Dust commented on yesterday’s Quote of the Day about women and beauty:
I can buy that possibly men’s brains are hardwired to select for attractiveness, but I can’t buy that attractiveness itself is hardwired. What is attractive hasn’t been consistent either over time or geography. So…maybe not hardwired, but programmed?
Maybe, Dust. But take a look at these recent research reports. They use hardwired and reward circuitry to explain what’s going on. See How pretty faces light up the brain and Study finds beauty can be its own reward: Viewing attractive female faces activates the brain’s reward circuits in males.
Note the importance of eye contact in the BBC story. I experience this all the time. If I see an attractive woman stranger, I get a little brain twinge. If she makes eye contact with me and then smiles, the twinge travels to other parts of my body. My wife has the power to do this to me many times a day… and often does, thankfully. 😉