Candis McDow is from Atlanta, GA, and has been a mental health advocate since 2014. She has lived experience and charges to bring awareness to the oblivious and provide hope to peers.
Sapiosexuality is a type of sexuality that involves being more attracted by the contents of a person’s mind than by the appearance of their body. In order to feel sexually attracted to another person, a sapiosexual person must first feel intellectually stimulated.
Sapiosexual Definition:
By definition, sapiosexual means that someone finds intelligence sexually attractive or arousing. It means that intelligence is often the first quality a person notices in a potential partner.
The word sapiosexual originated from the Latin root word ‘sapien,’ which means wise, and ‘sexualis,’ which means sexual. Sapiosexual is still a fairly new word, as Merriam-Webster’s first known use of the word was in 2004.
Anyone can identify as sapiosexual, including both heterosexuals and LGBTQIA+ people. This means that people who identify as sapiosexual may be straight, gay, asexual, or another identity.
This article discusses what it means to be sapiosexual, how to determine if you are sapiosexual, and suggests ways to meet other sapiosexuals.
Understanding Sapiosexuality
For people who are sapiosexual, the way another person thinks is a highly appealing quality. It is the intellect that stimulates sexual attraction. Let’s take a look at what it means to be sapiosexual.
It Starts With the Brain
Because attraction is centered on the intellect or how a person’s mind works, people who are sapiosexual do not feel attraction until their mind feels stimulated by a potential partner. Read more