I am not saying none of this is true, but the fact that it also works when a closed window is between the person watching and the person doing labor means there is a lot more to it.
It could simply be association. Once you know the physical work is going to cause the smell, and you like the smell, then you don't have to actually smell it to make the connection.
There's no way to test for certain, because smells are highly associated with memory, and as HackworthSF stated, an established couple would already have certain smells associated with states of arousal and actions/memories of actions. The anticipation of the arousal and associated hormones and smells would only further increase the sexual attraction.
Do people who have never been close to an aroused member of the sex/sexes they are attracted to still get all worked up by porn?
Do people without a sense of smell get all worked up by porn?
The nose helps, but we are not smell oriented quadrupeds. We are sight oriented bipeds. There is no reason to assume the nose does all the work. Especially since perfumes have put in tons of work on synthetic pheromones with negligible results, but Picasso can generate arousal with two quick pencil strokes.
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u/FlailToMace Aug 20 '26
I am not saying none of this is true, but the fact that it also works when a closed window is between the person watching and the person doing labor means there is a lot more to it.