Personality, definately. The good lookers normally know it, and therefore usually (not always) are complete tw@ts. But looks fade, personality keeps the sparkle going - being able to laugh with each other (not at each other) is the best thing. Don't you find that when you fall for someone initially coz of their personality that they get cuter in their own way, the more you get to know them?
Personality should be the right answer, but being really honest, isn't it looks that attracts you in the first instance to someone - then what they've got between the ears afterwards.
I know what you mean Cetti, but I met my boyfriend on the phone through work. He was a freelance artist doing the booklet artwork for one of my customers CDs (I worked for a CD manufacturer) We had a few phonecalls and then started texting and got to know each others personality before we even knew what each other looked like and I knew then that I liked him. I met him 2 weeks after we first spoke, and here I am 2.5 years later with him and a mortgage! :)
I'd love to say it's personality, but as a total body facist, I know looks count for a lot. Personally, I'd give myself a 1 or 2 for looks, but an 8 or 9 for personality. I'm pretty plain, but I do have good conversation.
I think each of us has a bottom line in both the desirable looks/personality categories if we are talking about partners here. For example, I can't stand rude and bad tempered people and that would rule out even the most fantastically good looking person. The most average looking person, in my opinion, is made more attractive with a smile. I find that as you know someone over a long time you stop noticing their looks. My looks rating would depend if you were rating me in my specialist category (average) or if you threw the contest open to actresses and supermodels too! My personality is even tempered, cheerful and I'm kind. If that's what's in demand I'd score OK.
It is a fact of nature that looks are initially the most important thing. It's the whole looking for good genetic material to mate with that drives us BUT it is definitely personality that keeps it going. It's a shame that so many times people can't see past the appearance to even give what's beneath a chance. I've known people pass up great chances with great people because they didn't fit the ideal and regardles of what anyone says, we all do it to some degree.
i'm in a long term realtionship, several years now, with someone who i didnt find attractive initially, quite the opposite, but in a very short time i found myself so pleased to see him because he was such a nice guy that i found him very attractive and he gets more so by the day. i associate his face with being happy...how much more attractive can you get?