The Elements of Attraction

What are the characteristics of a male that females find attractive?

I'm a man but I have no idea. Occasionally, I'll get a hint when reading a novel. Authors seem very coy on the subject, probably because they don't want to reveal everything at one time. That's the way good authors work.

A few of the characteristics authors mention seem to me to be mere accidents of genetic chance, a green eye here, narrow hips there, long and muscular legs. And on more than one occasion, I've seen references to a man's "rippling muscles as he opened a jar of stubborn olives."

And then there are the sparkling white teeth against a light tan and a face of planes and angles.

All of this puzzles me because I've seen beautiful women hanging on the arms of men who deviate quite drastically from the standard. Henry Kissinger, Nixon's rather pudgy Secretary of State, is a prime example. He was often potographed with beautiful Hollywood stars hanging on his arm. He observed that power is an aphrodisiac.

My point is that women seem to be drawn to male characteristics other than physical appearance. Men are "hot" for different reasons.

That's about as far as I've gone in my research into attractiveness. I'll try to cover the characteristics of females that men find attractive. I have a hunch that physical appearance will overshadow intangible factors like kindness and consideration.

Okey, dokey. Feed me your ideas.