Love matters, and so does looks

Is there any truth to this notion or is physical appearance the key to long-term relationships surviving? Tanya Datta reports
How many of us still believe that it is only love that keeps the relationship going strong?
Not many, we presume. A recent report states that paying attention to your appearance and maintaining mutual attraction is, in fact, key to keeping the spark alive.And this holds true for both men and women alike.
A survey was conducted with over 1,000 men and women to get a detailed view into how important is physical attraction in long-term relationships. The results were very interesting.
The survey showed that it was in the first seven years of marriage that physical appearance really mattered but with passing years it gets influenced by other emotional factors like common interests, communication skills, etc, which help the relationship grow even if looks change. Couple counsellor, Shreya Poddar feels, “In India where arranged marriages are still a norm, physical appearance of a person does come into play. When you have to choose a life partner within a few hours then looks do matter. Also ,when you are dating someone, you usually get attracted physically first and then the whole thing about how you connect comes into play. It is true that the first few years of marriage are crucial and both partners try and maintain themselves. But maybe 10 years down the line I do not feel that how your partner looks matters because then you connect on a very different level altogether.”
For men having a beautiful, attractive wife is almost like a status symbol. Men are usually more concerned about their partners ‘appearance while for women it is her spouse’s personality traits that top the chart. “Men have been termed as visual beings while women are emotional creatures. There is no denying the fact that men always want their partners to look good, dress in a certain manner and maintain themselves. Sexual intimacy is something that is directly proportional to the physicality of a person. Women these days have started going for so many cosmetic procedures. Why? Because they have realised that it is an important factor for the relation to keep going strong and healthy. I will not say this is the only reason that decides where the relation will go, but it is that extra factor”, says psychologist Mansi Hassan.
Psychologist Kanan Khatau on a lighter note says, “Love is blind but eyes aren’t. Having said that, I feel when you look presentable you do that to fill your own emotional need. And when you are motivated to by someone else its a brownie point for yourself. I believe good looks are definitely likable but liveable, I am not very sure about. Human mind is trained in a manner that we get attracted to everything that is beautiful and looks good whether it is food that is presented in a beautiful manner or whether they are good clothes. Looks are superficial, one connects with a person on a different level.”
It may be politically correct to say that it is love that actually matters but deep down, we all know instinctively that looks matter too!