Two recent studies have confirmed that women like men who are funny, whereas men like women who laugh at their jokes.
Women Find Humor Important
In one study, some 200 college students ranked the attractiveness of men and women based on pictures featuring captions ranging from the bland to hilarious.
Men weren't influenced by the captions, but women were; photos of men accompanied with funnier captions were considered more attractive and better potential partners to women.
Wit or Appreciation?
In the second study, researchers asked more than 125 students about the kind of person of the opposite sex with whom they preferred to be in a relationship:
A joker or someone who appreciated a partner's sense of humor.
Generally, men preferred women, they believed, who appreciated their sense of humor, while women liked funny guys.
The Genetics of Humor
According to one theory, these tendencies could be rooted in evolution; women may prefer funny men because wit demonstrates creativity and intelligence, and therefore a good set of genes.
You know how laughing can do so many wonderful things for your health:
And a good sense of humor -- generating all that laughter -- could also be a difference-maker when it comes to finding and keeping your right life partner.
If attraction to a good sense of humor is really, as the article suggests, attraction to a healthy, active brain, then it's important to keep yourself mentally sharp.
And you can do a lot to enhance and protect your brain health by:
And guys, if your sense of humor isn't what you'd like it to be, consider sharing some of these hilarious stories with your loved one. Who knows? It could make sparks fly.