Average value of physical attractiveness.

The physical attractiveness is something that everyone can see and understand intuitively, but is difficult to express in words.

So what creates a charming face? It's difficult to describe. When you see a good example, you just know it's one.

Several studies have tried to decipher the code of this facial appearance. I think the most compelling argument is that average faces are often the most attractive.

For example, the software program generates the average face of 1000 people - a synthetic face with average cheekbone height, average interocular distance, average lip fullness, and so on. Particularly, cross-cultural (mixed-race) images are often the ones that people are most likely to be judged as the most attractive and are frequently used.

One evolutionary explanation is that non-average features may have a higher than average reproductive risk. They may or may not affect reproductive health, but it's like nature is hinting, 'Why take the risk? Pursue the average level.'

People like familiarity. This applies not only to faces, but also to products, professions, and styles. It's almost like nature's risk management system.

Excerpt from Morgan Housel, Feb 2023