It should be emphasized that the above claims do not mean that we are not typically attracted to beauty and symmetry. We certainly are. It is simply that when someone is beautiful, the presence of a moderate imperfection, such as cross eyes or eye glasses, might in some cases increase the attraction.
We are indeed typically excited by anything that is incomplete, unsettled, unexplained, or uncertain, as we perceive it to be unusual and so it demands our attention and thoughts. When the situation becomes stable and normal, there is no reason for the mental system to be on the alert and invest further resources. This is usually true of love as well.
Ambiguous and imperfect states, rather than perfect and finished ones, have this kind of incomplete nature and hence offer a certain lure. Resolving ambiguity often eliminates the positive illusion, leading to less satisfying situations. In this sense, the resolution of uncertainty constitutes a negative outcome, which psychologically outweighs a potential positive outcome and therefore can lead on average to worse emotional states (see here (link is external)). These claims partly explain why courtship, flirting, and extramarital affairs are exciting. All of these experiences are incomplete.
To sum up, it is not obvious which of the above reasons can explain Descartes' love for cross-eyed women. It could be some or all of them. But these reasons indicate that his behavior was not so strange.
The above considerations can be encapsulated in the following statement that a lover might express: "Darling, I know that imperfection can be attractive against the background of too much perfection. But when the imperfections are too dominant, it makes it very hard to love you. But I will certainly keep trying."
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