Q&A: “Could you help me by defining those types of attraction?”
anonymous said:
I get your point about the types of attraction being connected in a web, not a scalar. Could you help me by defining those types of attraction? For example, I know sexual attraction is a desire to have sexual contact, and aesthetic attraction is about appearance. I’m less clear on the others, which are often defined via tautology. (“Romantic attraction is desire to have a romantic relationship.” Ok, then what’s a romantic relationship?) Can you help clear this up? Thanks!
(re: this post, however i’m going to update that post to include definitions)
it’s true, definitions can sometimes be circular and thus unhelpful/difficult to understand. often because the thing being defined is difficult to define, obviously.
i guess i’ll give writing simplistic definitions a shot… i’ve done it before, but never all laid out at once like this. this is quite the task!
please bear in mind that these are my own personal definitions as of now (2.24.2016). i do not claim to be an expert on this or anything else and others may disagree with what i’ve written here. hell, i may disagree with it after someone reblogs this with commentary. either way, if my personal definitions conflict with your own, please don’t take it personally. this isn’t me telling you that yours are wrong.
…have i thrown out enough disclaimers to cover my ass yet? ugh.
Types of Attraction
aesthetic attraction: feeling drawn to someone based on appearance, often due to keen appreciation of or interest in that person’s appearance which is not necessarily sexual (or anything else) in nature.
sensual attraction: feeling drawn to touch or be physically close to someone in a way that isn’t necessarily sexual (or anything else) in nature.
platonic attraction: feeling drawn to someone in a way that makes you desire familiarity with them. sometimes involving emotional intimacy, while at the same time not necessarily sexual or anything else.
sexual attraction: feeling drawn to someone in a way that triggers a desire to have sexual interaction with that person. often sensual in nature, however other types of attraction may or may not be involved.
alterous attraction: feeling drawn to someone in a way that makes you desire familiarity and intimacy with them that is generally emotional in nature, but not necessarily sexual nor anything else.
romantic attraction: feeling drawn to someone in a way that makes you desire intimacy with them; intimacy that in some way or another involves infatuation, limerence, a desire for interdependency and/or other social notions of “romance.”
