Have you ever locked eyes with a stranger, only to quickly look away? If you’re like most of us, you’ve probably wondered what that other person was thinking, perhaps praying they’d come over and say hi.
Although sometimes the other person is wishing the same thing, most North Americans are too shy to make the first move. 62% percent of North Americans said they have encountered someone they were interested in, but never did act on the opportunity!
This percentage runs even higher for singles – 75% of single North Americans let opportunities pass them by and later regret it. Rather than make conversation, most of open a magazine, fuss with our cell phone, or look away – all reactions that dramatically decrease our chances for interaction with new people.
Men are even more inclined to look, but less inclined to act than women. Hardly as bold as we might want to be, nearly 70% of men admit that they’ve encountered a femme who interested them, but they just couldn’t bring themselves to act on it. Only 55% of women expressed the same regret.
Highlights of the report:
- 61.5% have encountered someone they were interested in, but didn’t act on the opportunity
- 68.3% of men vs. 55% of women did not act on their attraction to another
- 75% of singles say they encountered someone they were interested in, but didn’t act on it
- 58.1% of married have encountered someone they were intrigued by, but didn’t act on the attraction.
A majority of Americans clearly have a hard time approaching others and encouraging encounters with people beyond their immediate social circle. In fact, more than 70% of North Americans depend on their friends to introduce them to new people. This held for 78.7% of women and 63.0% of men.
A whopping, 42.4% think chance is the best way to meet someone new, notwithstanding that less than 20% actually met someone via a chance encounter. As the survey results show, most of us don’t engage the strangers who catch our eye! While the romantic appeal of a fateful meeting caters to our sentimental side, it isn’t always the most practical or proactive way to meet new people.
Download Harlequin Romance Report 2006 – Free
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