Also, women are picky because they're programmed to find the best possible mate and then never let him go, going along with the clinginess you mentioned.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Arguably, a man could've better insured the survival of his offspring by sticking around to raise them; sleeping around to produce as many children as possible isn't an optimal strategy for keeping the species alive if said children don't have sufficient protection or provision for their needs.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm a man who prefers quality over quantity.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

That is why women are programmed to be able to raise children alone, although in this day and age, it is much better for the child to have both parents. However, a child won't die simply because their father is not around.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

What evidence suggests that women are "programmed" to raise children alone? Also, while single parenthood was surely feasible in prehistoric times, I assume having multiple parents provide resources and supervision would've improved children's odds of survival.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I said they are programmed to be ABLE to, not that they are programmed to always do so. Yes it is obviously better for a child to have more than one person raising them, as I said in the original post. I simply meant that children now are more prone to ending up in bad situations when they only have one parent present as opposed to children who grew up a hundred years ago.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Ah, understood. Please forgive my failure in reading comprehension.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

No problem.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Men are also programmed to be attracted to the physical aspects of a woman that show the woman would be good for child-bearing, such as wide hips (good for the birthing process) and large, full breasts (good for supplying food for the child.) Women are programmed to be attracted to a man's assets, such as money and power within the community, that would ensure the means of raising the child (such as being able to supply food, clothing, and shelter for the child)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

That's true to an extent, but you also have to remember that concepts of beauty have much to do with cultural norms and standards. For example, while the Mongols (around 1200-1400 CE) favored overweight or obese women, medieval men during the same time period favored women with smaller breasts and close waist-hip ratios (as suggested in many artistic depictions of women during the day). Also, most women are able to give birth regardless of hip size (the "child-birthing hips" belief is generally regarded as a myth by the medical community), and differences in breast size usually result from different amounts of fat and have little to do with the mammary glands. Of course, some breast growth is obviously suggestive of healthy sexual development and fertility. My main point: these findings are useful for understanding how we're wired, but they also need to be taken with a grain of salt.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Ok, let's look at your time periods for a second. Mongols, as well as other cultures, over time have favored larger women due to poor economic times. A large woman was a sign that the family could afford to feed her well. As suggested in many artistic depictions of women is not a good argument. Psychologists have done studies proving what I originally said. I will even show you an excerpt taken from a psychology book. "Men in 37 cultures, from Australia to Zambia, judge women as more attractive if they have a youthful appearance. Evolutionary psychologists say that men who were drawn to healthy, fertile-looking women -- women with smooth skin and a youthful shape suggesting many childbearing years to come -- stood a better chance of sending their genes into the future. Regardless of culture variations in ideal weight, men everywhere feel most attracted to women whose waists are roughly a third narrower than their hips -- a sign of future fertility." David Meyer, 'Exploring Psychology', chapter 3, page 77. 'Whose waists are roughly a third narrower than their hips" suggests fuller, wider hips rather than a woman who is stick thin. (More in next comment.)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I didn't mean for that part to be crossed out...

by Anonymous 12 years ago

"Women also feel attracted to healthy-looking men, but especially to those who seem mature, dominant, bold, and affluent. Such attributes, say the evolutionary psychologists, connote a capacity to support and protect. Women also prefer mates with the potential for long-term mating and investing in their joint offspring. They prefer stick-around dads over likely cads. Long-term mates contribute protections and support, which give their offspring greater survival prospects." David Meyers, 'Exploring Psychology', chapter 3, page 77. Women are attracted to money as well as to men who are likely to stick around, as OP said.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I love this post! People always seem to think that we're somehow excluded from the rules of evolution and biology. The thing with humans is, we are so much more mentally capable than any other species that we don't have to worry about survival as much as self-fulfillment.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I've met more clingy guys than girls, just saying...

by Anonymous 12 years ago