I think you've all noticed that I have a bit of a soft spot for pretty girls... Only god knows how many actresses I've crushed on (I don't mean famous ones, I mean ones I've actually met in person). Wouldn't life be easier if we could just appreciation women for their personalities alone? I know it would rid me of about 60% of my ridiculously high standards - though it would not solve the problem (80% for most men) .
So what do you think the evolutionary purpose of physical attraction is?
We all know about the evolutionary attraction to physical attributes. Breasts, will feed the young; a high waste to hip ratio will make birth easier; good skin is synonymous with health; etc, etc. It improves our chances of procreation. But what about beauty? A perfectly shaped face. A slender figure? Most of these standards are at least partially created by our modern society. Merely flying to another continent, we see other cultures worshiping roundness and a different face and what do we do? We stimulate bulimia and anorexia. And the worst part of it is... I love slender (I'm part of the problem). This is not only irrational, but also unhealthy from a descendance point of view.
My question is: What possible genetical improvements would our descendants benefit from if we procreated with a beautiful woman? What is the evolutionary purpose of attraction to beauty if beauty is primarily cultural?
