Thank so much for your thoughtful comment, Matthew! Yes, I completely agree with your distinction--attraction can't be forced. You're not less "woke" if you don't find yourself attracted to certain physical characteristics because there's an element to it that is primal.

I think what is interesting (and what I tried to articulate, however successfully or not) is how (or if) who we're attracted to is impacted by unconscious/subconscious biases. Why don't we find certain characteristics attractive? How much do social influences (e.g., media's portrayal of what is beautiful) impact who and what we find attractive? Would we even be aware of this impact?

I'm sure there's some research out there (I'll have to do some digging in the future), but that's something to explore and the door I was hoping to open through this article.

In any case, I appreciate you reading and sharing your experience and giving me more food for thought!