This post was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.
There’s always a likelihood you’ll be drawn to someone you meet for the first time. A physical attraction exists if you feel inclined to reach out and touch them.
An emotional attraction would arise if they were nice, pleasant, and honest about their feelings.
When it comes to attraction, there are a variety of ways in which it can be expressed, perceived, and realized. In order to successfully navigate relationship dynamics, it’s helpful and liberating to identify the many ‘categories’ of attraction. You don’t have to hold on to old ideas about what makes someone attractive and what makes someone attractive. You can embrace the whole range of feelings we have for each other.
What Is Attraction & Why Is It Important?
The term “attraction” refers to any kind of emotional, romantic, sexual, physical, or aesthetic interest, desire, or affinity. Attraction is frequently mislabeled as a strictly romantic emotion, and it can, in fact, encompass a wide range of emotions, ranging from admiration for someone’s physical attractiveness to the experience of sexual urges. The ability to attract others and create a network of allies relies heavily on attraction.
It’s possible to experience multiple types of attractions at the same time. Our own feelings and the boundaries we need to set up to make sure our feelings are heard and understood can both benefit from learning more about the complicated and multifaceted nature of attraction.
Sexual
Being attracted to someone on a sexual level and wanting to be physically and intimately close to them is the essence of sexual attraction, and that leaves little room for interpretation. But there’s more to it than that. When it comes to sex, you don’t have to limit yourself to a person you’ve met face-to-face. In a fantasy world, it is possible to contain it. You’re attracted to someone if you feel arousal, lust, or physiological excitement when you’re around them.
Lust
Intense sentiments of desire, affection, or attraction toward a person might be described as lust.
Objective Sexual
While you may not find them attractive, you may nevertheless be drawn to someone since the majority of people find them attractive.
Subjective Sexual
When it comes to the desire to have sex, most people don’t have the same thoughts and feelings as them.
Romantic
It is the desire to create a relationship based on mutually beneficial connections and experiences that attracts romantic attraction in this situation. It’s possible that you’re interested in another person’s life, thoughts, and feelings, or that you would like to be. This type of relationship is comparable to friendships, but it goes beyond friendships in that romantic attraction tends to be focused on a single person and may have a more significant effect than friendships do.
For sure, many kinds of attraction can coexist. For some people, romantic attraction can contain both a sexual and an emotional pull.
Aromantic
It’s also referred to as “aro,” and it describes the range of people who feel no romantic attraction or desire for romantic relationships.
Biromantic
People of different genders might be attracted to one another in a romantic way. It doesn’t specify which gender a person is attracted to romantically, but rather that the person is drawn to people of both sexes.
Polyromantic
This refers to a person who is attracted to people of many gender identities, but not necessarily all of them.
Physical
Physical attraction is distinct from sexual attraction in that it’s about the desire to be physically close to a specific person and to touch or be touched by them.
Although a sexual, emotional, or romantic connection is possible, it is not necessary for a person to be physically attracted to another person. Tactile stimuli like hugs, cuddles, holding hands, and massages can elicit strong emotional responses in people who aren’t looking for a romantic relationship. You might enjoy cuddling with a friend, but you might not want to have sex with them.
Intimacy
Closeness in a personal relationship can come in many forms, such as physical, sexual, romantic, emotional, or even romantic.
Objective Physical
While you may not find anything beautiful about a person’s physical appearance, the majority of others do.
Subjective Physical
This kind of physical desire or adoration is based on feelings and experiences that are unique to the individual and not shared by the majority of people. The physical chemistry that is present in a connection or encounter can often be seen as a sign that there is a subjective physical attraction.
Emotional
It’s the sharing of dreams, anxieties, and aspirations that is the foundation of any kind of relationship, platonic or romantic, that you experience when you are attracted to someone and feel a connection with them. Learn more about emotional attraction at https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/attraction/.
Platonic
Here, we’re talking about wanting to be in a relationship with someone without having any sexual or romantic feelings for them. For example, platonic relationships are common in friendships.
Protective
This refers to a person’s desire to care for others, such as a child, a pet, or a family member.
Social
These people have a lot of support from the general public. It’s not uncommon for someone who is socially beautiful to be sought out by others.