#in contrast with that his competitiveness and arrogance are human traits

[blood-orange-juice]

I suddenly groked why Childe's friendship with the Traveler is important to me. It makes him look more inhuman.

Same with his attachments in general. It all looks so sweet on the surface but this is *not* how humans handle attachments.

Humans are awkward, and afraid to admit they like someone, and they want reciprocity, and they are careful about how a new person will affect their life. They are very cautious about placing their trust in someone even if they like them. They often lie for the sake of maintaining the relationship.

And then there's this guy who loudly declares you a friend the moment he starts liking you enough, expects nothing in return and seems to trust almost blindly (personally, I think it's calculated risk rather than that, but it still removes the usual weight of trusting someone). Who is honest and straightforward in ways that don't really benefit him. And it's not exactly hero worship (he has that towards Skirk and Capitano and we know it looks differently), he just sees someone like himself in the main character.

His other relationships (siblings and Her Majesty) could have been interpreted in multiple ways but his attachment to the Traveler establishes those as genuine and more on the warm side too.

(and more weird)

We also get reminded that he isn't nice even when he likes a person, he still has his weird ideals and obligations and doesn't compromise on those.

If he was a brooding loner or someone more sociopathic in his approach it would be too easy to clock him as a traumatised kid or at least a flawed human. The way he relates to the Traveler very clearly establishes him as more than that.

I've also seen takes on how he doesn't really love his siblings, he just wants to be the best in everything and that includes being the best older brother. That would be awfully human, too, I think.

It's a subtle distinction, fae beings can be obsessed with beauty and perfection but not with being the best. A desire to be the best is a narcissistic dynamic, it's painfully human and rooted in insecurity.

(he says and shows multiple times how he doesn't seek narcissistic fuel at all, even on an average human level. he seeks improvement but doesn't really care about winning or impressing other people

he's also committed to doing the best he can without being worried about perfection in the current moment)

He loves them dearly and he's doing what's best for them as he understands it, but it doesn't matter whether they love him or whether anyone else including them thinks he's a good brother.

So we once again get a lovely paradox with him. Everything is the opposite of what it seems.

Could be read as a different form of trauma or just arrogance, of course, but also it connects him to other Abyssal beings (Elynas, Durin, Caribert to an extent too. one could say Enjou as well). Horrors of Teyvat love with no reservations but also it doesn't mean what you think it means.

[skeletoninthemelonland]

Sorry for sending another ask so soon, but-

Don't be shy, spit the frog (italian way to say spill the tea)

I WANNA KNOWWWNWNFNGNG

okay i'm spilling some of the frogs, the tea, I WILL DESEMBUCHAR (word for spilling the truth in portuguese)

springtrap and bell (ballora) do know each other but from a certain distance (he's with the phantoms, and she belongs in the funtime crew). there's never this 'strange feeling' that they've met before because, literally... they never met!

the reason for them to be arguing a lot is due to remnant usage, whose importance is constantly brought up in the universe of BTC. springtrap uses them for his own selfish purposes, while bell is searching for more to help a friend stay active, amongst other reasons that involve the safety and entertainment of backstage residents.

bell is one of the very few bots that has directly confronted springtrap for his actions and usual mean behavior (sometimes on the same level of aggressiveness, other times a single glare is enough). she refuses to stay silent and reality downs on him that the stuff he's saying and doing is harming people.

they are basically the closest thing to human adults in this digitalized city of ghost children, with bell sacrificing a lot more of her time protecting those around her than springtrap (especially before they met)

bell is a chaotic, stubborn altruistic type paired up with self-destructive tendencies as a defense mechanism, considering she is painfully aware of her purpose as a child killing, remnant harvester robot. springtrap contrasts that part of her personality by being aloof, cautious and egocentric, and by pushing others away, acting as if the world revolves around his success in escaping UCN and becoming one with the entity. these contrasting traits often generate conflict, especially later on, when more secrets are revealed.

i like to think they help each other learn from their mistakes with this dumb, tom and jerry beef they have going on, but saying there's any hint of romantic love between them in the beginning feels objectively wrong (considering the amount of times springtrap has said hurtful and otherwise mean things to her).

both are competitive by nature. expect them to be counting how many remnants they caught in a single night.

the more they get to know each other the more they display their true selves, ofc. springtrap has a quieter, observant, genuinely concerned side where he listens instead of talking over people in that loud, cheeky and arrogant tone. bell seems to be a lot more of an anxious and impatient person, thoughts racing at all times and sometimes causing her to shut everyone out. black cat and orange cat behavior, respectively.

they often debate about human nature and the limits of artificial intelligence, and how they, two self-aware small pieces of a larger puzzle stuck in a digital dimension, fit inside these two labels. both are detached from either concepts, meanings losing importance the further they investigate. still, that doesn't stop them from displaying unwavering support whenever one is lost and afraid (works for both).

hand on shoulder, "are you alright?" glances, lending his cape, handmade gifts and favors. springtrap doesn't know how to be comforting, but he makes an effort.

he's more comfortable being secretive and working behind the curtains. events like claw machines suddenly functioning again, entire stages being repaired in a single night, random input of remnants in the electrical system, abandoned areas appearing tidy and organized... (they still wonder who's behind it all...)

when bell first showed up at the workshop for a simple repairs session, he took off her illusion disks and disabled the part of her programming that submitted to William Afton's orders. with that, the entity lost influence over her actions, and as a consequential effect, her eyes glow a bright yellow color, instead of the usual pink/purple hue.

compliments (lots of them), getting excited over the other's achievements, eagerly asking about their favorite topics. bell is that "saw this meme and thought of you" type of person.

scolding. both scold each other all the time. scolding as in "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING" and "oh wow that's the greatest idea you've ever had. i'm surprised we aren't dead because of your absolute GENIUS of a plan (/loudly sarcastic)"

[krishianalyzes]

1. Semiotic Language in "Cars"

What is semiotics? 

In very basic terms it is the study of signs and symbols and how they are used to convey information through their representation. The main foundations of Semiotics was laid by Ferdinand de Saussure which emphasised on signifiers (word, object or image used for representing) and signified (the concept being represented). For example ; the word tree is a ‘signifier’ and the image of the tree is the ‘signified’. Saussure stated that the combination of these two terms is called “sign”. Pierce took it a step further with his “semiotic triangle” where he established that when the sign is made sense of it is called the interpretant. (Chandler, 2007)

In today’s day and age, Semiotics has become an important tool to analyse films and understand the depth of what they represent and I want to use this tool to analyse a film from Pixar’s, Cars. Where every creative aspect like character design, location, sound etc carries a meaning beyond its literal depiction. Using its signs to convey messages about ambition, community, tradition and individuality. 

Semiotics in Cars : signs and symbols

In a movie like Cars , it becomes a need to put emphasis on making the world symbolic to human values in order to provide a steady base for the viewer to follow the film easily and make character in a way where the audience feels at home and are able to connect with the cars instead of feeling distant due to the difference of “man” and “car”. Hence the cars are anthropomorphised, enabling them to have distinct human like traits within which there are certain elements that are used as signs that convey certain stereotypes and help the viewer identify their human natures. These elements can come in the forms of appearance, voice, behaviour etc. 

Character design : McQueen is designed with certain signifiers like the most sleek and advanced body along which signifies his young age along with the arrogance combined competitiveness. The bright red colour and flashy over the top stickers convey his flamboyant, intense, ambitious nature. 

The reason these signifiers makes relate with the cars is because we all have seen what they signify in a human around us like that one arrogant guy who won’t pass during basketball. 

Symbol : Radiator springs isn’t just a location, it’s a symbol for many things in that movie. It conveys simplicity, slower paced lifestyle, tight knit relations that form a community and traditions. It also depicts a contrast from the race circuits where everything is opposite and so captivating that it makes McQueen neglect the existence of a town like Radiator springs and what it represents. 

Radiator springs is like our hometown, away from the city where we have come to work and reaching for materialistic success. Which comes at the cost of sacrificing some relationships or losing time with our special ones.

Denotation and Connotation in Cars

The concept of denotation and connotation will help get a more in depth look into semiotic nature of Cars. Because we get to know the What the certain characteristics mean, What is does his flamboyant arrogant nature mean ?, What does having a community mean?

Characters : Denotation and Connotation 

Lighting McQueen :

Denotation : arrogant red sports car with desire to win. 

Connotation : The red colour that shows his need for validation, while he puts people down and thinks they are below him, he still want those same people to like him and praise him which is why he puts himself so out there and makes sure he stands out with the bright colour and stickers. His desire to find also comes from a place where he thinks he is nothing if he doesn’t win, that’s how he decided his self worth. His desire to be number one also means that he is alone at the top, which is why he gives low value to his relations like friendship, coworker. 

Mater :

ALT

Denotation : Mater is an old truck covered in rust with a unpolished body yet smiley face. 

Connotation : He is neither materialistic nor is he polished and yet he moves around with a smile on his face. It shows the inner beauty of the character, in some ways he is the exact opposite of McQueen. Which is why in some ways he teaches McQueen what the important things are, like friendship, finding happiness in small moments and not putting on a fake image for the public and just to be yourself.

The semiotic language helps in creating such distinct and contrasting characters which makes the world feel more realistic and natural.

Setting Denotation and connotation :

Radiator Springs :

Denotation : Forgotten , small, old school town in the outskirts of the city with no connection to the main road.

Connotation : It shows us what we are missing out, it shows us the cost of living in this fast paced modern world. It represents a time where there used to be community and people used to be tightly knit together, giving almost a family like living. It makes us realise that even though it may be necessary to live in the modern world, you should still not forget your roots, important things in life and stay grounded.

It is a symbol of simpler lifestyle and questions and critiques the modern consumerism.

Racing World : 

Denotation : It is a high stakes and fast paced environment.

Connotation : It depicts what the society has become today where in the need for fame and success people forget about compassion and morals. This environment is part of the reason why McQueen became so self absorbed and the only way he started caring about people other than himself was when he stepped away from the race. Which is evident when he sacrifices winning to help King finish the race.

Conclusion :

What seems like a simple racing movie for kids on the surface, actually talks about the current state of the society and the moral and values one should have in order to be truly fulfilled and happy. Depicting this was only possible due to the semiotic language used because it makes the audience feel it themselves instead of telling them and passing it off as info.

References : 

Chandler, D. (2007). Semiotics: The Basics. Routledge.

Cars. (2006). Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

[lronbear]

An anon asked me what my favorite aspects of Yuzu’s personality were, so I went off a little under the cut. Uh...sorry. All thoughts are my own.

Oh man. I'll answer this a bit differently than I usually would because I think a lot about how he has characteristics that /could/ generally be considered character flaws, but actually make him much more interesting and fascinating in my eyes. So I’ll skip some of the usual obvious reasons to love Mr. Extra, and dive a ‘lil deeper. 

1. (This is very biased since I don’t pay attention to other athletes as much as I do Yuzuru (yet), soz) His hyper-competitive, hyper-focused nature. Obviously you could argue that every athlete possesses it, but I feel like Hanyu takes it to a different level, very often. The headspace he gets into during 6 min warm up, (or the stance he takes when the final 6 skaters line up on the ice and his name gets announced, him raising his arms to the crowd with his head held high, but seemingly unaffected by the deafening cheers, eyes serious and even  dangerous in a way, out for nothing less than the gold), could be considered pretty scary, or to some (youtube comment sections are a gold mine) even rude and unnecessary. To me, those are some of the most intriguing and incredible moments to watch him, because that’s him, playing everyone, probably even himself, by creating an air of confidence that you cannot help but absolutely believe in. This unwillingness to show vulnerability or weakness, even if he may well be very vulnerable at that one moment or another, depending on whichever competition he's doing, because we all know better lol. He has an armor of steel and he knows exactly how to play his cards, he’s psychologically intimidating, as if all he has to do is flip a single switch in his head, whenever the situation demands it (rip dima who accidentally caught his eye at CoR lol poor bb). 

2. That brings me to my next point. His utter level of calculation and strategic thinking. I have a huge laugh everytime people, especially antis, underestimate him, physically but especially intellectually. Sometimes you look at him goofing off at practices or galas or him falling on his butt for absolutely no reason off ice, he’s our fave meme lord after all, but if you watch a single interview, you get reminded again what's really stored in that noggin of his. And it's astonishing if you consider this is a 23-you kid, and also that he's always been like this, on one level or another. It's pretty mindblowing how far ahead he is for his age, just on a human emotional scale, and how he takes time to gather his thoughts, to consider every side and aspect of a topic in his mind before he answers questions, how he tackles being the center of the media and an idol (he’s an athlete first, I am aware, but at this point it is undeniable that his public significance and position is exactly that of an idol/megastar) for an entire nation. That takes some nerves and endurance, i don’t know how he does it. As Javi said, his brain is pretty good. 

3. I love how unashamed he is about wanting and needing to be on top of his sport. He doesn't down-play it either. He will lift his finger into the air after a good skate and declare right then and there that he's won, even if he hasn't even seen his score yet. He is, in a way, a narcissist. And he loves it, too. He knows he is the best and he will be undefeated no matter what, if he delivers the skills he has trained so hard to possess over the course of his life, with all the obstacles that were and keep getting in his way. He will tell you to your face that he's better than you and will beat you next time if you beat him at a competition (rip pchiddy). He doesn't even hesitate. And people could and probably will call this arrogant or him being full of himself, but. That's never it. It's oddly, very humble and truthful, in my opinion. There is no actual hot-headed arrogance or greedy superiority there. It's simply a matter of fact. He can be a cocky bastard sometimes, oh yeah he can, don't get me wrong, but he Gets to be one. He’s earned it. And I actively celebrate when he is being a brat like that, not even gonna lie. He deserves to be. Where with most people this aura would probably bother me, with him, it makes him just more fascinating as the multi-layered person he is.

4. So then, in direct contrast to this, you also have the exact opposite of that  personality trait? The constant need to mention the masses of people that support him at all times. The fact he never forgets to mention that without the people watching, supporting and also competing alongside him, he would not be here, where he is right now. His soft tone when he speaks about Javier's influence on him, or when he literally had never ending face spasms and a skin breakout from nerves when Pl*shy praised him at CiONTU lol. The fact he doesn't neglect talking about the fans that cannot afford to see him live, including his international fans, everyone who supports him from home, he knows it and he publicly acknowledges it, because he cares. His deep, deep adoration for other athletes, or just people in general that try their best and work hard. His reverence, utter sadness and respect when he talks about 3/11 and how it impacted everything in his life, the ridiculously amazing amount of money and awareness he’s raised for the victims, the battle within himself afterwards, questioning if he’s “allowed” to keep chasing his own dream under the aspect of disaster striking so many people. His heartbreaking dedication to the sport itself, but also what he wants to express by skating (i.e. Requiem). The fact that he’s always stayed with both feet on the ground, and how he’s (outside of “competition-mode” on ice) always very soft, humble and grateful to others, and never ever acts superior or above others. His sportsmanship in general. The fact he cares so much about people. He overcomes obstacles that would have finished me 100 times over. He is so, so inspirational. His heart is golden. He claps his own thigh when he’s made an awful joke. He can’t walk properly when he’s off the ice. He’s obnoxiously perfectionist, which is so relatable. He’s a big old softie, that loves bear hugging like, everyone. His complete awareness of every single thing that carries meaning in his life and what got him to the place he is now, his will to overcome every hardship and come out stronger. So, so many aspects, so many layers. I love he.

[personalityarchive]

Edgar Valden 4w5

[[10 August 2020

Originally written as a comment thread on PDB]]

While I agree that Edgar is undoubtedly a 4, it’s far more likely that he is a 4w5 than a 4w3. Since we have the official description for him, as well as additional notes from his original creator, it’s easy to see that he has an intensely self-absorbed and judgmental character.

“He only sees art from his own perspective and has a high self-esteem.”

“He likes people or things with artistic beauty, and dislikes useless and noisy people or things.”

This information from his character notes speaks volumes in terms of his true motivations. While he is extremely driven in his work, this does not come from the 3’s desire for professional success, as Edgar displays little to no interest in maintaining an appearance based on society or the expectations of others. He works hard because of the doubly introverted influence of the 4 and 5; he’s wrapped up in his own world and has little interest in anything outside it.

This is further supported by the following quotes:

“The only son in the Valden family of aristocrats, Edgar showed an interest and high talent in painting from childhood. Praise from his family and the public has led to his eccentric character.”

“His perception of the world around him led to his belief that nobody else is worthy to speak to him about art.”

A surface-level look at this may suggest to some a 3 wing, for the simple fact that “praise from the public” is mentioned. However, the key here is that it has resulted in his becoming an “eccentric character”, a label the 4w3 is less likely to be assigned than a 4w5. The influence from the 3 gives the 4 a bit more awareness of social expectations and appearing “acceptable”, but a 5 wing gives the 4 an even more deeply introspective and self-referential worldview. Any enneatype can receive public praise; it’s how the person reacts to it that truly indicates their personality type.

Even more notable, however, is that he believes: “nobody else is worthy to speak to him about art." A 3 wing gives a more externally-directed focus than a 5 wing, meaning that even if the 4 feels superior to other people, they are still interested in hearing what others think, if only to ruthlessly tear them down. In contrast, the 5 wing would result in exactly this type of mindset: a sense of superiority coupled with a complete disregard for other people and their thoughts or feelings.

Additional support can be gleaned from the answer to the following question in his character description:

"He didn't participate in the game for the prize. As the heir to the Valden family, money did not tempt him. So what made him participate in this game?"

And believe it or not, we already have the answer — or, at the very least, we have some version of the answer. By looking at the original creator’s own posts, we can learn why Edgar Valden decided to come to Oletus Manor in the first place. When asked why Edgar came to Oletus, the creator 昀了个晓 offered the following explanation:

“Actually, this post has hints, but it may not be obvious. Edgar had been stuck in an art block for a long time and shut himself in his room. At this time, the manor's letter suggested that he used human blood as paint. After trying, Edgar became addicted to it and couldn't help himself, but he eventually could no longer be satisfied with his own blood. So he agreed to the manor’s invitation to participate in the game, and wanted to use this as an opportunity to complete his ‘most perfect work.’ ”

This paragraph is incredibly rich with details, and truly drives home the fact that Edgar is an antisocial shut-in with far more of a 5 wing than a 3. It feels awfully redundant to reiterate this, but a 4 with a 5 wing has a greater likelihood of becoming socially withdrawn than a 4 with a 3 wing. While the 3 wing would create some need for external validation, a 5 wing produces what we see here: an individual who is driven by internally-produced expectations and will willingly self-isolate for the sake of realizing their vision. His decision to close himself off when experiencing difficulty in his art shows a deeply self-referential worldview, and his ready acceptance of the manor’s morbid suggestion falls in line with the 4w5’s interest in the macabre.

While a 4w3 desires success or recognition alongside expressing creativity, the 4w5 is interested in an expression of the unique self through a more introverted quest of self-analysis, or self-reference. Moreover, the 3 wing creates a feeling of superiority that also requires others to perceive them as being “special” as well; the 4w5, on the other hand, rejects the “ordinary” with a dominantly self-interested bent. At average to unhealthy levels, there is a retreat into an at times bizarre fantasy that appears real, comfortable with life’s dark side. The elitist and eccentric nature of a 4w5 leads to a defiance of convention, and may “push the edge of sanity” in the search for an expression of the genuine and unique self. Meanwhile, the 4w3 is more extraverted, becoming competitive and emphasizing self-presentation over self-reflection or navel gazing.

We can see that his acceptance of the Manor’s invitation is based entirely on his desire to complete a work that will satisfy himself, and only himself. He is not interested in gaining recognition for it. Rather, he sees it as a cure for his own sense of longing — nothing has been able to satisfy him. Even pushing the boundaries of the “acceptable” by using his own blood offered only a temporary relief from his art block (which seems to have led to a deep depression, causing him to retreat both physically and mentally by locking himself in his room).

In fact, the following are listed as notable character traits by the creator on Edgar’s original profile: “arrogant, paranoid, neurotic”. Coupled with his “eccentric character”, this solidly places Edgar as a 4 with a 5 wing. Quite frankly, Edgar is a textbook example of a “creepy” 4w5, with a clear influence from the 5 in his paranoia and neuroticism. The final nail in the 4w5 coffin is this external trait, called “Defiant”:

“The painter's bad personality arouses the disgust of his teammates, and the speed of receiving help from his teammates slows by 30%.”

A 4w3 would be more attuned to the “socially acceptable” way of behaving with teammates, or at the very least, is far less likely to be such a contemptible and argumentative character that he has an entire debuff based on it. Even characters like Lawyer, who are also known for their terrible personalities, don’t have a debuff for it.

The only other character who has a debuff for being — let’s face it — an unrepentant asshole is Thief, who people obviously mistrust simply by nature of his profession. Thieves are notoriously self-interested and self-serving; painters, on the other hand, are not. And, as a 4w3, he would at least appear to have the interests in others in mind, even at a peripheral level. But a 4w5? Doubly introverted, doubly self-referencing, and doubly antisocial. Edgar would immediately read as being a selfish person, causing this strong reaction from his fellow survivors.

With this in mind, it is simply impossible for me to read Edgar as a 4w3. He’s simply too self-seeking to be anything but a 4w5.

[yohan04-blog1]

Can a good boy learn about the sex appeal of bad boys?

Are bad boys really sexier? Like many men, I remember feeling my heart break when I was a teenager sitting at a coffee shop table. I heard the beautiful girl that I liked when she told me that she was a great friend, and then she said that she was interested in one of my best friends. I've never wanted to be the "good boy", although it seems like it's just in my nature. And sadly, the good boy often doesn't go with the girl, at least in the short term. Increasing psychological and biological evidence suggests that the "bad boy", sometimes called the "bad boy," often has spontaneous hot sex with women, while the "good boy" has a very different kind of relationship. I was recently interviewed to see if the "good guys" would benefit from an understanding of the traits and qualities that attract women. Basically, for those men who worry that they are too "nice", is there any way they can borrow some of the bad guys' sensuality without losing their integrity? It was a provocative and fun interview, although as often happens, in the end the finished article only used a bit of my exposition . The interview and question led me to think about this topic and wonder if there were ways to help men without resorting to the sometimes manipulative and misleading strategies of the “ pick-up culture”, In which men are taught to use psychological principles to create and exploit insecurities in women. Much of the bad boy versus good boy dynamic is based on an understanding of the complex interplay between biology and psychology that emerges from exploring the concepts of evolutionary psychology. Now, when we talk about the evolutionary traits that influence the selection of partners for women, we are talking about a hypothetical average person, a composite of all people, in a way that cleans up individual differences. It may be deceptively easy to use these traits and provisions to explain individuals' actions or choices, but this is ultimately little more than a creative narrative that may or may not offer a real and verifiable explanation. I find this evolutionary theorizing helpful and helpful, by inviting people to consider and explore the unconscious motivations behind their sexual desires and preferences. This allows them to view these desires, such as the desire to have multiple partners, as normal, even when the desire is socially stigmatized. With that said, I think one of the subtle effects of the feminist revolution is that women are now free to express and explore some of these sexual desires. Throughout human history, the ability of women to explore a greater variety of sexual liberties and desires has been intrinsically related to economic liberties. Thus, today, from both a social and individual perspective, economic independence is connected to women's ability to pursue individualized exploration of their sexual desires. Women who have more economic and social independence are more likely to be unfaithful, seeking sex with different types of men than their main partner, We can see the popularity of Fifty Shades of Gray as an expression of the greater acceptability of women who want sexual freedom so much, and who sometimes want to be with that dominant, assertive and responsible man. What is different now is that in the Victorian era, women were “told” by society that the traditional sexist paradigm was the only acceptable desire. Now, decades after the feminist revolution, women are allowed a wider range of desires, and are sometimes allowed to want the freedom to be independent and assertive in their sexual desires, like men, and also sometimes want to be taken, to be overcome by the brute force of male desire. But women, like men, are not all the same in these unconscious desires and in the expression of these evolutionary sexual pressures. There is tremendous individual variation, and even variation within a given person, across time and context. For example, women's desire for different types of partners varies through life cycles, where women may prefer a stable, good provider as a partner for much of the month, but are attracted to the more aggressive man, dominant and tempestuous when they are ovulating (lou ferrigno 2019 workout). But, the conscious and behavioral expression of these desires is also modulated by the social context - for example, women may be more likely to take this risk if they have already had children with their main partner. Having done this could lessen some of the male reaction to infidelity, since he has already had children with a woman. For the woman, an evolutionary explanation suggests that she is unconsciously seeking a diverse and robust range of genetic differences in her children. By mating with different men, and different types of men, she offers her children (and their genes) greater diversity and therefore a better opportunity to overcome different types of environmental challenges such as disease. Masculinity is closely related to testosterone. I am not reducing masculinity to that single hormone, but biology and unconscious evolutionary expressions of mating desires are intrinsically connected to levels of this hormone. When women are ovulating, and attracted to a very masculine man, they find the body odor of men with high testosterone very attractive. In non-medical situations, I am not in favor of things like testosterone replacement or supplements. But testosterone levels are not a fixed variable. Men (and women) can manipulate their testosterone levels through activities and things like exercise or competitiveness. Testosterone levels fluctuate in men, in response to competitive challenges like sports, even politics and business. Men who are interested in connecting to that inner masculinity, and who "oozes out of their pores," so to speak, would do well to consider participating in activities such as martial arts, bodybuilding, competitive sports, and even adrenalinic activities such as skydiving. All of this increases a man's libido, increases his testosterone levels, increases his confidence and reinforces that masculine bluff, making him more attractive to the woman who seeks, consciously or unconsciously, that highly masculine partner. competitive sports, and even adrenaline activities such as skydiving. All of this increases a man's libido, increases his testosterone levels, increases his confidence and reinforces that masculine bluff, making him more attractive to the woman who seeks, consciously or unconsciously, that highly masculine partner. competitive sports, and even adrenaline activities such as skydiving. All of this increases a man's libido, increases his testosterone levels, increases his confidence and reinforces that masculine bluff, making him more attractive to the woman who seeks, consciously or unconsciously, that highly masculine partner. Instead of talking about the "bad boy," I suggest that these men be talked about and thought of as highly expressive of a traditional male ideal. For these men, that masculinity comes out in a more unconscious, confident, even cheeky and arrogant way. These types of men are not aware of their wishes or their dominant tendencies. Their impulsiveness, aggressiveness, even selfishness, are expressions of an internal lack of self-awareness or self-questioning. In The Empire Strikes BackWhen Han Solo first sees Darth Vader, there's no question as Han pulls out his blaster and starts shooting. In contrast, Shakespeare's Hamlet spends the entire play questioning himself, his thoughts, desires, and beliefs. This does not mean that Hamlet is not masculine, but to show that they are two sides of the same coin, and they are two good examples of the different types of masculine expression that women are attracted to in different ways and at different times.