army1987 comments on Be Happier - Less Wrong

108 [deleted] 16 April 2012 01:51AM

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Comment author: wedrifid 18 April 2012 04:35:44PM 14 points [-]

The outlines of the performance theory seem good, and it feels introspectively correct as well. But if happiness is a high-status marker, why is it unattractive to women?

I took a look at the paper, and in particular the sample image they include:

My first impression was a lot more attraction to the female 'pride' picture than any of the other female images - while pride in females was found to be highly unattractive. Now I want to determine whether my preferences differ from some norm or whether this picture is an unusual case.

I do allow that much of my preference may have been determined simply due to the combination of hideously unflattering t-shirts and arms being up in the air compensating for that and actually making breasts evident. If giving all the people ghostly shirts was supposed to be some clever attempt to isolate the influence of clothing then it seems somewhat shortsighted. (Mind you if males were consistently not attracted to the 'pride' female despite it being the only one with apparent breasts then that is just all the more significant!)

Comment author: [deleted] 18 April 2012 07:57:07PM 3 points [-]

I thought about, well... what you say in your last paragraph even before reading your last paragraph. Hence, no idea of how to generalize my impression to people wearing ‘normal’ clothes.

Comment author: wedrifid 18 April 2012 08:34:57PM 2 points [-]

I thought about, well... what you say in your last paragraph

The way the 'prideful' posture emphasizes the breasts?

Comment author: [deleted] 19 April 2012 04:51:42PM 0 points [-]

Yes.