Kindchenschema Cuteness

I had a lovely walk at Fishers Green today with a dear friend who I haven't seen for ages. I was chatting nineteen to the dozen, the poor man couldn't get a word in edgeways.

We're both interested in shooting wildlife but I'm not good at multi-tasking so I got very few pics. As we crossed Cheshunt Lock this diminutive narrowboat was entering. I remember saying to my mate that it was sweet. It was not until I looked at my pics on screen that I realised why I made that comment.

The large hooded 'eyes' and cute button 'nose' make for classic pareidolia. People are hard-wired to respond in a protective fashion to the cuteness of babies and young children with their big eyes, high foreheads and small noses. 

Social networks are awash with images of saccharine cuteness. The Japanese have a word for it, kawaii. Konrad lorenz proposed the concept of baby schema (Kindchenschema), a set of facial and body features, that make a creature appear "cute" and activate in others the motivation to care for it. Cuteness may be ascribed to people as well as things that are regarded as attractive or charming.