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Has it ever happened to you that someone in your life, who initially didnât seem attractive at all, gradually started to catch your interest?
Like, you think to yourself, âI didnât even like this person at first, but how did they suddenly become so appealing?â
Maybe a coworker, classmate, or even a neighbor!
Someone you initially had no special feelings for, but over time, your perspective changed.
If this has happened to you, itâs actually a fascinating psychological phenomenon called the "proximity effect".
Research on this phenomenon shows that the more often we see someone, the more likely we are to develop an interest in them!
Just being around someone regularly can make them seem more attractive.
The famous psychologist Leon Festinger conducted an interesting experiment on this:
They studied people in an apartment complex and found that residents who lived closer to each other became closer friends!
In other words, physical proximity fosters emotional closeness.
One key reason for this is that familiarity creates a sense of security.
Our brains tend to be a bit wary of new and unfamiliar things, but when we see someone over and over, it builds a sense of trust and comfort.
Thatâs why many genuine romantic relationships form in social settings where repeated interactions happen. Seeing someone regularly, without us even realizing it, increases their attractiveness in our eyes!
Now, back to the original question:
Has it ever happened to you that someone who didnât seem attractive at first gradually changed your mind?
Maybe this is one reason why I can never fully trust virtual relationships. Deep down, my sense of trust and comfort in liking someone doesnât quite align with that.
And I think this study somehow validates that innate, gut feeling we all have. 4 replies
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