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Think that gorgeous babe or hunky dude is too good looking for you? Unfortunately, you may be right. According to a new study, hot people on dating websites are drawn to other attractive people, putting a damper on the age-old belief that "opposites attract."

Researchers from the University of California at Berkeley developed this “matching hypothesis” after monitoring the number of unsolicited messages received by 3,000 members of an online dating site. The results? Popular members (i.e. the best looking) contacted other popular members more often than chance allows while unpopular members were also drawn to one another. That's not to say that hot people never contacted unfortunate looking individuals, or vice versa, but that singles are naturally drawn to those similar in looks.

“Individuals on the dating market will assess their own self-worth and select partners whose social desirability approximately equals their own,” researchers concluded. “The most striking prediction is that undesirable individuals will choose undesirable partners.”

A follow up study involving more than a million online daters yielded similar results, solidifying the idea that dating leagues do exist, as much as some people wish they didn’t.

Have your heart set on chasing that hottie society considers out of your league? Don't give up hope. After all, it takes a lot more than mutual good looks to build a happy, healthy relationship. To have the best chance of success of securing a beautiful (yet compatible) mate, post high-quality flattering photos on your dating profile, be charming and polite, explore common interests and goals, and don't focus too heavily on a single's looks. Good luck!

The Daily Mail

Tags: online dating, online dating study, dating leagues, hot women ugly men, ugly women hot men
Categories: Internet dating