just waiting for their turn to talk because they interrupt or don’t ask any follow-up questions. That said, you’d be surprised how far conversational skills go.
8. Competence
Can you play a musical instrument? Do you crush it every quarter at work? Wherever your proficiencies lie, competence means confidence, which tends to make you more attractive.
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9. Smelling Good
You don’t need to douse yourself in perfume, but smelling good goes a long way. It’s hard to hold a conversation amid a cloud of flies.
10. Humility
No one wants to chat with the “humble bragger.” They don’t really care what school you went to. They don’t care that your dad’s rich. Most importantly, others don’t want to be spoken down to. Those who know the difference between confidence and cockiness are far more attractive.
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11. Genuine Listening
People who listen give us all the tingles—it’s the way they ask questions, allow you a chance to speak, and take a sincere interest in your life. In today’s world, plenty of people merely shoehorn their way into a conversation, so it’s always nice when someone actually listens.
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12. Being Knowledgeable
“Comic book nerds” have caught enough flack! Being knowledgeable about hobbies doesn’t make you a geek, it makes you an attractive, passionate person. It doesn’t matter what you’re learned in either, so long as it matters to you.
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13. Eye Contact
It’s easier said than done among shy people, but eye contact is a game-changer. Maintaining appropriate eye contact shows more confidence and quickens the bond between you and others. It also sparks a little electricity.
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14. Being Who You Are
There’s nothing more attractive than being who you are (so long as you’re a good person). Ignoring beauty trends or laughing off the latest fad diet proves you’re comfortable in your own skin. It also shows you actually have a personality—not one manufactured by others’ opinions.
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15. Creativity
Creativity may be good for the soul, but it’s also good for brownie points. It’s hard not to love the person with paint-speckled hands or the poetic soul frequently lost in their own writing.
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16. Having Some Patience
Constant outbursts turn people off. We know it’s annoying to get cut off in traffic, and no one wants to park for fast food, but neither is an excuse to freak out. Calmness is the flame that brings all the moths, trust us.
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17. Good Posture
We’re all guilty of slouching—you’re probably doing it now! However, good posture presents a more confident person, and we all know how attractive that trait is. Good posture also does wonders for your poor spine.
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18. Emotional Maturity
Emotional maturity encapsulates all kinds of attractive traits. Open-mindedness, empathy, and responsibility are just some of the ways people display maturity, and they’re all sought-after qualities.
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19. How You Speak
Good speakers don’t mumble. They don’t rifle off every thought at once either. Take your time and speak with intent—you’d be surprised how head-over-heels people fall with a little conversation.
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20. No Self-Sabotage
The odd self-deprecating joke isn’t a deal-breaker, but constant self-sabotage won’t get you anywhere. Though confidence takes time, don’t put yourself down at every turn and fulfill the self-prophecy that no one likes you. People do!
