Hi Sculpt!
I really appreciate your honest answers -- thank you for being brave enough to take a swing.
As far as physical attraction goes (for both men and for women,) my one hang-up is that physical attractiveness does not last, so when we advise people to marry with physical attractiveness in mind, what happens when the wife has gone through a couple of pregnancies (and can't lose the weight or stretch marks,) and the husband's college drinking starts to settle into the shape of an overly inflated tire around his waist?
As an example of this topic, I've posted threads in the past featuring pictures of celebrities known for their good looks (Elizabeth Taylor and Jan-Michael Vincent, a personal childhood crush of mine) and photos of what happened to their impossibly good looks as time went by. And these were people who could afford the very best means of trying to hold on to their attractiveness, but could not.
I've spent the last several decades of my life living around senior populations in which spouses were traded in for better-looking models when looks faded, or where there are still people who are just as interested in romantic love as when they were teenagers, except now the dating pool has white hair (or bald patches, or none at all), turkey necks, liver spots, and bellies the size of expanded beach balls (and I'm talking about the men.) But yet many of these people still hope to find someone to be with (and many are still just as superficial when it comes to looks, as they still hope to snag someone 20 younger and better-looking.)
I've been hanging out in the CC Singles forum for about 12 years, and I've seen the importance of looks and attraction come up in threads all the time.
While I agree that attraction is important to people, I've also come to the personal conclusion that the Christian community is also the pickiest and most challenging to navigate because everyone believes that God "wants the best for them," which they think means that God will give them everything they want in a potential spouse, including dashing good looks.
I also agree that for most, it would be hard to settle into a relationship with, let alone marry someone they're not physically attracted to.
But I can't also help but believe that the only way a couple will stay together is out of faith and commitment to God (if looks are a high priority,) because no one, not even billionaire celebrities who can afford the best of everything, can hang on to their looks.
I'm truly sorry about the dating experiences you've had in your last two relationships -- it really is a jungle out there. I tell all my married friends, "If you've found someone you can stand to put up with and they put up with you, just stick with them because dating is nothing but a shark tank, especially as you get older."
I also understand what you're saying about being ok with everyone else not agreeing with you about what you may find as attractive, and that can be a very beautiful thing. I've always been attracted to quirks and things that other people told me I was weird for liking, lol.
But we are who God made us, and we like what we like.
Thank you for your openness and straight-from-the heart answers. Looking forward to more in the future.