When a man is ready to get serious and find a long-term partner to have kids with, he values a woman's intelligence over physical qualities like large breasts and long legs, claims a University of Cambridge professor and evolutionary biologist. His theory is not entirely flattering for men* or* women, considering that its shock value (and maybe, for some, its appeal) is based on the assumption that men are all about looks, and that women should be—well, what exactly? Honored?—that men value our brains more than our breasts. But whatever, science.
Biologist David Bainbridge says the thinking goes like this: If a woman is intelligent, that means she likely comes from smart parents, and therefore not only has been taken care of herself, but she also knows how to take care of others. "Surveys have shown time and time again that [intelligence] is the first thing that men look for," Bainbridge said at the Hay Festival in Wales over the weekend, according to The Telegraph. "It shows that she will be able to look after his children and that her parents were probably intelligent as well, suggesting that she was raised well."
On the physical front, it's symmetry, not size, that steer a man's physical preferences, according to Bainbridge. "Actually large breasts are more likely to be asymmetric and men are more attracted to symmetry," he said. "And they look older more quickly, and men value youth." Bainbridge added that men don't care so much about long legs, either. Rather, there's a preference for "straightness," since unevenness can apparently be a sign of developmental illness. (My left leg is a quarter of an inch shorter than my right, so my boyfriend must just ignore this apparently heinous quality.)
Other research has shown that men want their smart, symmetrical breeding partners to also have full thighs and bottoms—both signs of healthy fat storage, a necessity for breast-feeding. Also optimal: a low hip-to-waist ratio. One recent study published in* Evolution and Human Behavior *even found that men are most attracted to a specific 45.5-degree curve where the spine attaches to the buttocks—yet another fertility signal.
Much of this comes down to biology—just like men are primed to look for signs that a woman can carry his offspring, women also have preferences in choosing a mate. Research published in 2014 found that women were most concerned when a man's earning potential and ambition were framed in a negative way—not surprising, considering that both attributes have been found to be key factors for women selecting a partner.
As we inch closer to gender equality—namely, closing the wage gap—these preferences could change. A 2012 study found that when there's a more equal balance of power between genders, men's and women's desired traits in a mate became more and more similar. For instance, the difference between male and female preferences are much less significant in Finland, the most gender-equal country out of those surveyed, than in Turkey, which has the largest gender gap of the bunch. From Time:
What do you think of the study's findings that men value intelligence above all else when choosing a life partner? Does this seem obvious to you? Is it surprising at all? Share in the comments.
