I remember watching a TV show called The Science of Seduction on the National Geographic Channel some years back. It was a fascinating look at how desire and attraction (and, to an extent, love) could be observed, dissected, and categorized to arrive at certain conclusions.
One insight that I found particularly interesting was the difference in top priority of men and women in assessing a future mate’s allure. For men, it was the appearance (no surprise there); for women, it was the scent.
For us XX-sex chromosome carriers, the nose certainly knows on an individual level. We come across people who smell right and some people who smell wrong (no matter how good-looking they may be). Musky, fruity, woodsy, etc. – there’s no one universal scent that’s sure to attract.
As for me, there’s one that proves irresistible time and time again, though:
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels.
I’d recognize that heavenly scent anywhere.
Butter, sugar, rolled soft pretzel dough…baking away. Mmmm…
There’s just something about the mix of smells there that lures passersby in even if they’re already full or had no original intention of doing so.
If that’s not seduction, then I don’t know what is.