Attraction

Attraction

(noun)

There are many different types of attraction. All of these attractions are valid and may be independent from each other or interact with each other in a variety of ways. Attraction can be present or absent in everything from friendships to life partners. Each relationship is a unique experience. This is why some people identify not only with their sexuality but also with their romantic attraction using the suffix -romantic (panromantic, homoromantic). This is especially common in the asexual community where a focus on romantic relationships or platonic relationships is more visible. 

e.g. Kent experiences romantic attraction for femmes but has emotional platonic attraction to many other people.

Types of Attraction

• Sexual Attraction: Attraction that makes people desire sexual contact or shows sexual interest in another person(s). Sexual attraction is different from having a sex drive, which is a biological instinct.

• Romantic Attraction: This is attraction that makes people desire romantic contact or interaction with another person(s).

• Sensual Attraction: Attraction that makes people desire physical closeness, tactile, and non-sexual contact with another person(s), such as hugging or cuddling.

• Emotional Attraction: This is attraction that makes people desire getting to know another person(s). Emotional attraction is present in many personal relationships, including platonic friendships and familial relationships.

• Mental Attraction: Attraction that makes people desire to engage with another person(s) in a thoughtful manner. Examples include having deep conversations or engaging in thought-provoking activities together. This has nothing to do with Western ideas of “intelligence” as something measurable, as some claim. Rather, it refers to an attraction to how a person thinks, how they solve problems, or how they interpret and engage with the world.

• Aesthetic Attraction: Attraction that occurs when someone appreciates the appearance or beauty of another person(s), not necessarily connected to other types of attraction.

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