The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

THE BOOK OF TELLS
reason to expect that an ability to speak clearly will be
fairly high up in the list of things that men and women
look for in a partner. Recent research shows that it's only
men who place a premium on finding an articulate companion.
Women - possibly because they know it's
expecting too much - don't go looking for a mate with linguistic
skills. They're much more impressed with other
qualities, like a man's sense of humour.
Laughter Tells
Laughter isn't exactly an aphrodisiac, but it is a vital
ingredient in cementing relationships. The research on
laughter shows that when men and women are together,
it's the women who do most of the laughing. 32 When
women are asked what they look for in a man they usually
say that they want a guy who likes a good laugh - but what
they're really looking for is a man who makes them laugh.
Robert Provine has pointed out that the aim of men is to
make women laugh, not to laugh or be amused themselves.
From a woman's point of view, it doesn't matter
very much whether the man is given to laughter - what is
important, however, is that he passes the 'laughter test' by
making her laugh. 33
In a research study by Karl Grammer and Irenäus Eibl-
Eibesfeldt in Germany, conversations were recorded
between pairs of young men and women who had met for
the first time. The researchers found that the more a woman
laughed during the meeting, the keener she was to meet
the man again, regardless of how often he had laughed.
For the men, however, it was the other way round. They
274