How people choose friends: A new study by scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Sciences in Israel has opened up a new perspective on choosing best friends.
This information was reported by T4, as reported by URA-Inform.
It turned out that body odor has an effect significantly greater influence on social interactions than previously thought.
Using a special device called an “electronic nose”, the researchers analyzed the smell of clothes of different people. The results showed that people with similar body odor are more likely to become close friends.
Scientists explain this by the fact that we subconsciously strive for people similar to ourselves, and body odor, along with other physical and psychological characteristics, is one of the criteria for this similarity.
Thus, even strangers can arouse our sympathy and interest if their body odor resembles our own. On the contrary, even an attractive person can repel us on a subconscious level if their scent does not match our «olfactory» preferences.
It is important to note that we are not talking about an unpleasant odor associated with poor hygiene, but about natural body odor, which is unique to each person and is perceived individually.
This study opens up new horizons in the study of social interactions and the formation of friendships, emphasizing the importance of the often underestimated sense of smell in our social lives.
While body odor may not seem like the most significant factor in choosing friends, the study shows that it plays an important role on a subconscious level. Perhaps the next time you smell «chemistry» with a new person, you should pay attention not only to his appearance and intelligence, but also to his smell.
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