So *this* is what makes men more attractive to women, and it’s unexpected

(Photo: Stocksy)

Any human who has ever had romantic feelings for another human is well-aware that attraction is a very weird, unpredictable, and at times frustratingly complicated thing. Countless scientists and researchers have tried to tease apart what makes us like one another with mixed results. And while many studies revolve around a series of usual attractiveness suspects (physicality, status, money), a new study proposes that men can be more attractive to women for a sort of surprising reason — because they are good storytellers.

(GIF: Paramount/giphy.com)

Hmmmmm. This seems counterintuitive. Wouldn’t someone who is good at captivating an audience with a tale also run a high risk of being a good liar?

Not according to Melanie Green of the University of Buffalo and John Donahue of the University of North Carolina, who wrote, according to Yahoo!, “Women try to identify a mate who can provide resources to any offspring. Given that women are likely to value a ‘good dad’ or provider more in long-term relationships, our findings suggest that male storytelling ability may suggest resource-gaining prowess to women — especially if good storytellers can gain higher social status.”

Fascinating.

Interestingly enough, the researchers did not find that the reverse was true — men did not rate women more or less attractive depending on their storytelling ability.

Of course, it’s only one study and these results only apply to heterosexual attractiveness. Studies should be done to assess if having a way with words influences everyone’s perception of romantic desire. Everyone loves a good story right?

(GIF: Nickelodeon/giphy.com)