Psychologically/Unconscious sizing up the other sex

[MickyMacgraw]

We all hear of this, men look at women and are looking for the hour glass figure, big breasts, wide hips etc.. Said to be an unconscious way way of looking for the the best female to carry his baby, and women are looking for the broad shouldered muscular alpha male that is more likely to be the best hunter gatherer etc... As this is all in our genes apparently what is to be said of males and females that go for a body type nothing like the ones I've mentioned, either much fatter or much thinner, are they devoid of this gene/dna that signals to the rest of us to get the best bet for human survival? Are they lacking in something? What's the Physiology behind this?

[237SJ]

I guess there are exceptions to every rule. I tend to look at the face. And hair is good. Preferably on the head and not up the nose.

[MickyMacgraw]

Thanks 237SJ but this apparently goes beyond rules and into the realms of genetics which is a subject I'm far from an expert in yet have an interest.
There must've been some interesting studies which I'd like to read up on.

[seadogg]

We are social animals and have to make decisions accordingly. So we have to modify the patterns of behaviour that our genes alone might suggest. In assessing possible life partners people are conscious of their own attractiveness in choosing somebody suitable. Somebody summed it up nicely. "Every foul face has a foul fancy".

[MickyMacgraw]

Seadogg is it fair to say that in the past when we were more animal than human our choices were predicted more by genes and now it's predicted more by logic.....Well in some cases ")

[Graham-W]

In a large number of animal species there is a certain "pecking order" where the alpha-male is the main male to mate with. Some species even fight to the death to retain their breeding rights. I guess this would become unacceptable, over time, in human society. Except, perhaps, in Newcastle on a Friday night, where a fight to obtain breeding rights is considered to be the norm.

[mike11111]

How naughty! I hope for your sake Bobbisox doesn't read this. Only we Geordies are allowed to take the p**s out of Newcastle.

[jaydah]

wish I knew why I chose the father of my gorgeous kids as none have his traits

[seadogg]

Right on Mickey. In our society bare survival isn't such an issue.

Check out Freud. His concept of the ID is the result of our primal desires and is in our unconscious "core". The EGO and the SUPER EGO have to come between the ID and the world we have to live in. Its a starting place anyway. Some sociologists have it that we are all actors playing a part so its not surprising that what you see isn't always what you get with humans. One more glass and I wont care anyway lol.

[MickyMacgraw]

Very interesting subject seadogg, thank you and all others and enjoy your weekend.

[beso]

There are many more traits than the obvious ones stated in the question.

One powerful aspect particularly used by women is the smell of the man. Smell is strongly related to the immune system. Choosing a man who smells different from herself is an opportunity to obtain new immune factors for the children. It also reduces the chance of breeding with a close relative.

It is undoubtedly one of the reasons that women have a much more sensitive sense of smell than men.

In opposition to this factor, people are more likely to be attracted to those who look similar to themselves. This indicates the presence of the same genes and promotes them in the children.

There is also the factor that women often breed with the alpha man and cohabit with another. It is estimated that even today, as many as ten percent of children are not the progeny of their apparent father.

[beso]

Most of Freud's theories are thoroughly discredited. Still he does deserve the credit for the idea that the psyche could be subjected to analysis at all.

[MickyMacgraw]

Pheromones are more a secondary factor though beso after sight, especially in this age of scented cremes, soaps, toiletries perfumes and aftershaves.

[boxtops]

Those of us past procreation must have different criteria....

[Andyvon]

Who on Earth comes up with these ideas? I'm 48 and I've never gone though life looking at women as sex objects and unconsciously selecting them as mothers of my children. I've never had children and I'm happy enough I didn't. What's always mattered to me is whether I can spend an evening with someone and not get frustrated or bored. I would soon tire of a good-looking woman who only wanted to talk about what one of her friends said to another of her friends, then wanted to watch Eastenders and the X-Factor! She'd be out the door as quick as she liked, good looks and all!

I used to be a chauffeur and I heard thousands of conversations. I never really heard men talking about women in terms of sex or looks, nor did I really hear women discussing men that way. What I did hear all the time was real competition within the same sex. Many men try to compete with each other for status and establish a hierarchy by bragging about job, house, car, leisure activities etc.
Women were far worse about each other and I would even use the word 'nasty'. I might have four women in the car all chatting happily. As soon as one got out, the others would tear her apart over her hair, clothes, shoes etc. As soon as the next got out, the remaining two would tear her to pieces about the same things!

I think most of these ideas are contrived and don't really reflect reality.

[wildwood]

The first thing I still notice is the eyes. Then the appeal (to me?) of the face.

Inevitably the gaze lowers to the pectoralis major but that's another story.

[mibn2cweus]

I'm attracted to women of superior intellect. Any child of mine is gonna need all the intelligence they can get . . . and they're certainly not going to get it from me!

[naomi24]

Oooo ..... didn't know you cared. ;o)

[mibn2cweus]

. . . sense of humour too, obviously! :o)

[naomi24]

Haaa! Paramount! :o)

[cazzz1975]

i think the pheremones and specific physical attributes are a load of tosh, from my perspective anyhow, Im sure the perfume/aftershave companies continue to push this guff to sell more crap.