Spring Break
The laws of attraction - fact or fiction?
Daniel Boyer
Issue date: 12/6/04 Section: Opinion
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The mystery of attraction for me began at age five.
Recently, I surveyed 242 students on the Main Campus about the mystery of attraction.
I decided to focus on the involved/dating women and men, who can best demonstrate how an attraction may last beyond a catcall.
Among the involved women surveyed, 46 percent said they had been in their current relationships for more than six months, 37 percent for more than a year. The men were far less involved, at 30 and 20 percent, respectively.
Because more of the women were in long-lasting relationships, maybe we should pay closer attention to their values.
Eighty-seven percent of the involved women cited honesty and trust as the most valued qualities in a man. Fifty-six percent of the involved men shared this view about women.
Seventy-two percent of the involved women said a man's personality is more important than his appearance.
Because it is much easier to change your attitude than appearance, this should be good news for guys on this campus.
The survey results for men were much different.
Seventy-two percent of involved men said they are attracted to a woman's appearance, which went beyond beautiful eyes or a smile. They also mentioned body parts.
While the numbers were consistent, the reasons were not. This is where the mystery is revealed.
What do women like in their men? "Just being able to laugh at nothing at all," said one woman. "Conversation that went beyond sexual matters," said another.
The uniqueness of each relationship and its beginnings is the mystery of attraction.
I saw such a relationship on television the other night.
I was watching the movie "50 First Dates," where Lucy (Drew Barrymore) was reliving each day over because of short-term memory loss.
Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) found himself attracted to Lucy. Henry and Lucy had a great time and agreed to meet the following day.