Brains Over Beauty: 92 Percent Of Americans Prefer Their Significant Other Have a Great Personality Over a Great Body
Posted: February 5, 2018 in Chains
Planet Fitness
HAMPTON, N.H. – In preparation for this Valentine’s Day, Planet Fitness, Inc., one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States, uncovered a definitive answer to that age-old question about love, attraction and everything in between: Are we all about the looks? A national study* commissioned by Planet Fitness found that people’s perspectives on love actually go far beyond “skin-deep,” with more than nine in ten (92%) preferring a partner with a great personality over a great body.
And, what about prioritizing what we look for most in a partner? The study’s findings also showed that 81% seek a man or woman with a good personality, followed closely by sense of humor (76%), positive attitude (73%) and open-mindedness (62%); coincidentally, many also hope that prospective mates value those exact same qualities in the exact same order when roles are reversed. And while social media continues to play a major role in all of our lives, one-in-three are open to meeting that special someone at the gym (30 percent) rather than online (29 percent), at a bar (26 percent) or through a dating app (25 percent).
“As home of the Judgement Free Zone, we’re thrilled that our survey results found people don’t just focus on physical attributes in potential partners,” said Jessica Correa, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Planet Fitness. “In today’s environment, it’s nice to see people valuing kindness as a desirable quality in others, with over half of all respondents noting that their perfect mate doesn’t judge others. We agree, which is why Planet Fitness makes the perfect partner this month – and every month – because we don’t judge 100 percent of our members, 100 percent of time.”
Additional survey insights, ranging from what people value in a partner to where they hope to meet that special someone include:
- Boy- (or Girl)friend Bucket List. The qualities that matter most to people in a significant other include how supportive they are (80 percent), how happy they are (77 percent), that they love unconditionally (75 percent) or whether they encourage their partner to be their best self (70 percent). Men and women universally agree that a good personality is the number one factor they are looking for in a significant other (82 percent among men and 80 percent among women).
- Good to Be Judgement Free. 70 percent of individuals are looking for a significant other that would never judge their appearance.
- Social Hot Spots. 57 percent say they would be open to meeting someone at a coffee shop, followed by a party (48 percent), work (42 percent) or the gym (30 percent). Among the millennial age group, more than one-third (39 percent) are open to meeting someone at the gym.
- Ring or No Ring, We All Want the Same. Couples and singles both agree on what attributes matter most to them in choosing (or staying with) a partner, showing that compassion and zest for life are universally attractive qualities, no matter if a ring has been put on it or not. Around 80 percent want their significant other to be supportive or happy with themselves.
- Not All About the Body. Only 11 percent of respondents say their body is what they hope others find most attractive about them.
- Generational Gap. Significantly more boomers (44 percent; ages 54 – 72) than millennials (34 percent; ages 20 – 37) hope that their own accepting, non-judgmental attitudes are something others notice about them.
* Online survey conducted by Kelton Global to 1,005 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
