saw a post saying i could ask about stuff here so um, im kinda curious about anaesthetic (like lack of aesthetic attraction) and it doesnt exactly make sense to me, do you just not find people good looking ? or is there something im missing (genuinely curious about ppls experiences ^-^)
So, aesthetic attraction actually has multiple factors!
"Aesthetic" describes a multitude of things in this context, including:
1- How a person looks in terms of their body type (weight, height, eye color, hair color, bone structure, etc.) 2- How a person looks in terms of fashion (ie; hairstyle, makeup, clothes, etc.) 3- How a person moves (ie; how they walk, how they dance, their facial expressions, etc.)
People who are (bold stripe) anaesthetic cannot feel attracted to any of of these traits. Greyaesthetics feel attraction towards these traits very little, or only feel it under certain circumstances.
This is considered socially abnormal. Society puts a lot of weight on aesthetic attraction, to the point where everywhere you go, you'll see it. Fashion culture, workout culture/fatphobia, having the "correct" movements/facial expressions (which is rooted in ableism), etc.
This affects anaesthetics, as they are expected to find appearance as something desirable and to have strong opinions about appearances, which just isn't something they can relate to.
How often do you see fashion ads? Weight loss ads? How often do you hear people asking "do you think I'm pretty/handsome/attractive?" This sort of thing is all over the place, and can feel incredibly isolating to people who have no, little, or limited aesthetic attraction.
Not to mention, romantic and sexual attraction is often portrayed or described through experiencing aesthetic attraction. But not everyone who will have a crush is going to find that person aesthetically attractive, and that is treated as "wrong."
