Although I usually post on Fridays, I will be on a research trip starting tomorrow and unable to write. And since I know you are all waiting breathlessly at your computers for a new post, I’m posting early so as not to cause anyone to plummet into depression.
Take a look at the cartoons below.
Above and to the left, we have a rendering of the original Arthur the Aardvark. Above and to the right, we have a rendering of the modern-day Arthur that we all know and love. What changed between the two? A sweater has been swapped for the dorky button down. No handkerchief. Glasses were added. Most noticeably, new Arthur is missing the elongated snout (which is pretty much the defining feature of a real aardvark’s head, might I add). But overall, if you had to sum it up, what is the big difference? Okay I’ll just tell you.
The new character is more round. From the head, to the glasses, to his ears, to the lines of his shirt, his features are more rounded. And this is no happy coincidence. Why, you ask? Because old Arthur had really bad ratings until his creator figured out that the human mind is hard wired to respond positively to round shapes. Scheming cartoonists. And there’s another circular cartoon character that has been crafted to work his way into your heart by appealing to your basic animal affinity for curvature…
But when we’re talking about biologically relevant features as opposed to Mickey Mouse or Arthur the Aardvark, roundness plays a part in A.) parental care B.) male --> female attraction.
Babies are round. Ever notice that? From their button noses and big round eyes to their weirdly fat asses and limbs, the pudgy little creatures elicit feelings of protectiveness and affection from (most) adults. This is an evolved mechanism for increasing the level of care an offspring receives from its parents. This response is so primal that it even extends trans-species. I don’t know about you, but I get way more excited about little kittens and puppies than grown cats and dogs, respectively. Though you don’t consciously realize it, shape recognition is a basic feature of the animal brain and exists even in critters like insects and crustaceans.
Specifically, mammals’ shape recognition centers generally seem to activate at the site of roundness. When the optical shape recognition part of the brain senses curvature, a signal is sent to the amygdala (emotion center) and causes good feelings like affection, protectiveness, or attraction. This all happens subconsciously- we’re not even aware of it. It is hard wired in us. Especially males.
To see this in action, visit your local college bar. Girls have their boobs pushed up to their clavicles and are donning clothes that make their butts look maximally perky and round. Eyeliner and mascara help to create the illusion of big, round, bright eyes. Lip gloss helps to make lips look plump. Tight clothes accentuate the circular lines of the waist and hips. High heels help to flex the calf muscle and round out the lower leg. And these girls are spot on- they know (even if it is only subconsciously) what gets attention. It’s all beginning to make sense now…
One might even make the connection that this reaction is heightened in males to increase paternal fidelity. That is, the father feels a stronger connection to its round little babies and is more likely to help contribute parental care- making the offspring’s chance of survival better.
Do you feel like nothing more than a slave to your instincts? It’s okay. You can’t help it. They’re there for a reason.
Interesting! We don't often think much about the shape of animals (including ourselves) but even that has evolved for a reason.
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