When we previously talked about what makes a face physically attractive, we said that the human mind processes attractive people more easily, which gives the mind relief.
I also said that the relatively higher degree of symmetry in those attractive faces makes them easier for the brain to process, and hence we find it more pleasant to look at those faces.
But do you know that we like beautiful faces because looking at them actually changes our emotions?
Before I tell you how this happens, let me explain quickly how the brain works. When you see a movie about a hero saving people, then your brain will correlate to a certain extent with that hero, and you will even experience some of the emotions felt by that hero.
This is why some movies make you feel strong, excited, or even happy after watching them. Now everything that we see with our eyes affects our emotions to a certain extent.
Do you remember how you felt the last time you saw a friend feeling extremely anxious while doing a presentation? Probably you didn’t feel good unless you hate this person. When you saw that person unable to speak and anxious, you experienced some of his anxiety without noticing, and this is why you didn’t feel good.
How beautiful faces change our moods
Now, what if a person had a face that reflected strength and power?
In such a case, you can actually feel a little bit stronger or more powerful by just looking at that face. Now compare this to someone who has a face that looks sad and miserable.
When you look at that latter face, there is a huge chance that you will experience a little bit of unhappiness (on the unconscious level, of course).
Apart from the fact that a beautiful face reflects good health or can be easily processed by the brain, we still find those faces attractive because they make us feel good as they transfer some emotions to us.
This is why you will find a strong correlation between beauty and the certain good qualities you are personally looking for. If, for example, courage was an essential personality trait for you, you will certainly find the face that reflects that emotion attractive without even realizing that this is the reason that got you attracted to that face.
Why each person has different preferences
Depending on the meaning you give to the facial features, the level of attractiveness will be determined.
If, for example, you believed that people with sharp-looking features are aggressive, then you might be repelled by them. If, on the other hand, you believed that people with sharp-looking features are emotionally stronger than others, then you will get attracted to them.
In other words, those factors determine what makes a face attractive to you:
- Your interpretation of the person’s facial features
- The qualities you are looking for
- The personality traits you want to avoid
This is exactly why you sometimes feel good when you look at a beautiful face.
