without having read all the replies to your question, my take on the matter is this.......

sure it helps if someone you like you find attractive (remember what is ugly to one guy will be attractive to another) but that is not the be all end all reason to become involved with someone. i have met some stunning women who were cold as ice and twice as mean as a rattlesnake with indigestion. on the other hand I have also met some women who do not fit the stereotype of attractive that had harts of pure gold. and usually those women will still have a trait or two that makes them attractive as well. it might be her hair, it might be her eyes, it might be her smile..... you get the idea.

so while attractiveness helps, what is inside is really the most important feature. (and most times what is on the inside actually makes the outside more attractive.)