Anyone else on the same boat?
After reading so many RPW resources about attraction, such as (but not limited to) :
The Analogy Between Confidence and Beauty,
What Men Think About Your Intelligence
Men Don't Care About Your Accomplishments
Misconceptions about Attraction
I really internalized that men really, really couldn't care less about what career I am in or whether or not I have a PhD. I was completely projecting when I thought my education and accomplishments would make me attractive to the opposite sex. And that makes SO. MUCH. SENSE.
In fact, the author of these articles mentions that for men, dating a woman with a better education/career than him is akin to a woman dating a man who is much, much better looking than him, so much so that he steals her spotlight in the beauty department.
While most women would want to date someone who is attractive, they wouldn't want to date someone who puts much more attention and value to their own beauty than any woman, that would be a huge turn off. Likewise, while most high-caliber men would like to date someone who is at least educated and/or has a career, they wouldn't want to date someone who is much more powerful than him, as that would render his role as the provider useless.
I think of it this way. I wouldn't want to date someone like Harry Styles, teenage heartthrob and band member. Sure, he's powerful, and very good looking, but his beauty is overpowering to the point where it would steal my spotlight in the relationship.
I am also very turned off by men who do things like post "artsy" pictures of themselves on social media, wear tight-fitting pants, preoccupy themselves too much about their outfit choices, and so on. As long as they put some minimum effort into their appearance, and aren't complete slobs, that is good enough for me, and after a point, their efforts actually work against them.
Likewise, men would like women who are decently intelligent and have something going for themselves, but they wouldn't necessarily be turned-on by a CEO or doctor, who most likely will work long hours, be constantly under pressure, and have little-to-no time for a proper relationship.
I don't want to date a feminized version of a man, I want to date a man. Likewise, men don't want to date a high-strung masculine version of a woman, they want to date a woman.
Cellosrcool2 5y ago
I know the compare/contrast list is probably very general, but why is liking the outdoors a dealbreaker?? Camping is probably my fiancé’s and my favorite activity together and I don’t just tag along for him. If I didn’t like the outdoors, that would probably make me less attractive to him.
letgoor 5y ago
I think that the image isn’t saying that liking the outdoors is a dealbreaker/unattractive, it’s just saying that it’s not inherently what is attractive. Rather, it’s the sense of adventure/ being willing to tag along and get “dirty” sometimes that is the attractive feature.
TheLadyLawyer 5y ago
" While most women would want to date someone who is attractive, they wouldn't want to date someone who puts much more attention and value to their own beauty than any woman, that would be a huge turn off. Likewise, while most high-caliber men would like to date someone who is at least educated and/or has a career, they wouldn't want to date someone who is much more powerful than him, as that would render his role as the provider useless."
​
This has been my experience, too.
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stoutyteapot 5y ago
I find this relatively true. As a male, I don’t find positions of power or great accomplishments that appealing. I do, however find interpersonal intelligence VERY attractive; what do you bring to the table right now? What is your interaction with people? I appreciate a wit, but not a great intellectual accomplishment.
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LuckyLittleStar 5y ago
Do not act like your personal preferences reflect the majority of men.
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tuyguy 5y ago
From the image:
Playing hard to get vs being hard to get
Absolutely nailed it.
Congratulations on realising this. No matter how much society tells men they should think female CEOs are sexy, our biology will not change overnight or perhaps ever. You are now miles ahead of most women in terms of being able to attract high value men (or one man).
UnbreakableFrame 5y ago
I think there can be a little confusion on this topic. Career and education are secondary relationship traits as far as men are concerned. Being sexually (keyword here) attractive is a primary relationship trait.
It's not that men don't want women who have a work ethic, earn money, and have potential for a fruitful career. We just aren't even remotely sexually attracted to that. It's a bonus, but frankly speaking, if a man has a prospect that he finds even slightly more attractive than you sexually, he's not going to give the tiniest damn that you have a PhD and she only has a BA. AMALT.
RedDespair 5y ago
Men's arousal or attraction is not based on any female accomplishments. PERIOD. Men who say otherwise are lying.
Saying that money or social standing matters in terms of attraction is wrong. It's always "appearance first" then everything else. Sure intelligence/career/personality matters, but that comes second to appearance and has nothing to do with men's biological attraction. Have you read what the guy wrote in the links before posting your opinions?
If a woman doesn't qualify in what her man's standard for appearance is, NOTHING of the rest will matter. Unless he compromises due to lack of options.
letgoor 5y ago
Thank you for your comment! I agree with you, and I think the people commenting disagreeing didn’t even bother to read the links I posted. “Appearance first” to men seems to be the equivalent of “Confidence/Power first” to women. That’s certainly the case for me, anyway.
Hammocknapping 5y ago
As I noted in my comment, there’s a big difference between what sparks that initial attraction and what inspires long term commitment.
When a man first looks at you, and decides if he is attracted to you, the only thing he knows is what you look like. Looks alone sparks attraction.
When a man is deciding to commit, he will look at other factors. He ask himself if he wants to talk to you everyday, if wants you to cook him dinner every night, if he thinks you’d be a benefit or a burden to him, and, if he wants children, whether or not you’ll be a good mother. To meet these standards, you’ll need to contribute more than just looks.
Education and work experience provide you with skills that are transferable to your role as a RPW. While it won’t help you spark attraction, it’s not worthless from a RP perspective.
cynicalhousewife 5y ago
My anecdotal experience says otherwise. It seems like men, educated, western men at least expect women who are educated and working in a professional role. This might not be the case for blind attraction and who a man will have sex with, but it does seem to be the case when a man is looking for a woman to commit to.
leilavanora 5y ago
That’s interesting. It hasn’t been mine. I live in SF and there are genius successful men by the dozen and very few of them have cared what my professional role was. I’ve always dated extremely accomplished older men and they were totally content inviting me to their company holiday parties, coworkers weddings, dinners with the partners at their firm, etc. My husband now makes 10x my salary and he let me retire at 27 since I don’t exactly have any kind of career and my time would be better spent supporting him and our home.
cynicalhousewife 5y ago
The fact that they are older than you is probably the catch. If you mean older as in 'sugar daddy' or 'silver fox' age. Anything else isn't really considered 'older' in any relevant context. These men understand that if they want sex with a woman far more physically attractive and much younger than them they are going to have to pay good money for it.
Bpgiissues 5y ago
Having married the professional career minded woman and then divorced her, i can say that I originally thought her career was important for me in my 20s and with blue pill conditioning. Now, with my kids where they are and me in a high power job, I can say I am not at all attracted to the career side. What I want is a nurturing woman that can provide what I am not bringing to the relationship. The career of my ex was massively in conflict with that.
Hammocknapping 5y ago
It sounds to me like your issue is that your priorities changed, but your ex-wife’s did not change along with you. With strong leadership and an iron clad frame, where you’re both working towards common goals, that shouldn’t be an issue.
Waterboo2 5y ago
I don’t agree that accomplishments or career don’t matter at all. They matter somewhat. Your SEC matters and is related to your education level. An attractive professional career woman is seen as more valuable/classy than an attractive woman who works in a cheap chain retail store. It tends to be that people from certain socioeconomic classes will marry other from the same, and education usually goes along with the upper classes because they can afford the tuition.
Kara__El 5y ago
I agree with the classes point. I think it's generally easier to find acceptance in the social and family circles of someone from the same class. I don't think my husband would've married someone without a degree, as his family highly values education, even though they primarily work in cattle, something that certainly doesn't require college. I'd definitely attribute it to class markers, since they're very wealthy.
Santaball 5y ago
I have to disagree. I think there are a few studies that show the more educated and career focused a woman is, the less likely she is to get married. This is probably a question that men should answer I think.
Waterboo2 5y ago
Grew up UMC, almost all the women I grew up with at least have bachelor degrees before they get married. It’s just an expected thing to have higher education when you grow up in a wealthy family, whether you’re male or female. Most men who grow up wealthy don’t marry that far down in SEC. maybe you grew up middle class or lower, in that case, the rules may not apply and pursuing education beyond high school isn’t the norm for you.
Lightning14 5y ago
There's a difference between being more educated and climbing the career ladder. That is the distinction that is important here. I'm a 32 year old man nearing the end of my M.S. and definitely find more educated women more attractive, but that doesn't hold true for more career driven (ie. a lawyer, aspiring CEO, etc.)
Waterboo2 5y ago
Well, good thing for you that not many women are aspiring CEOs or lawyers, lol
no_turning_back_rp 5y ago
The standards that apply to the wealthy don't apply to most people in the US. You are giving us your narrow point of view. Thanks? But you can't think that it applies it applies to the country at large. Right? You seem contemptuous of the middle class 'or lower'. Par for the course.
Waterboo2 5y ago
The middle and lower class are contemptuous and jealous of the upper classes. Class envy is real.
Being middle/lower class is kind of like being overweight. If you’re interacting with a thin person (higher class), you’re going to have some jealousy, whether you admit to it or not.
Marrying within your class is important.
BowlOfCandy 5y ago
I Just married my dream RP woman. She never went to college.
I married her because of her incredible capability to nurture and support me, which in turn inspires me to support her in the ways I am suited to. I could care less about her career or educational accomplishments - I'm prepared to use the ones I have to serve as the provider. In fact, I expect her to stay at home and focus on raising the kids when they come. In the meantime, and soon after the kids are old enough to not need her 24/7 care, I will support her to pursue hobbies and/or part time work that inspires her (painting, photography, teaching part time (\~21 hours/wk), etc.)/
Being a good wife and mother is one of the best accomplishments you can do - don't underestimate how incredibly important that will be. Personally, I think raising a family is the most important thing I will do in my own life.
Lightning14 5y ago
It's such a shame how much modern feminism has devalued this.
md8716 5y ago
Education is more of a class marker than a hard and fast requirement. The type of guy likely to be employed at a well paying, higher status job is much more likely to marry the type of woman that easily has the time and family resources to get a degree on a traditional timeline.
But people are generally shitty at choosing marriage partners in the first place.
imanewwoman 5y ago
Exactly. Most women in my socioeconomic class and upper, study in college, and when someone doesn't, it looks very suspicious as in: is she lazy ? Is she inmature and irresponsible? Does she have mental issues that don't allow her to study?. Exceptions that I have noticed: the ones who pursue non academic areas and have decent bussinesses going on, and the ones who are already super rich and get married young. In my area both men and women who are rich get married younger than other people who usually wait till 28-35.
Waterboo2 5y ago
Yep. One girl from my hometown didn’t go to college and got into bartending and nightlife, which is fine, but a lot of men who want marriage will see those type of women as flaky party girl types and steer clear of them.
Waterboo2 5y ago
Agreed. People from the lower classes are the ones who think education level doesn’t matter at all. It certainly does if you’re UMC trying to marry within your class. Most have at least a bachelor’s. A grad degree or higher is a status symbol.
Showing that you can focus enough to study and pass classes also is indicative of your personality and commitment. If you’re some wild party girl who fails out of college, you likely be flaky and won’t make too great of a wife. I think studious women make better wives.
harsheehorshee 5y ago
But also more entitled due to shitty schooling telling them to be
Waterboo2 5y ago
Ok. Don’t date people who went to college then. No one is forcing you.
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Hammocknapping 5y ago
The list of items that add to your SMV is very short. In fact, there’s only one thing on it - your appearance. The list of items that add to your RMV is much longer, and can vary depending on your pool of prospective partners.
I believe I’ve derived the following benefits form my post-graduate education and career that add to my RMV. I have an extremely high value partner, so I must have a decent RMV, but it’s not like there’s a calculator, so who knows.
I can support our lifestyle solo if my husband was ever unemployed, injured or passed away unexpectedly
By working, we can both “retire” in our mid-30s
Ability to problem solve and trouble shoot - this saves my husband a tremendous amount of time, because I don’t have to run to him with every little problem
Advocacy skills: allows me to be involved in civic life and could serve me well at future PTA meetings
Research skills: spend a lot of time doing online research for everything from diet and exercise to pet food to the best vacation spots. I can read and distill an incredible amount of information in a short amount of time.
I would be able to help my children with their homework throughout high school and I know how to work the college admissions process to their advantage
I have a vast network of connections, so I always have someone to call on for anything at any time
I met my husband in our post-grad program, so higher education is a good place to meet high value men
The extra income allows us to farm our unpleasant jobs like cleaning and yard work if needed
Education is more than just a degree hanging on a wall. Each man will have his own preferences, and most I’ve encountered will not commit to a woman with anything less than a 4 year degree.
xelaandra23 5y ago
Men care to an extent. Educated men often want to marry educated women, if for nothing else than that their family and social circles would only approve of or be impressed by an educated woman.
A lot of men are also turned on by women who can carry an intelligent conversation. They get bored of women who can't relate or keep up.
Not to mention, if they want intelligent and successful kids, they need to marry someone who knows how to raise kids to be smart and ambitious (and pass on smart genes!).
thrwyfrrndomqstn 5y ago
Whats the difference between being hard to get or playing hard to get?
imanewwoman 5y ago
Having boundaries vs. playing games (for example creating drama for the guy to prove he really wants the woman, or disappearing nonsensically so that the guy "misses her more")
GingerDoughGirl 5y ago
My fiance says for just sleeping with a woman education or career has little to do with whether or not he would have sex with her. However, he would never have a relationship with a woman who didn't go to college and major in a field he respects. He also would not have seriously dated me if I didn't have a job that was interesting and something of which his family and social circle would approve. He has two degrees and a high paying white collar job with a fair amount of status in it for him. It would be embarrassing for him to have a wife who was uneducated and lacking intelligence. It would have also been seen as highly suspicious if I did not have a job that left me able to take care of myself; it would have made him suspicious that I was after him just for his money.
MakeAmericaRichAgain 5y ago
A bit of insight into my vetting process, back when I was still single and meeting potential future wives:
I wanted my children to have significant advantages in life. I have always believed that children develop and grow best when they're breastfed. I don't believe in pumps, bottles, or formula as solutions which provide an advantage over breastfeeding. As a result, I always expected my future wife to be able to be home with our children for the amount of time that they were breastfeeding.
I have also always believed that children learn best at home, with a parent to play with them / read to them. Most day-cares are overcrowded and staffed by minimum-wage lackeys, who are often more interested in staring at social media than they are in watching the children. Nannies are extremely cost-prohibitive, so much so, in fact, that less than half of the population makes enough money by themselves to pay for a nanny (after taxes). I have a very high salary, and I didn't think it was reasonable to expect my future wife to earn as much money as I do. I also didn't think it was reasonable to expect my future wife to earn enough money such that, after taxes, her salary was still worth going to work for. As an example, if she were to earn a salary of 80k, but pay 35k to a nanny, then after our high tax rate (due to my salary) she would be earning somewhere between 4 and 8 dollars per hour. At that rate, I'd rather she just stay home and do work there. I don't think it's worth hiring a nanny to raise your children for an extra $200 - $300 per week.
Based on this thought process, I arrived at the conclusion that my best outcome would be for me to marry someone with less education and fewer career accomplishments. That way, she would be less incentivized to return to work quickly, and would instead potentially prefer to be a stay-at-home mom. For example, I didn't think it was reasonable to marry a physician, then expect her to stay home for literal years taking care of a child / multiple children. Odds are, if she went to that much school to be a physician, she probably wants to actually practice being a physician. She can marry someone else, they can jam their kids into daycare or hire a nanny, and we'll see how well their kids do in life. For me, that's not what I wanted for my children, so I just necessarily wrote off those kinds of women from consideration for long-term relationships.
I don't think my decisions were ever a matter of me being worried about my status as a provider. I never felt threatened or intimidated by women who had great careers or educations. Those things just didn't add any value to my life, because I already make great money. I wasn't looking for a business partner, I was looking for a parenting partner, if that makes sense.
Kara__El 5y ago
You make a great point that it's all about goals and priorities. I had a breast reduction at 15. I probably can't breastfeed, which is fine, since I spent seven years in college to perform a job I feel makes a huge impact in the community and have been dreaming of providing my children with a Catholic school education for most of my adult life. This requires funds, funds that my own position will more than provide with plenty left over, and I consider the payoff of having well-mannered and disciplined children to be worth it, particularly since my career doesn't demand long hours. My husband left oil, because it was more important to us that he be home for birthdays and dance recitals than it was that he make bank. Maybe his new field will enable me to go half time or even quit one day, but if not, I feel like the circumstances we've created for ourselves still lend to a strong family-oriented life.
​
There are a lot of different life plans that will work for different people. The important part is mapping them out and making your moves accordingly. As you said, it wouldn't make much sense to go to medical school, if you plan to stay home, nor would it make sense to not educate yourself, if you'd like to home school.
md8716 5y ago
I used to think this until I actually had kids and was made aware of the fact that there's a huge difference between a daycare and preschool.
A daycare is where you stick your kid for someone to watch them. A preschool (depending on quality....you get what you pay for) has a curriculum, school projects, teachers with ECE degrees, field trips, etc.
It's like sending your kid to private school.
letgoor 5y ago
Thank you for your perspective, it makes lots of sense and I can totally see where you are coming from. I wish (and hope) that other men take this much time and effort to think through their wants and needs for future partners!
DavidEagle68 5y ago
Working in a clinic, most residents either are on the extreme spectrum and make time for themselves, or others do nothing and study all day. There are definitely levels to this, but I would venture to say most men do care, and what to know the trajectory of your career.
MsAfrodisiac 5y ago
I think it's true that men aren't turned ON by women solely because of her career or degrees. That being said, I don't think it's a turn OFF if the women still allows the man to act like the man in the relationship. Women who are more accomplished should take care not to emasculate their husbands and let the guy shine. I technically have more education then my partner, but he earns more. That makes things easier. I also make sure that the persona I have in my professional career is separate than the persona I have with him. I am very feminine despite the fact that I am in a traditionally, male-dominated profession (law). Similarly, a sibling of mine who is a doctor has had success with a man with less education than herself. In fact, they recently got married. It's all about making sure the man in the relationship feels like a man.
Sasha_Doll 5y ago
Men do take pride in their girlfriends career. Most guys that I have talked to do subtly brag about their partner, it makes them feel better by association. It’s a nice extra to dress up the package even more.
thiscommentisnotpc 5y ago
TL,DR
Men date and marry either up, across, or down.
Women date and marry either up or across.
Kara__El 5y ago
I think these articles employ a lot of generalizations. Your own points about not going too far in the direction of career-mindedness are valid, but I often read the claim that men don't care about education or career at all and I call shenanigans. An educated man wants an educated woman, whether that's traditionally, through higher education, or self-taught.
Most men would prefer a woman who can manage her money and that really only comes from a woman who has proven an ability to financially provide for herself, which generally comes from a woman with some career ambition. Otherwise, he gets the woman who can't comprehend that there's no room in the budget for a new designer purse, because what's a budget?
You're right, that people take things too far, but that goes in both directions. When a woman posts here that she's 28, lives with her parents, works part time and wants to find a high quality man, I roll my eyes just as hard as I do at the blue-haired, tatted-up, unknown n-count, feminist.
CalvinRichland 5y ago
Some good points. Also men are not static, we change too. At 18-25 I probably made choices 100% on looks. 25+ i started considering other things a lot more.
I turned down lots of great looking girls that had nothing else to offer. Most importantly though the sweetness, lack of feminism, fun and interesting became my primary filters. You will notice though at no point did career accomplishments and degrees matter to me. I wanted someone that had shown an ability to support themselves because i don't want to be daddy, but that's it.
There are always going to be better looking women especially as you age. It takes a lot of mental effort for men to filter intelligently and not just for looks but the more mature they are the more they can consider the other qualities. It just turns out those qualitues don't include your accomplihment list like it would for men to compare themselves to eachother.
Having said all that, NOTHING will make up for being fat.
LateralThinker13 5y ago
Can we get a flashing banner for the subreddit on this point? I don't get how this isn't painfully obvious to more people as the #1 cause of issues.
Men: Lift.
Women: Lose the weight.
Ratcheta 5y ago
I support your viewpoint. My last few LTRs involved “lazy” girls with little ambition, a sense of life direction, or support of my interests. I’m grateful for my current LTR for having the intelligence to hold deep conversation, life goals and the ability to be independent, but choosing to surrender to me.
By that I mean she is no slave and can easily go her own way, but she likes my direction and makes a good follower.
Kara__El 5y ago
Balance is key. I have a master's degree, but I also work as a librarian, a traditionally feminine field that allows me to dress up for work and also accommodates a pretty good family life, while still providing enough income to justify the required education. I work two evenings this week and it's so rare that my husband was disappointed and confused as to why. I have extensive leave and great benefits, so when we have kids, I'll be available for the doctor's visits and field trips.
If I had worked my way up, without a degree, into an upper management position, requiring nights and weekends and 70 hours a week, it would be a deficit, not a perk, in the same way that being a surgeon wouldn't necessarily be a strong selling point.
aussiedollface2 5y ago
There’s a few negative comments about female doctors on this post. I’m a physician which allows me to only work part time which means I can take care of the house and my husband too! Healthcare does have the added benefit of the “caring” and “empathy” factor that men seem to like, in my experience at least. I feel that men also like nurses for similar reasons. My husband likes that I cook nutritious meals and know how to handle paediatric emergencies etc because he knows nothing about these fields (he’s corporate) and he says they will be of great value to our family. Of course there are some female doctors who take themselves and their careers too seriously, but you can find women like that anywhere in a range of professions.xo
Kara__El 5y ago
I did say "surgeon", because typically that specific title involves a lot of on call and late nights and unpredictability. My female physicians have always been very particular with their schedules, actually. My urologist only works one day a week and my OBGYN only takes appointments in the morning.
aussiedollface2 5y ago
Yes I agree that generally surgical fields are less flexible! I guess it’s all about priorities, and some ladies just prioritise family life less than their career, which can make a traditional dynamic of a marriage more difficult.
Ps. My mum is a librarian with a masters degree too! :)
LateralThinker13 5y ago
My wife's female boss is a world-class surgeon... who has no kids, little time for family, always travels, no relationship skills or husband (just bad taste in men), and is likely going to die rich and alone. But it makes her happy, so...
Kara__El 5y ago
Sometimes this sub seems to slip into villainizing women with careers at all. I completely agree that it can be done with the right priorities. After all, I know plenty of SAHM's who ignore the kids and Netflix all day. It's all about the person.
LateralThinker13 5y ago
The problem is that mainstream society teaches women that having a career is this huge positive, valuable thing that is worth the time, sweat, tears, and inconvenience of having. And a career is a great thing, in and of itself. But it doesn't mean a pile of beans to men.
And this doesn't make any sense to the women. "But look, I put in all these years of school and worked hard and - what, you think it doesn't matter?" they cry. "It's not valuable to you? Well to hell with you! I'll find a man who DOES value it!"
And then they're 35 eating for one plus six cats, wondering where all the good men have gone (at best) or dying their hair ten shades while getting pierced and tatted and protesting in feminist marches and ballooning to 400lbs.
RP doesn't villanize women with careers. It simply criticizes women who think a career adds SMV (it doesn't), and in many cases a career reduces RMV because they aren't as flexible and have less time to be a good mother/spouse.
letgoor 5y ago
Thank you! Yes. I think this is correct. It's great to have a career and to be intelligent (I consider myself very well-educated and pride myself in this) but it's another thing to think that men as a whole find it hot or would pick me over other women based on this characteristic alone.
There's an author who co- wrote a very popular dating book with a guy (who is actually responsible for the book's basic premise, she just gives her perspective as a woman here and there). The book itself is very good, but she cries a lot about not finding a good man or how they all treat her badly. Yet the only thing she can talk about is her VERY ~successful~ career as a TV-show writer and how she's so cool and independent. When the book was written, she was in her mid-30's and still hadn't locked down a long term relationship.
She later went on to write ANOTHER book (by herself) where she talked about being single as a 40-something. This woman is now in her mid-50's and STILL ALONE. I looked her up out of curiosity and all she can talk about is how cool she is for having written for a popular TV show and having two books, and how she feels this should give her some kind of credit for men to want to be in a relationship with her. She looks so old and worn. She's way past her prime.
I feel SO bad for her. She probably thought that having a successful career would make up for everything else. This woman clearly yearns for a relationship and she will never get it, not this late.
Kara__El 5y ago
I'm aware of this generalization and I still disagree. My husband thinks SAHM's are lazy moochers, once the kids are in school, and wouldn't have respected any woman who didn't do something she cared about, in a professional capacity. A degree likely would have been preferred for socioeconomic class reasons and the job itself wouldn't have mattered so much, but he needed ambition. It clearly means at least "a pile of beans" to some men. Generalizations in either direction are just that, generalizations.
Sometimes, people on this sub do, which is exactly what I was referencing, not RP theory as a whole.
I agree and understand this and made no arguments against it.
LateralThinker13 5y ago
Sometimes, people do ANYTHING. We don't, can't, speak to every possibility, when talking about RP theory. We can only talk about generalities.
Generally, men don't care if a woman has a career. Some like it, some hate it, most are indifferent. As most RP relationships are ones where the man is older and/or better established, they generally don't need their woman to work... and often don't want her to, so she can do more valuable things with her time.
bonekeeper 5y ago
https://news.utexas.edu/2015/08/06/genders-differ-dramatically-in-evolved-mate-preferences
lord-denning 5y ago
You have this completely correct (even the nuance). This is the basis behind the old advice from mothers to daughters for them to go to college, yes, but to ensure that they gain that “Mrs.” degree. Get educated for its own sake and to have something intellectual to offer in a relationship, but the youth/beauty that you offer during the college years is of exponentially greater value to men. The situation when mirrored is not reversed.
letgoor 5y ago
Thank you! I am glad I understood everything correctly. Honestly, still trying to come to terms with this. All my life I've connected my worth as a person (and woman) to my accomplishments in college/careers.
I'm glad I found this out at 23, though. I don't want to be a miserable 30-something, wondering where the time went and why I don't have a fulfilling relationship with a man yet...
MrTrizzles 5y ago
Seems the principle “men’s attraction is primarily appearance-based” has developed a little over-reach. That’s fine, and expected. Remember, most of these ideas are generalizations, never meant to apply to the entire group in the first place. We lose a little preciseness of speech, but without some simplification discussing these dynamic ideas coherently would be a challenge.
I’ll add another exception to the ‘rule’: the higher on the dominance spectrum, the more a man is affected by (and concerned with) intellectual attraction. Tricky to explain why, but it has to do with the more personal nature of a dominant vs normal interaction. And high-d men often have very high standards.
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RedDespair 5y ago
I thought all women knew that
Kara__El 5y ago
I feel like this misconception came as the result of 90s feminist TV. Have you watched Charmed recently? Those women were career obsessed whores and men loved them.
letgoor 5y ago
I definitely didn't! I always tried to impress guys by letting them know how smart and accomplished I was. I felt like they needed to know I was a "catch" in the intelligence department...and RIGHT AWAY, as soon as possible. This only worked to alienate these guys. It wasn't that they were "intimidated" by me, it was that I was coming on way too strong and trying to compete with them, essentially acting like a man.
Kara__El 5y ago
I feel like this is where you took it too far. It's okay to be smart and hardworking and accomplished, but you let that shine as an added feature, not your primary selling point. My husband has told me more than once that he never thought he'd find a woman who could keep up with him intellectually and was pleasantly surprised. Read between the lines, though, and you'll see that that wasn't a deal breaker for him. He absolutely would've settled for less intelligent.
letgoor 5y ago
Yes absolutely, I am decently attractive and have a good personality, I just thought that my accomplishments would be "the best" part about me that men would like. So that's what I emphasized the most.
I was wrong, obviously!
Kara__El 5y ago
I, too, realized early on in dating that men sometimes found my education level more threatening than appealing, even when I wasn't heavily promoting it. I don't know if I'd have called it a detriment, because if he was that insecure, I didn't want to be with him anyway, but I had to vet for someone who at least respected my field.
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LuckyLittleStar 5y ago
Breaking two rules.
Do not declare your gender.