If the human body is meant to be very muscular and bult, why are people attracted to people that don't...?

Question

...display these traits? Aren't we supposed to want to find the strongest and the best mate? Why then did we develop other tastes besides the one that in the animal kingdom at least, would reign supreme?

Oops, meant "built", typo.

I wasn't saying this is what I believe today, just an innocent question.

Answer 1

Sexual attraction is complicated and variable. Evolution, psychology, and sociology all play a role. Humans also have higher brain functioning that allows us to think beyond animal attraction.

Besides, having people attracted to different types of people allows for more variation in society which is a benefit. To put this in simple terms - if everyone is attracted to Brad Pitt and only mates with people who look like Brad Pitt, yes will have generations of beautiful people walking around capable of being so beautiful they can be actors . . . but, who is going to write the scripts, direct the movie, design the sets, compose the music, built the scenery, etc. Variableness allows for several talents and qualities to come through that contribute to the whole society.

Answer 2

Sexual attraction is based on a variety of criteria. There is no definate "sex appeal". In large part sexual attraction is determined by media exposures. (with some lesser raw phermonal occurrences.

Natural selection is a system where the offspring having specific traits are more likely to survive and mate.

Mating customs vary from culture to culture.

While health is often seen as a major trait the level of muscular capacity or otherwise would only give a slight advantage, in mate selection.

While in the past it could play a larger role, humans as an intelligent species of tool users, take some weight off muscle and instead plays on the role of intelligence.

In modern times while muscular bodies are still seen as attractive, other elements often play into mate selection - such as carear, assets etc..

this may play back into the ability to make the mate feel good have trust or be turned on since band systems likely prevent rape to a certain extent, instead creating social customs such as paying the providers (dowry) who would protect the mate. But the ability to fight or garner support (politics) would also play into that.

All these systems still exist. Today there are laws that discourage rape or repeat rapes. Females from non arranged marriage cultures tend to have choice of their mate and often try to find one that fits their image of the ideal mate - which may tie into their media exposures, as well as political, and capacity to enjoy life.

If you look to primates mating customs or other animals often strength does play into the alpha identity - today however there is a very complex system - and muscle alone does not denote the capacity to lead, as complex political systems have come into existence to denote - the superior male.

A girl is still going to pick a rich strong guy over a rich guy or a strong rich funny well positioned guy over a rich funny well positioned guy -- more likely then not - women culturally may have a specific image - because it ain't all about muscle anymore. - bear in mind people are unique individuals - and likeness may vary from case to case - but I'm geussing on that trend - it aint all muscle though - some body builders suffer a reduced sized peepee. - arnold was a body builder and he ended up govenor of california...

Men pretty much owned women as property until the last 2000 years --- and over the last 2000 it's only been slowly changing...

throughout time and culture to culture there have been different mating trends.


The body adapts to it's environment - including intake and activities. The body can do anything it can change into.. ideals are environmental ideals - developed situations based on stimulus, desire, and capacity. - which require resource aiding developmental capacity.

Only faith determines what we are meant to be and there is no clear answer on that.

Answer 3

Because art and advertising tells us what is "the perfect body."

For example: because of art, advertising, fashion mags, hollywood, you name it, right now the "in thing" is too be rail-thin.

If Marilyn Monroe was around today she's get ignored by casting agents and they'd tell her she was a big fat a s s. Whereas if she'd lived in Italy 600 years ago she would have been told she was WAY WAY too SKINNY to be attractive all the time.

Because humans have evolved (in most places) beyond our bodies reflecting just what we've been able to scrounge from the forest, we've evolved into a headspace where we can DECIDE what's attractive rather than going on pure instinct.

If this hadn't happened, chubby, curvy women and huge muscular men would be attractive to everyone.

Answer 4

Actually, that's not how the human body is "supposed" to look. In fact, bodybuilders have to spend a lot of time working out and eating the right stuff to look like that. If you look at pictures of modern hunter/gatherers who are living the same lifestyle as humans have for millions of years, you'll see that most of them fall in between skinny and kinda pudgy. When people do work really hard, most of us tend towards wirey like farmers and dancers rather than muscley.

Also, attraction is much more complicated than that. One major reason that we're attracted to certain people is that we've grown up around people who look like that. For instance, I like tall, skinny guys with dark hair. Why? Most of the guys in my family are tall and skinny with dark hair. It doesn't matter so much what you look like, but if your family has certain traits, those are what you'll look for. That's why a lot of couples look kinda alike.

Answer 5

Well, actually, I have found that when you ignore the media - who for some unknown reason run the idea that 'skinny is attractive', and you ignore the mags run by women that say they should be "slim", and actually ask adults - especially males - what they prefer, you'll find most like a girl with a bit of meat on her.
Personally, I love them well-built and even athletic.
I think many of those very shapely, well-built girls are delicious!

Answer 6

Once there was a caveman named Og. He was a skinny nearsighted thing that was a lousy hunter. He did however make beautiful arrowheads. When all the hunters went out to look for game, Og gave them arrowheads in trade for a share of the meat. The leader of the hunters, Grub was a mighty hunter and brave, too. One day they are out hunting mastadon when the bull elephant charges. Grub jumps in front of the mastadon waving his spear in order to give the other hunters a chance to escape. In the process, he is killed. Question: Who's home in the cave with the women?

Answer 7

I'm attracted to more than one type of build. My ex was tall and lanky, and I like that. But I also find buff men pretty darn hot. Anthropologically speaking, you can probably justify more than one type of build because humans are pretty versatile animals. We don't rely just on physical strength, but also agility, endurance, speed, etc.

Vive la difference anyway. The different attractions provide something for each of us!

Answer 8

Perfect human bodies can't be obtained without a lifetime of normal heallthy diet and exercise. We are so tired at the end of our day that we crave food and pleasure. The demons of Hell are wiser than angels. Their master was the best. Now, I AM.

Answer 9

The human body is not meant to look like a body building freak show, besides, it's not strength that got humans to where we are today, but culture and intelligence. If human beings were left to rely on our biological traits alone (minus intelligence) then we would have gone extinct before we even began!

Answer 10

Not anymore. In the days when this idea was valid, life was much more hazardous than it is today. Muscle and reflexes were often the difference between life and death, i.e. killing food for ourselves and not ending up food for something else. Nowadays, we produce our food in factories. Our settlements tend to drive animals that would otherwise be considered predators away. The few that do encroach on civilization are dealt with by trained professionals with tools far superiour than the spears and rocks of eons past.
To conclude, your answer would be our superiour control over our environment. While we may still fall victim to extreme natural disasters, we are much better off in that regard than any other species.