Who knew that after all the hours we've spent trying to figure someone out, all we had to do was eat popcorn with them? New research shows that the way in which someone consumes those delicious puffs of air says more about their personality than any Facebook or OkCupid profile ever could. Dr. Ben Sessa, a consultant psychiatrist in Bristol, England laid the groundwork saying, "There are well-recognised links between eating habits and personalities." Slower eaters, for example, are more stubborn, enjoy routine, and often put their needs before others.
Metcalfe, a popcorn manufacturer in London, worked with psychiatrists who polled 2,000 people, and found a distinction not only between men and women, but between those who carefully eat one kernel at a time and those who consume their treat by the handful. Because "Fast eaters are generally less selfish," they fit the bill as extroverts who enjoy sharing their popcorn and probably grab handfuls at a time. The study showed just how revealing the seemingly menial act of reaching for some popcorn can be. It gets down to your total personality — the deep, dark, secret person that you really are. You can play a cool, calm, collected extrovert all you want, but if you're sheepishly hoarding your bowl of Orville Redenbacher, and popping one kernel at a time, you're more introverted.
According to the results, women are five percent more likely to take the considerate approach to popcorn while over 50% of the men polled inhale the food. With this info, the banal dinner-and-a-movie date doesn't seem so tacky anymore. Not that we're endorsing quick judgements, but this study is basically advocating that you'll find out more about the person over the course of one movie than you would after three dates. Our advice? Take the results of this study with a grain of salt — or butter if you're feeling adventurous. (Daily Mail)
Photo: Courtesy of Orville Redenbacher.