# Sapiosexual

Sapiosexuality or sapiosexual, often reffered as often referred to as sapiophile personality is a neologism referring to romantic or sexual attraction to the intelligence of another individual, it is a sexual identity describing those who are aroused by intelligence. For sapiosexual-identifying individuals, intelligence is the most attractive feature and takes precedence over all other characteristics. The word sapio means, "I discern or understand", in Latin.

## Definition

The word “sapiosexual” is derived from the Latin verb sapere, meaning “to be wise” or “to have sense.” According to Collins dictionary, a "sapiosexual" is "One who finds intelligence the most sexually attractive feature; behaviour of becoming attracted to or aroused by intelligence and its use," Dictionary.com defines the noun as, "a person who finds intelligence to be a sexually attractive quality in others," and according to one Urban Dictionary entry the word refers to, "Something you put on your dating profile if you want to be pretentious." According to Cosmopolitan, "Sapiosexual refers to a person who is attracted, primarily or exclusively, to people they find intelligent, with less or no importance placed on the person’s physical appearance, gender, or sex identity. In other words it is being “attracted to thoughtful conversations rather than physical foreplay.” Like many romantic and sexual identities, where people fall on the spectrum of sapiosexuality can vary, e.g. a person might enjoy intellectual banter/stimulation over all types of physical intimacy, whereas others might still enjoy the occasional steamy sext in addition to discussions of French literature.

## History

Sapiosexuality first gained mainstream attention in 2014 when dating website OkCupid allowed users to choose from a variety of new sexual orientation and gender identity options. The word "sapiosexual" was officially added as a new word in Dictionary.com's 2015 update. About 0.5% of OkCupid users identify as sapiosexual and women are more likely to identify as sapiosexual than men. This identity is most common among the 31 to 40-year-old age demographic.

## Difference from demisexuality

According to GLAAD, demisexuality describes people who only experience sexual attraction to someone else when a significant emotional bond is formed. On the other hand, to sapiosexuals, impressive intellect can be arousing even in the absence of an emotional relationship.

## Characteristics

Sarash Jain described the traits of sapiosexuals as:

### Sapiosexuals-

* insist on engaging in smart and deep conversations with the people they are falling for.
* pay compliments mostly on achievements or on intelligent points made during a conversation
* excel at communication and generally look for partners who can be effective communicators
* are great friends, motivated by growth and intelligence, making learning from them challenging but rewarding if compatible with their partner.
* prefer poise, intellect, and rational thinking over aggression and easily unraveling individuals, admiring those who can rationalize feelings and handle difficult situations without bursting.
* Love to debate
* Hate grammatical errors
* crave for learning

## Unrelatedness to sexual orientation

Sapiosexuality or demisexuality are similar in that persons who identify as sapiosexual or demisexual can be gay, straight, bisexual, pansexual, or some other sexual orientation — in other words, these are identities that cut across gender-based sexual orientations.

## Criticism

Debby Herbenick, a sexual health educator and professor of applied health science at Indiana University School of Public Health, stated that sapiosexuality is more of an identity than a sexual orientation. Sapiosexuality is considered genderless since sapiosexual-identifying individuals can also be gay, straight, bisexual, and so on.
Several commentators have stated that sapiosexuality is "elitist," "discriminatory," and "pretentious."

## Notable persons who claim themselves as sapiosexual

* Mark Ronson
* Jessica Alves
* Simba Nagpal