So many people waltz around town feverishly declaring that they are sapiosexuals, showing their futile inability to resist the next Huffington Post buzzword of the week.
Chances are, however, these run-of-the-mill troglodytes have no idea what a sapiosexual is.
We'll give you a hint: a sapiosexual is not just a person who thinks intelligence is cool or attractive.
Let's find out what it really means to be a sapiosexual.
What is a Sapiosexual?
In the modern dating world, the term sapiosexual is often thrown around loosely. Individuals describe themselves as sapiosexuals because they want to distinguish themselves as complex people who have desires beyond typical physical attraction, be it heterosexual, homosexual, pansexual etc.
But being a sapiosexual is much more complex than just being an intelligent, sarcastic person who digs a deep conversation here and there.
A sapiosexual is someone who finds intelligence as the only, or the most, qualifying characteristic and metric for sexual attraction.
A heterosexual sapiosexual male might find a woman at face value physically attractive without knowing her level of intellect. After conversing with the woman and finding out she has a lower intellect, the physical attraction he may have experienced beforehand could dwindle or disappear completely.
While there was a basic, heterosexual physical attraction present before interaction, the interaction decided the overall level of attractiveness. She was not intelligent, so her physical attractiveness became null and void. Her level of attractiveness to the sapiosexual thus relied on her level of intellect, not her looks.
Conversely, a heterosexual sapiosexual male may deem a woman unattractive based on her physical appearance. However, if he interacts with her and she demonstrates a high level of intellect, he may become intrigued and sexually aroused to the point where her physical appearance no longer is a deciding factor in overall attractiveness.
The sapiosexual finds intellect to be the most important qualifier for attractiveness, even if physical attraction is still equated to some degree.
Who Can Be a Sapiosexual?
Anyone can be a sapiosexual, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual preference, race, religion, etc.
The core characteristic of a sapiosexual is that they are sexually attracted to intelligence. This interaction and metric can display itself in various ways and multiple dynamics.
Sapiosexuals can operate within heterosexual dynamics, homosexual, pansexual, bisexual or any varying degree of sexuality and sexual preference. There are many straight sapiosexuals as well as sapiosexuals in the LGBTQ community.
The Absolute Sapiosexual
While many sapiosexuals operate within the confines of an established sexual preference, some transcend it completely.
Some sapiosexuals have determined that, for them, intelligence is the only qualifier for sexual attraction.
An absolute sapiosexual may be sexually attracted to the intelligence of males or females, but may also be attracted to intelligence in other forms: computers, anime characters, fictional characters with no established gender, deities, machines, documents or artifacts that contain historic or perceived esoteric value etc.
Essentially, anyone or anything that can possess intelligence in any way, a sapiosexual may be sexually attracted to them/it.
How Do I Know if I am a Sapiosexual?
Sapiosexuals usually possess a high level of intelligence themselves, but that isn't necessarily a qualifier.
A person of low intellect may be sexually attracted to and aroused by intelligent people much like how a younger person may be attracted to someone older. The magnetism of their attraction comes from polarization or contrast.
If you routinely find yourself attracted to intelligent people, and turned off by people of lower intellect, then you are probably a sapiosexual.
Should I Call Myself a Sapiosexual?
If you're a sapiosexual you can either embrace the label or not, it is ultimately your choice.
Because the term sapiosexual is relatively new and has gained popularity in dating apps and the modern dating world, many choose to embrace the label to filter preferences and throw up a sign to potential mates.
Some, however, choose to remain mysterious or ambiguously sapiosexual. Others eschew the term completely. Ultimately, it is the choice of the individual to embrace the term or not.
