The predicament lay in the fact that when someone perceived another as ugly, it triggered a specific biological reaction that convinced them of that person's lack of attractiveness. Conversely, when they encountered someone they considered pretty, a different set of biological sensations reinforced this belief. Each person in the room had a unique biological response, which determined whether they found Maria to be beautiful. Maria's ultimate goal was to elicit a specific biological response in others that would make them perceive her as beautiful.

Here's the intriguing aspect of it: you know that feeling you experience when you look at a person and find them pretty, not romantically or sexually, but in a way akin to appreciating a beautiful painting? It's like when you, as a heterosexual person, observe a woman who you find beautiful, even though you don't have any romantic or sexual attraction towards women. You can admire her beauty much like you would admire a painting. Of course, nobody is sexually attracted to a painting, and nobody intends to marry a painting, but somehow, even without sexual or romantic attraction, you still perceive the painting as beautiful.

This same emotion is what people experience when they look at Maria. Many of them don't feel sexually or romantically attracted to her, although some do. However, even in the absence of those attractions, they still find Maria beautiful. It's not because she's unattractive that they don't feel romantic or sexual attraction. The absence of those feelings is somewhat of a puzzle in the human mind. Yet, it's a surprisingly common response. Both men and women can look at Maria, recognize her beauty, and simultaneously feel no romantic or sexual attraction. She's simply beautiful, much like how you view a painting that you don't feel any romantic attraction toward, but you still see it as beautiful. Although, being attracted to a painting would be quite unusual in a literal sense.

Individuals exhibit distinct biological responses to you, which is why you can provoke varying reactions from different people. For instance, one day you might choose to embrace the latest beauty trend because it appeals to a significant portion of the population. Yet, someone else might remark, "I'm not attracted to that." The truth is that this particular look indeed appeals to many, as it triggers their biological senses. However, the person who didn't find it attractive had a different biological response—they couldn't help it, it just didn't resonate with them.

It's important to realize that because beauty trends have reasons for their appeal, others will still perceive you as beautiful. The essential point that people often overlook is that different individuals have distinct biological reactions to appearances.

Individuals who gaze at themselves and perceive their own unattractiveness experience unique and innate feelings. These feelings are, in fact, biological responses. If an unfortunate event, such as a head injury or a car crash, were to occur, causing an individual to lose their capacity to feel attraction to anything, they might never regain that ability. In the scenario where a head injury results in the inability to appreciate beauty, they may forever remain unable to comprehend what others perceive as beautiful or how they can feel that something is beautiful. This incapacity deprives them of the sensation associated with finding something beautiful.

Humans are inherently imperfect, and it's only natural to wonder why some people don't experience a biological response to find something beautiful, even when it's widely considered so. This is because we all have different feelings and sensations, and we don't all share the same perceptions of what's attractive.

What evokes happiness in someone else might trigger sadness in us. What elicits laughter in one person could stir anger in another. Similarly, what prompts some people to see someone as beautiful may lead others to perceive them as unusual or excessively one-dimensional. It's crucial to understand that these individuals are not bad people in any way. They can't control these emotions; these reactions are simply a result of their unique experiences and the feelings that have been ingrained in them over time.

In reality, these reactions are primarily natural biological responses. When someone perceives you as looking unusual, it doesn't necessarily mean they dislike you or hold any negative feelings towards you. They might genuinely like you or even consider you their closest friend or family. However, their perception of you as looking odd stems from a switch that their brain has flipped, causing certain chemicals to trigger other chemicals that lead them to believe you appear different. Even if they are the kindest of individuals, even if you have a profound relationship with them or are their child, they may still hold this belief that you look peculiar, and it's something they cannot control.

Certain individuals experience a chemical reaction, often felt in their eyes, when they gaze at someone, particularly when the attraction seems to be focused on the eyes. Additionally, some people are drawn to appearances because they have an affinity for uniqueness. If they perceive you as having a distinctive and unique appearance, they'll likely find it appealing and be drawn to it.