Of course, most of this research has been carried out within western populations. We’re not always that great at judging what the other sex finds appealing, but maybe that’s in part because our instincts are to out-compete our peers as well as attract a partner. Men on average also think their body should be more muscular than women report that they want, while women on average believe they need to be thinner and wear more make-up than men report that they want. The tension between attracting a mate and competing with others doesn’t just apply to beards and voices.
