A new survey has found that three-quarters of people say they’d rather date someone well-read than someone physically attractive.
Over 2,000 people participated in the survey conducted by Headway, a book summary app.
The research also found that 24 per cent of participants would instantly swipe right on a person’s dating profile if they included a photo of themselves reading, with a further 51 per cent claiming they would swipe right if they approved of the choice of book.
A majority of 58 per cent say they would never date someone who didn’t read, with 1 in 7 describing it as a “dealbreaker”.
Evidently, people are conscious of the fact that being well-read can be a turn-on, with 1 in 3 daters saying they’ve pretended to like a book just to impress a potential partner. Relatedly, 1 in 4 have lied about reading popular self-help books.
The vast majority of people (74 per cent) would happily skip a crowded bar and head to a bookshop for a romantic first date.
The survey also suggested that there’s a correlation between being bookish and being in a happy relationship: among those who read 11 or more books each year, 51 per cent say they’re in a happy relationship, compared to just 44 per cent of those who rarely read.
Similarly, 27 per cent of those who read 11 or more books each year say they’re doing well financially, compared to just 13 per cent of those who read less than six. In addition, 72 per cent of people who consume more than 21 books each year say they feel as though they’re making progress in their career, compared to just 59 per cent of those who read five or fewer.