Forget good looks – science has proved there’s one quality that makes anyone more attractive. And on this island, we’re born with it!

In Cyprus, we say that love passes through the stomach. That beauty is a gift from the gods. And that feelings of passion has no logic.

But, according to the latest research, none of these are the crucial factor to attracting a partner. You can make the best koupepia in Limassol, rival Aphrodite herself, or have the mind of Hawking – and you still won’t find love. Not unless you have, apparently, ‘prosociality’.

It sounds like an overeager party guest: the person who turns up early, sets the table, and tops up all the glasses before delivering a perfectly timed anecdote.

But in reality, prosociality is the quiet hero of human connection; the subtle, everyday magic that strengthens bonds, builds communities, and (it transpires), makes us incredibly attractive to others. In short, it’s kindness. Empathy. Compassion. The willingness to lend a hand without being asked.

Psychologists have long suspected that kindness enhances attraction, but now it’s been scientifically proven. In the study, participants rated photos of various people on their attractiveness. But researchers found that when character descriptions were added to the images, those who were described as kind, helpful and giving consistently received higher ratings.

Wealth, ambition, confidence, intelligence – none of these hold a candle to a potential mate who’s prosocial, it seems. And that bodes well for love in Cyprus – because this is a nation known for its generosity, hospitality and unwavering sense of community.

It’s there in the way that we always help our neighbours; open our doors to strangers in need; come together, in times of crisis and celebration alike, to support one another. It’s not just something we do – it’s who we are. And, according to the research, that makes us irresistibly attractive…

45-year-old pharmacist Natalia Sokolova moved to Cyprus from Russia 15 years ago. She admits she fell for a colleague not for his looks, but for his heart.

“It was the way he was with customers,” she smiles. “He never got angry, even with the most difficult old ladies; he was always patient and kind. He had time for people, he really listened to them. Now, we’ve been together for 10 years,” she adds. “And he still does those things for me too!”

39-year-old Paphos-based expat Lisa Greene married George Tsangarides four years ago. “It wasn’t love at first sight; I mean, he’s not much to look at, is he?” she jokes. “But we hung out a lot; we were good friends.

“Then, about three months in, he said he had something to do that weekend. I was annoyed; I’d been planning a drive up to Latchi – I’d put together a playlist and everything! At first I thought maybe he’d got bored of me or found someone else to spend time with. But then I found out what was really going on…”

George, it transpired, had an elderly neighbour with no family. And, each year on the anniversary of the wife’s death, he would accompany the man to church.

“He said he didn’t want his neighbour to spend the day alone,” says Lisa. “And it was such a kind and thoughtful thing to do that it completely changed how I saw him. I think that was the moment we went from being friends to something more.”

Since then, she reveals, she’s seen any number of quiet, kind acts from her now husband. And also from the population at large.

“Everywhere you go on this island, there’s always someone willing to help. I can’t count the number of times I’ve got lost, or couldn’t carry something, or forgotten my phone – and some complete stranger has saved me. Forget the island of Aphrodite’s beauty – Cyprus is the country that cares, and that’s what’s really attractive!”

In the Good Country Index (which measures what each country contributes to the common good of humanity) Cyprus scores remarkably well. Especially in Planet and Climate (where we rank 19th out of 174 nations), Science and Technology (25th), and Culture (37th).

But our highest ranking is in World Order, a category that takes into account criteria such as the percentage of the population who give to charity, the amount of refugees hosted relative to the size of the economy, and the number of UN treaties signed as proxy for diplomatic action and peaceful conflict resolution.

These rankings highlight a national ethos that’s rooted in prosociality. It’s not just about ticking boxes on international criteria; it’s about embodying the principles of compassion, cooperation and altruism. Cyprus may be a small island, but it’s a big player in the kindness economy!

“I met my girlfriend at a charity event,” says 26-year-old Nicosia resident Andreas Theophanous. “We were both organising ticket sales at traffic lights. She worked harder than anyone else, stayed longer hours. And that kind of got me: here was a woman who really cared about other people. It’s hard not to fall for someone who will give so much!”

Speaking of giving, the World Giving Index is another long-running study that looks at prosociality. Have you, it asks, helped a stranger, donated to charity or volunteered within the last month?

And again, Cyprus does pretty well – especially in helping strangers, where 65 per cent of us frequently aid someone unknown on the regular!

Overall, we rank 57th out of 142 nations. Granted, we’re well below first-placed Indonesia. But we’re still pretty good at compassionate giving; well above South Africa (91st), Turkey (122nd), and even Greece (111th) – the country that actually gave us the words philanthropy, sympathy and empathy!

In a world where beauty is highly subjective (every study suggests one nation or another has ‘the most attractive people’), prosociality is a trait that can be understood everywhere. And on this island, in which kindness, generosity and compassion are a way of life, we have a head start on being truly irresistible!

Perhaps we should change our slogan from the ‘Island of Love’ to the ‘Place of Prosociality’? It may not trip off the tongue, but it’s certainly true!