article: Hot People Are Stressful - The brain appreciates beauty. But not always.

[MatureDJ]

Hot People Are Stressful

The brain appreciates beauty. But not always.

www.theatlantic.com

... I hauled myself into my new specialist’s office unshowered and wearing gym clothes I had collected from my floor, sweaty and rapidly losing any remaining will to sit upright. So I was not prepared for when the doctor walked into the exam room and revealed himself to be tall, broad shouldered, square jawed, and absolutely beautiful.

A couple of weeks later, the hot doctor cut out my rotting tonsils. When he paid me a surprise visit in the recovery room, I was consumed again by the irrational belief that people at the far end of the physical-beauty bell curve should at least give the rest of us some time to compose ourselves before we have to deal with them.

The problem starts with brain chemistry. “When you see an attractive person, the left ventral tegmental area of the brain becomes active and will pump out dopamine,” says Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist who studies attraction at the Kinsey Institute. “Dopamine is a stimulant to the brain, so some people might react with surprise or awkwardness.” That feeling is the weak-kneed giddiness that very attractive people can inspire, which can leave you fumbling for words and feeling off balance, even though a dopamine rush is a fundamentally pleasurable experience.

Based on Fisher’s research, which used fMRI scans to observe the brain lighting up in response to stimuli, the left ventral tegmental area (commonly referred to as the left VTA) is responsible for pleasurable reactions to beauty. Meanwhile, the right VTA provides the dopamine that fuels romantic love; the two responses are similar but neurologically distinct, which means that what people feel when they see a random pretty face isn’t necessarily a desire for romance or even sex. “The same thing probably happens when you look at a good painting,” says Fisher. “It can pump out the dopamine and perhaps make you slightly giddy.”

The left VTA appraises and appreciates what you see, but lighting up that part of the brain doesn’t necessarily make you want to interact with the person whose appearance gives you pleasure, which is why most people don’t try to ask out every hot person they see. The stress I felt wasn’t the same as a fear of rejection; my hot surgeon wasn’t even my type. Instead, I panicked because of a key difference between gazing at a painting and a hottie: A painting doesn’t judge you back.

Even if hot people have the element of surprise on their side, that gets them only so far. “Good looks are important in the beginning, because it gets you to look at a person and you might go talk to them,” says Fisher. “It’s a great first signal, but mating has breaking points and escalation points.” She notes that usually, in the long run, being really hot isn’t enough to keep people attracted to someone who has a terrible personality or a bizarre worldview.

 

[zekko]

The stress I felt wasn’t the same as a fear of rejection; my hot surgeon wasn’t even my type. Instead, I panicked because of a key difference between gazing at a painting and a hottie: A painting doesn’t judge you back.

She's afraid of being judged by the hot guy, so it does kind of sound like a fear of rejection, despite her protest.
Anyway, I could see how attractive people could be more stressful than unattractive people, especially if you don't feel prepared to deal with them (like when you're in a hospital bed).

Even if hot people have the element of surprise on their side, that gets them only so far. “Good looks are important in the beginning, because it gets you to look at a person and you might go talk to them,” says Fisher. “It’s a great first signal, but mating has breaking points and escalation points.” She notes that usually, in the long run, being really hot isn’t enough to keep people attracted to someone who has a terrible personality or a bizarre worldview.

Just goes to show how complicated and unpredictable the whole attraction process really is.

 

[Who Dares Win]

i'm pretty sure that if that was a night club, being her prepared and full of makeup while being one of the few women there surrouned from thirtsty men, she would have toyed with him for few minutes before giving him any real attention.

If anything this fact shows how women are situational in their behaviour and feelings.

 

[DEEZEDBRAH]

Spunds like junk science in piss poor attempt to celebrate bpfy positivity for morbidly obese.

 

[Crown]

So I guess the "she likes you when she's nervous around you" sentence is correct

 

[Serenity]

i'm pretty sure that if that was a night club, being her prepared and full of makeup while being one of the few women there surrouned from thirtsty men, she would have toyed with him for few minutes before giving him any real attention.

Yeah, they literally paint confidence onto their faces.

If anything this fact shows how women are situational in their behaviour and feelings.

I think this applies to more than just women, I'd say it's generally unusual to not behave and feel differently in different situations...

She notes that usually, in the long run, being really hot isn’t enough to keep people attracted to someone who has a terrible personality or a bizarre worldview.

This point is seriously underrated on this forum.