Sapiosexuality refers to being sexually or sentimentally attracted to a person’s intelligence more than to their physique. According to a 2018 study by researchers at the University of Western Australia, 8% of the world’s population say they are sapiosexual, the majority of which are women. In 2019, Secretary of State Marlène Schiappa declared herself to be sapiosexual in an interview published in the JDD.

Etymologically, the term comes from the Latin “sapiens” which means “intelligent” and “wise”. Sexual orientation democratized by the dating site OkCupid in 2014, sapiosexuality is the fact of feeling an attraction for the culture and intelligence of an individual. The magic of seduction operates more through the mind, around a literary, philosophical or even societal discussion for example.

If the term sapiosexuality makes it possible to put a word on the desire to give primacy to the intelligence rather than to the physical, who would want to associate with a person whom they would consider devoid of culture and depth? Humor, knowledge, the ability to argue or even creativity are qualities valued by all. 

Would sapiosexuality then be more of a snobbery than a sexual identity? Not necessarily. In a universe punctuated by social networks where appearance occupies a preponderant place, sapiosexuality is also a means of emphasizing, and even claiming, one’s appetite for the beauty of the mind. 

While sapiosexuality is defined by sexual attraction stimulated by mind and intelligence, the study by the University of Western Australia, however, highlights that people who described themselves as sapiosexual had not not a higher than average IQ.

The more so as there are several forms of intelligences and that it is about a subjective concept which each one will value according to the sensitivity which is proper to him.

Being sapiosexual does not mean, however, that one refuses the pleasure of the flesh. Sex is not necessarily excluded from the romantic relationship. But within the framework of this eroticized intelligence, it is a safe bet that a deep conversation is part of the preliminaries. 

In an interview with LCI on sapiosexuality, sexologist Patrick Papazian also explains that the claim of this sexual identity sometimes reveals a decrease in desire. “Sometimes, some patients hide behind their sapiosexual status: their libido is at half mast and they therefore think that the body no longer wriggles, the spirit will save them. A little work in sex therapy allows them to restore balance. ”

Sapiosexuality can be defined by several criteria including:

• The qualities of the mind always take precedence over the physical;
• A rich conversation, argued philosophically, excites you as much as a sexual act;
• The desire you feel depends on how much intellectual wealth you attribute to your partner.