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  • Is beauty only skin deep?

  • There might not be a universal answer to this question, but research in psychology clearly shows that it's not just a beautiful face that makes us attractive.

  • Our personality, behavior, attitudesthey all create a constellation of traits that influence how others see us.

  • But no matter if you're as pretty as a picture, some not-so-pretty habits could make people look away.

  • What are those habits that might make you seem unattractive?

  • Keep watching to find out.

  • I'll go next time.

  • Some days, you just don't feel like being social, like, at all.

  • Your coworkers or school friends invite you to hang out and you come up with an excuse and run home.

  • Maybe the introvert in you is having an extra hard day or you just want to watch Netflix by yourself, and that's totally fine.

  • But what if it happens too often?

  • Social psychology suggests that avoiding spending time with others is not a good strategy if you'd like to be attractive.

  • According to the mere-exposure effect, we tend to prefer things we see often.

  • In the classic 1992 experiment, students who attended class more often were more liked by their colleagues simply because they were seen more often.

  • There's also the principle of proximity liking; it means that we tend to become fond of others when we have repeated contact with them.

  • In 2008, research study published in "Psychological Science" found that students who sit next to each other in class are more likely to become friends.

  • Bottom line: Don't reject that coffee next time you're invited.

  • Look at me.

  • Being confident is certainly something to strive for, but being overly confident?

  • Maybe not so much.

  • Psychotherapist Richard Joelson said in an article for "Psychology Today" that we tend to think of people who boast as arrogant, self-preoccupied, or even insecure.

  • So, if you can't stop talking about your achievements or success, you may unintentionally come off as full of yourself.

  • A 2014 study published in the "Journal of Positive Psychology" had two groups of people read descriptions of hypothetical students.

  • Some descriptions were confident but humble, for example, "I'm a pretty good student, but not a bookworm."

  • Other people say, "I'm smart, but I don't like the attention."

  • And others showed a bit of a boasting vibe.

  • "I'm really a good student and pretty smart, but definitely not a nerd or bookworm. I guess it just comes naturally."

  • Later in the experiment, participants showed greater interest in starting a relationship with students whose descriptions appeared more humble.

  • So, make sure you don't brag too much in front of others.

  • It may sound just a bit off-putting.

  • 2 a.m. club.

  • Does your nighttime routine consist of scrolling through TikTok or watching YouTube videos until 2 a.m.,

  • then, trying to silently make popcorn, followed by a few episodes of your favorite show?

  • If this sounds like you, you should maybe rethink this habit.

  • Research published in the journal "BMJ" in 2010 investigated the attractiveness of sleep-deprived individuals.

  • The researchers took photos of two groups of people.

  • Those who'd slept for 8 hours the night before and the sleep-deprived one who hadn't slept in 31 hours.

  • Participants of the study then had to rate those photos.

  • As expected, they rated the sleep-deprived people as looking less healthy and less attractive.

  • It seems like skimping on sleep won't get you that date.

  • Glass half empty.

  • We all get sucked into a state of pessimism from time to time.

  • Talking about how you feel can make you feel relieved in a way, but is this habit viewed as attractive?

  • Well, not so much.

  • In 2007, German researchers developed a study in which they had participants listen to some tape-recorded conversations.

  • The tapes had optimistic, realistic, and pessimistic people talking about how they were dealing with stressful situations.

  • After listening, participants filled out a questionnaire in which they evaluated the personality and attractiveness of the people they'd listened to.

  • The results showed that if they listened to optimistic and realistic people, they viewed them much more favorably than pessimistic ones.

  • So, even if you're not the most optimistic and cheerful person,

  • finding a balance between black and white by being at least realistic could make you seem more attractive than simply indulging in negativity.

  • Non-pickup lines.

  • Is it sexy to be sexist?

  • And this is how researchers named their 2020 study published in the journal "Personal Relationships".

  • And the answer? It's a clear "no".

  • The study showed that sexist humor, when directed to the opposite gender, comes off as unattractive and even aggressive.

  • Even if you don't mean it in a bad way, joking about gender stereotypes or gender roles can make the other person roll their eyes, cringe, and try to get as far away from you as possible.

  • That doesn't mean you shouldn't ever joke, of course.

  • Just make sure your jokes are tasteful and not hurting any group of people.

  • Do you recognize some of these behaviors in yourself?

  • If you do, don't worry.

  • Every day is a new opportunity to learn and grow.

  • Changing some unattractive and unhealthy habits might draw others towards you.

  • But, most importantly, it would make you feel great in your own skin.

  • You can check out older videos to learn about 10 surprising habits that make you more attractive.

  • And remember, no matter what, PSY thinks you're a real treat and don't ever forget: you matter.

Is beauty only skin deep?

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