What do women see in tortured souls?

[mlrock]

This question is for women. What is it that women find so attractive about men, particularly in fiction, who are "tortured souls?" When I say "tortured soul," I'm referring to characters who generally carry a great deal of emotional baggage, such as Edward Cullen from the Twilight series, the Phantom of the Opera, and Roger from "Rent," and the Beast from "Beauty and the Beast," particularly the Disney version. What is it about these types of characters that make you feel attracted to these characters?

[Belleza]

actually I like the tortures souls from the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series also known as BDB anyhoo I like them because women as you know love to talk and are emotional and love to listen and these guys are not only sexy but are lonely and very wise - even if this wasn't a book series such guys do exist - they keep to themselves or hide behind of an unhinged mask of hilarity!

[abceasyas123]

women are emotional creatures, where as men hide those emotions. so when women see men with emotional baggage, they want to help them out. It's the same case with women liking badasses, it's cause they think they can change them for the better.

[ilyurbella]

Just about to say the same thing.

[Boring01]

A woman always needs a project. Woman don't like being in boring relationships, but the irony is that they hate having so many things hidden from them.

[Tenderhearted]

I asked myself this question yesterday and came googling for further insight, whether it was opinion or factual. My personal thoughts were somewhat similar to other opinions but to add, I think there is something alluring about the depths of sadness. the same way there is something alluring about love or even danger. I think these men who are tortured souls as we say aren't simply coming with emotional baggage but rather living in it. Their life experience which may be far more traumatic than what we may have know or have known. Aside from that, I think the term tortured soul renders this concept of not just wisdom but something along the lines of admitted defeat? and that's where a womans mission comes into play of not necessarily wanting to change them per say, in terms of change your hair, change your clothes but rather desiring to save them and completely alter their mind and soul. I think it also comes with a woman's personal outlook on relationships, the men they desire and or attract and the potential they see in a tortured soul, a boy in a mans body, a lost soul, a desperate being, a conflicted mind, a weeping man with the image of someone who might just "have it all figured out". There's an artist that I am practically head over heels for. I'm talking I'm in the audience fantasizing about him seeing me and picking me out of the crowd. Now granted, he's a celebrity, he's attractive, and he makes great music to me obviously, but his lyrics and the past he comes from screams tortured soul. So I asked myself, what's my deeper attraction to this man? I've dated only men who are tortured souls. And ultimately, it's the desire to save them to make them a person I can love but ultimately saving them so they can love me. It's selfish. We are attracted to tortured souls out of selfishness. Why wouldn't we desire a person who is whole? This is not to say they come with no emotional baggage, we all do! The difference rather is having dealt and or dealing with the emotional baggage rather than tucking it away or masking it like someone said with hilarity or drugs, sex, fame, popularity, money, you name it. When we ask the question why do we desire the tortured soul, we're not taking a look solely at the tortured soul but also looking at ourselves and asking, are we tortured too? Is it a deeper desire and some desperate attempt to save ourselves through "saving" another? Are we the real project we're working on yet deflecting and focusing on someone else because it's easier to give advice than it is to take it? We see it in the movies time and time again and somehow its altered our brains into thinking that's what love looks like? that how love begins. Being tortured, seeking torture, because loving a tortured soul is torturing, and thinking that's love. It's brainwash.

But then again, maybe its not that deep. .___.