Equality is only a step towards supremacy?

A short post by Dr. Helen linked this longer post at Maggies farm about a man who decided to evaluate an attractive woman in purely economic terms (as a "depreciating asset"):

I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here's how I see it.

Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a cr@ppy business deal. Here's why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won't be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain, you're 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!

So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn't make good business sense to "buy you" (which is what you're asking) so I'd rather lease.

Man, that's cold! (At least, so I thought.) How could anyone reduce relationships that ought to be based on love to such crude and degrading terms?

It occurred to me that not only was love being left out of the equation, but so were considerations of the relative intelligence of both the parties. So I said in a comment:

I think intelligence is at least as important (and possibly more important) than looks, so falling in love with a brain would seem to make more sense than falling in love with a body. I don't think all men would agree with this, though. As to women, who knows?

Isn't there an old stereotype about men being threatened by women with brains? How does this square with the new stereotype that men are stupid and incompetent?

So I can't figure out the rule. Do men want women to be less intelligent than they are? Or do women want men to be less intelligent than they are?

Maybe it depends on whether you're out to get something. If the goal is simply money, then money plus stupidity would seem an ideal match. Ditto if the goal is simply attractiveness. But if the latter is the goal, why not wait until androids are perfected?

As to what I called the "old stereotype about men being threatened by women with brains," that stereotype seems to have scientific support:
In America research shows successful young women are hiding their accomplishments for fear that their academic achievements and financial kudos will scare off potential suitors.

And it is no different here. Researchers from Aberdeen, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow universities discovered that high-IQ women saw marriage prospects fall dramatically, but men with high IQs had little trouble finding a mate. They found that for each 16-point rise in a woman's IQ, her marriage prospects declined by 40%, but the man's chances of marriage increased by 35% with each rise.

The widespread view is that accomplished women are at a disadvantage in the marriage market because men start out by saying they want a strong, powerful woman and then end up running off with the secretary. I should know. A few years ago my Swiss banker found my conversation too arty and cast his attentions on a lovely Spanish girl who worked in his office.

Should women pander to male insecurities?

I found the above via Hot Air and Glenn Reynolds, whose reaction to the conclusion is similar to mine.

Here's the conclusion:

Having grown up with successful women such as Margaret Thatcher and Madonna as role models, and with popular culture awash with fantasies of all-powerful women, from Lara Croft to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, men are not so uncomfortable with the woman in control. This value system recognises the trend of female supremacy, which while not as yet the norm seems to be pointing the way for future relationships.
The "trend of female supremacy"? Isn't a false dichotomy implied there?

I mean, excuse me, but I thought the goal was equality.

Or is that now just a step in the "process"? Sorry, but if the "choice" is now between male supremacy or female supremacy, count me out on all counts.

Sometimes it seems that politics is being driven by insane activists who want to impose their insane choices on the still sane (but non-activist) majority of people who just want to be left alone in their dwindling spheres of what was once called "privacy."

I'm wondering.

Is the conservative War on Sex supposed to be an alternative to the liberal War Between the Sexes?

I see it as another insane dichotomy, because either way, the result is the Sex War.

(I guess I'll have to redouble my ongoing effort be a "traitor" to both "sides.")

posted by Eric on 10.07.07 at 11:21 AM





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I blogged about this, too and linked back to you. My Haloscan trackback failed. :-(

K T Cat   ·  October 7, 2007 01:08 PM

Thanks for the link, and great post, BTW.

(Unfortunately, my trackbacks don't work, thanks to spam.)

Eric Scheie   ·  October 7, 2007 01:30 PM

Eric, thanks for the compliment. The underlying notion here is that men are stupid dum-dums who can't make educated, considered decisions when it comes to choosing a mate. Quite to the contrary. The young lady in that article has developed the ultimate resume for a law firm, but a terrible one for a wife. She just doesn't want to admit it. Reading her article made me blow a gasket, having had personal experiences with such women.

:-)

K T Cat   ·  October 7, 2007 02:17 PM

Who says people want equality. Most womenwanta man taller and stronger than they are. Look at what is sought in personals or dating sitesby WSM. Most women want a mantheir age or older, most men want a wonam younger than them. Nowdays college educated menwant a college educated woman but they do not want a woman who makes alot more money and tells them "if you want me to pay for the vacation, we will go where I want to and that is all there is to it."

Doug_S   ·  October 7, 2007 05:04 PM

Sorry spacebar does not work well, ordered a new keyboardbut I am probably a fool for replacing anything on a laptop. $60 down the drain

Doug_S   ·  October 7, 2007 06:18 PM

K T Cat, there is no consistency at all. Unfairness and irrationality rule.

Doug I don't mean equal in the real sense (for no two people are actually equal), but as what was supposed to be the theoretical goal of feminism. (I think now it's become superiority through some sort of socialist hegemony of fake "sisterhood.")

BTW, I hate laptop keyboards, and when I use my laptop I try to use it with a regular keyboard. But once when I thought the trouble was the keyboard, it turned out to be my thumb on the mousepad.

Eric Scheie   ·  October 7, 2007 09:28 PM

I'd say that a man wants a woman who recognizes that there *is* a deal.

Brett   ·  October 8, 2007 11:40 AM

I don't see what is possibly the most important consideration of all--children. That beautiful woman does not bring only her beautiful self to the party, she brings her ability to have beautiful children. The intelligent woman brings her ability to have intelligent children. Any sensible man will want to maximize the healthy, intelligent, beautiful potential of his children by getting the most healthy (physically and mentally), intelligent, beautiful woman he can.

The main way to do that is to show himself to be a good provider for those children by having a decent personality and (often more importantly) the abilty to earn money.

That's the classic trade that will continue to be at least somewhat true so long as childbearing continues to be a solely female endeavor.

tim maguire   ·  October 8, 2007 01:14 PM

Equality? Where the heck have you been for the last 30 years, under a rock? Did you miss Andrea Dworkin's ascension to stardom in the feminist constellation? Are you unaware of what "family court" means, what it can do, and what premises it operates under? Here's a hint: family court doesn't operate under the Constitution - no right to confront accusers, secret "evidence" can be introduced, etc. - it can do anything it wants including grant children to a proven abusive mother and insist the father pay most of his salary to her, yet she isn't required to spend any of that loot on the kids, and the premises include "all men are potential child abusers/wifebeaters, children ALWAYS belong with their mother.

Feminists created family court. Equality? Don't make me laugh.

Not Maude's Husband   ·  October 9, 2007 03:23 PM

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