I threw this question out several months ago, but since we’ve got a lot of new people on the board since then, I thought I’d throw it out again.
Are good-looking guys unattractive?
I like to look at them, but they really don’t do anything for me. I used to tell one of the floormen where I used to work who was absolutely gorgeous, “Troy, you’re the prettiest floorman in the joint, but it takes more than pretty to trip my trigger.”
The guy who tripped my trigger was overweight (not obese, but definetely pudgy) had a receding chin, blond hair that stuck up in wierd ways, and was generally not much to look at. He was also a sweet, patient, kind, intelligent, moral and generally decent human being. If he hadn’t been married, I would have gone out and found another job so I could have asked him out without worrying about both of us losing our jobs if he actually took me up… I was very sad when he found another job and I didn’t get to work with him anymore.
I think a lot (not all, but a siginificant percentage) of good-looking guys think they’re God’s gift to women, and think they should be able to get by on looks alone. Less physically attractive men actually have to work on developing (gasp) a personality.
What say, Dopers? Do average looking guys have it all over their better looking bretheren, or am I all wet?
I agree. I am stunningly handsome, and yet women don’t seem to be attracted to me at all. It’s wierd.
But seriously, attraction is wierd. I’ve lost the ability to speak while nearby women who would be (generally) considered on the low end of average, and been unphased by stunning women. And vice/versa.
Of course, neither of the groups had any interest in ME, but that’s another problem alltogether.
Beauty is an abstraction of an entire cultures idea of what’s desirable. Attraction is quite real. 
–
“Bring it on, Willard!”
I know this says something about me, but personally, I’m intimidated by attractive women. And I’m not talking about the “knock out beauty” either. Like ura-maru, I’ve found myself unphased by the beauty queen type, but I do know what I like.
At a recent party, for instance, there was a very cute - not a bombshell, but still very attractive - that was very smart and witty, and hanging on my every word…and I was terrified. My mind kept alternating thoughts of “Oh my God, she’s perfect” with thoughts of what her “angle” could be…and I couldn’t find it. Which scared me more. She ended up hooking up with my roommate, who is remarkably like me in terms of personality (though with better esteem, I’d say), sense of humor and wit (he’s also Irish, which probably helps).
The point of this story is not “please feel sorry for me” (though feel welcome), but that in my eyes at least, beautiful women have it too easy. They can get any guy and guys are disposable to them (this view is why I’m afraid of the “perfect” girl - because if I can’t figure out why they’re attracted to me, I jump to the conclusion that they’re probably not).
I know guys that are the same way - hell, I could be totally wrong about the girls, come to think of it - and so they have a tendency to be more aloof than less attractive ones. So yes, I agree with you, average looking guys probably will have, on average, more personality than the “pretty boys.” My $0.02, anyway…
It’s all in the eye of the beholder, I think.
I’ve dated men who range (in society’s view) from breathtakingly handsome to pure butt-ugly. I’ve had good experiences and bad experiences with both. In fact, I’d say it’s about 50-50. But I never based whether or not I dated a man on his looks.
Some of the nicest guys I’ve met have been really nice looking. I’ve met really nice guys who are not-so-nice-looking too. Jerks on both ends of the spectrum as well.
My faves, though, really are the average guys. Not Brad Pitt, but not Quasimodo either. Those guys tend to be quite normal personality-wise, and that’s what I like. Yes, I like normal. I like nice. Not perfect, not raging a**holes, just decent, average guys.
I’ve never been drawn to very good-looking men. I’ve always been attracted to guys with average to above-average looks. I very much prefer guys who look like nice guys rather than ones who are eye candy.
If I did meet an extraordinarily handsome guy, it would really depend on how I met him and how he acted before I made assumptions about his personality. I wouldn’t automatically think he was superficial and conceited and all that, but I would be leery that he would be more so than an average guy.
I’m really attracted to “ugly” men. Case in point, I think Johnny Rotten was damn sexy back in the day. Of course, most of the men I end up with tend to be assholes. I dunno if it’s related or not.
Good looks are great - face it. But you can’t underestimate intelligence, compassion, that nebulous thing called charisma,and above all, a kick-ass sense of humor.
The best looking guy I ever dated also happened to be the dullest. After the third date, I remember thinking, “Maybe if he was a mute…”
Now I know what my problem has been! I just look too damn good. Maybe if I tone it down a bit, I will start getting more women!! Thanks for the advice everyone. And all this time, I thought the weightroom was actually helping me. Forget that. No more exercise, no more wightlifting, no more running… it’s just a waste of time and it’s hurting me in the long run.
Now all I have to do is wait for the chicks to start pooring in!!
Bear-
A really goofy looking haircut might help, too.
Nah, don’t stop exercising. I like a guy who takes care of his health.
Are we talking about good looking men (e.g. Brad Pitt), or pretty men (e.g. Cillian Murphy)?
/duck
ETA: Oh shit, this popped up in my “similar threads” box. I didn’t realize it was 20 years old, holy cow! Sorry.
Yep, zombies are usually really ugly, gross with no communication skills.
They have weird diets too.
Wow, how standards have changed (for the better, I think) in 20 years.
Nothing wrong with chatting about how each of us, as individual human animals, react personally to others on a romantic/sexual basis, versus what “society” says is attractive. But hopefully in 2020 we could couch the exploration in terms that made fewer assumptions about sex and gender.
An old thread posing as a young one and still being attractive? There’s a lesson here.
True, but it isn’t just the “eye” that matters but also personal experience. At least in my case.
True.
And I have just noticed the improvement of your avatar. I wanted to suggest it before but I was afraid I might sound rude. It looks perfect now. 
Thanks, I worked on it. I kinda just used it how I found it. Then I saw it big and realized.
@PlaceboTarget, never be afraid to make a suggestion to me. I take direction and help with an open mind.
Cillian Murphy? Pretty? Umm … no.
Matt Bomer is pretty. I have declared it. But I don’t know how attracted I’d be if, say, he was sitting next to me at a bar. Pretty sure I’d just assume he’s gay and/or dumb as a hammer and/or an oily sleazeball charmer. (In real life, he is in fact one of those things. Which one has been left as an exercise for the reader.)