Don't fear, admire: psychologists identify 5 traits of a femme fatale.

The femme fatale captivates, entices, and charms, but a connection with her is often perilous. This is a composite cultural archetype characterized by a number of traits.

Who is the femme fatale? In an exclusive comment to NUR.KZ, behavioral psychologist and founder of the wellness educational platform Hack Spirit, Lachlan Brown, explains:

There is always something about her that is difficult to grasp, and this is what makes her so alluring, notes consultant psychologist and psychotherapist at ClinicSpots, Nivedita Nayak. She doesn't reveal her steps and plans, which allows her to astonish the world with her actions. Everyone wonders how she manages it.

One of the most prominent characteristics of the femme fatale is her confidence, emphasizes Nivedita Nayak:

Such a woman radiates self-assurance. She is all she needs, writes WikiHow researcher and author Madeline Flamianno.

She has no doubts about her irresistibility and her ability to achieve what she sets out to do. Her confidence emanates from her appearance, her determined stride, and the gaze that pierces through men and intimidates women. This grants her power and control over everyone around her.

In the film "Fatal Attraction" (1987), the character Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) decides that lawyer Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas), who has a wife and daughter, should be hers. Dan's brief affair with Alex turns into a truly fatal attraction that makes his life unbearable.

The femme fatale is an archetype that has developed in culture. To a large extent, she is a fictional character, explains expert Nivedita Nayak. She represents an exaggerated version of certain traits. Real women, of course, are far more complex. While some individuals may exhibit characteristics that overlap with the femme fatale, she is primarily a creation of narrative.

Most often, the femme fatale is portrayed as beautiful and seductive. This is her weapon. Her features may not be perfect, but she behaves like a beautiful and sexy woman, and those around her perceive her as such. This is how she conquers men.

She is deeply individualistic, possessing her own aesthetic that radiates a unique energy, attracting men, writes Darwin Laki in his book "Becoming a Femme Fatale."

In literature and art, the femme fatale is often a negative character. She is depicted as manipulative and deceitful. The role of the femme fatale almost always involves luring a man into her web of deception and somehow leading to his downfall, explains film studies master's graduate Rafael Abreu in the article "What is a Femme Fatale — Definition, Characteristics, Examples." In other cases, she collaborates with the main villains and uses the hero for her nefarious purposes. Sometimes, even when she plans to deceive or harm him, she finds herself conflicted about her feelings and actions.

The femme fatale often knows how to get what she wants and is unashamed to use her charm or wit to do so, emphasizes Nivedita Nayak:

For effective manipulation, everything is at her disposal: beauty, sexuality, allure. Men become obsessed with her and are willing to go to great lengths.

"Femme fatale" is a French term that literally translates to 'fatal woman' or 'deadly woman.' In early 20th-century films, similar characters were referred to as "vamps." This term originates from "vampire," referring to stories in which a woman literally or figuratively drained the life from her victims through sexual seduction, explains Rafael Abreu.

There is always a sense of danger surrounding the femme fatale, not necessarily physical, but emotional or psychological, comments Nivedita Nayak. She can evoke intense feelings in those around her, and people who get too close sometimes find themselves in trouble. This is not always intentional, but her influence on others can lead to complications or even ruin.

For example, in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Paradine Case" (1947), the character Alida Valli causes the deaths of two men and nearly the destruction of another. In modern detective stories and thrillers, femme fatales feature prominently in murder cases, such as in the thriller "Basic Instinct" (1992) starring Sharon Stone.

The femme fatale is a controversial figure that can sway in one direction or another. However, these 5 traits define her essence.