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Nerds Make Better Lovers

ultimabaka writes "The New York Daily News, fine bastion of reporting that it is, released an article today discussing the rise of nerd popularity among women in general, and famous women in particular. Detail is given into the dating exploits of Christina Aguilera and Elin Nordegren (nerdy Tiger Woods' supermodel squeeze), among a bunch of regular Janes. Apparently being a nerd is now in?"

54 of 1,148 comments (clear)

  1. naturally... by professorhojo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Of course we're better lovers.. it's because (among other things):

    - we don't sleep around
    - we're generally good at the things we try
    - we can concentrate, dammit!
    - we have *excellent* finger dexterity :-D
    - and most importantly, we have imagination!

    more here >>

    1. Re:naturally... by dreamchaser · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes, all true, but there are things that take points away like living in Mom's basement, having pasty white skin, and living off of caffeine and doritos.

    2. Re:naturally... by MrAnnoyanceToYou · · Score: 5, Insightful

      BS.

      The thing about this article is that it's talking about what good providers nerds make. And what nice guys they are. And how much of a 'turn on' that is. People - women and men both - don't like what's good for them. It just doesn't seem to be the way things work. Intelligence, introversion, and individualistic tendencies (standard geek traits) != Sexy. Eval(Good breadwinner + good hair + muscles == sexy) == 1.*

      The famous couples in TFA where the male is paid millions to ACT like he's a geek are not good examples.

      Geeks are, of course, willing to put a lot more effort into relationships sometimes. And they are sometimes willing to learn, because it's what they like to do. Occasionally they can be interested in learning interpersonal and social skills. That can make them easier to deal with in some ways, and (or so I've been told) intelligence can make them slightly better in certain situations where a bit of knowledge about biology is helpful. Does this make them more attractive? Not really. Does it make it easier for them to get girls to stick around for a while? Kinda. In my experience, the 'geeky' drive to throw intense, unimaginable-to-non-geeks effort into a problem until it is 'solved' has been a great detriment to every relationship I have ever attempted. Add to that the fact that most of the geeks I've known have been idealists, perfectionists, and socially inept for various reasons, and you get a group of people that aren't that sexy. Female geeks generally have their pick of the litter, and that's a sign that it's a very strong seller's market to me.

      Sorry. This article isn't accurate. Modern society isn't getting deeper, it's just that its advice columnists want to think they are.

      * - I haven't touched a C compiler in years. Correct me all you like.

    3. Re:naturally... by Datamonstar · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or the saxophone, then you get the tounging down well, too. ;)

      --
      The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
    4. Re:naturally... by lewp · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hey, I'm willing to share my Doritos with the ladies.

      --
      Game... blouses.
    5. Re:naturally... by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 5, Funny

      You get Doritos?

      --
      The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
    6. Re:naturally... by TheCreeep · · Score: 5, Funny

      "He has the fingers of a Geek God!"

    7. Re:naturally... by Peeps+In+Da+House · · Score: 5, Funny

      What does finger dexterity have to do with anything? Unless you're planning on having calculator races... Fun, but I haven't done that in years, not since I gave up my TI-92 for a HP48G. Girls used to love my mad skillz!

    8. Re:naturally... by professorhojo · · Score: 5, Funny

      > What does finger dexterity have to do with anything?

      you ... really .. can't think of .. *anything*?

    9. Re:naturally... by Leroy_Brown242 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Also geeks have the tendancy to study up on stuff. So we don't use trial and error as much as your average meat head.

      See porn is research! :)

    10. Re:naturally... by Rei · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Bah, *real* geeks play the theremin.

      --
      Sigur RÃs: I didn't know that Heaven had a rock band.
    11. Re:naturally... by Rei · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Not surprisingly, hardly a word in this entire comments section is about girl geeks :P

      --
      Sigur RÃs: I didn't know that Heaven had a rock band.
    12. Re:naturally... by Reverend528 · · Score: 5, Funny
      A lot of this depends on the type of geek.
      • Smalltalk geeks are good at conversation, but not much else
      • Java geeks don't mind a girl who is needlessly complicated
      • Lisp programmers will probably try to change anything about you that doesn't fit their design goals
      • Kernel hackers are only interested in your internals
      • vim users seem preoccupied with the colon
      • Perl Geeks will remain loyal after 20 years, no matter how unattractive you become in that time
    13. Re:naturally... by IdleTime · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree...

      Talking about famous people and how they have the hottest women and still are nerdy, is just an example of how easy it is to get a trophy wife when you are famous and have money. Elin Nordegren, to whom Tiger Woods is married, would never have ended up with a guy like Tiger if he had nopt been worth $500 million+.

      Don't get your hopes up guys, girls don't like introverted single minded computergeeks. Get a different hobby, lose the ugly glasses, get some contacts. Get a skin treatment and loose some weight. Get some dental work done. Learn how to communicate and how to listen. Girls in general couldn't care less about computers, nor do they like that you spend 10 hours a day in front of the screen.

      Nerds, geeks and what not... If you want a girl, you need to change. Introverts are not sexy, they are horrible to be around due to their intorversion. Sorry guys, don't get ypur hopes up!!

      --
      If you mod me down, I *will* introduce you to my sister!
    14. Re:naturally... by pLnCrZy · · Score: 5, Funny

      How apropos...

      A /. thread about geeks and the opposite sex turns into an argument about coding syntax...

    15. Re:naturally... by stuartkahler · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes, all true, but there are things that take points away like living in Mom's basement, having pasty white skin, and living off of caffeine and doritos.
      If you live in your parent's basement (and you're past college age), you're a loser. Being a nerd/geek is not your problem.
      If she meets your parents before you you first kiss her, it's going to be much harder make a good impression. Would you date a girl that would likely require you to move into her 12x10 bedroom with cinderella sheets, n'sync posters, barbies on the shelves and her nutty parents across the hallway? How she looks and acts would barely come into play.

    16. Re:naturally... by CFTM · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually this is a difference between men and women, this is not a difference between geeks and non-geeks. When men talk about their problems, they tend to do it in order to come up with concrete solutions to the problem. Women view it more as a means of clearing the air and putting things on the table; she wants you to listen not give advice. It's just a difference in the way that men and women communicate [this statement is based on the norm, there are exceptions and it is not the case with everything but there are indeed psycological studies to back this up].

    17. Re:naturally... by failure-man · · Score: 4, Funny

      Woo! I'm a nerd and ambidexterous. I've gotta be the absolute best around.

      Hey Slashdot ladies: I'm perfectly willing to make my email public. ;)

      * crickets *

      Aw man.

    18. Re:naturally... by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      very true,

      I want so badly to screw my Fiancee's best friend... she is 8 year younger, drop dead beautiful and not good for me in any way.

      She is a wack job nutcase that I am certian that after a few weeks of wild and crazy sex would result in my tolerance of her absolute wierdness and bitchyness to drop to zero.

      On the Other Hand, My fiancee is a wonderful loving caring and wonderfully sexually twisted woman that is most certianly the best for me. It took me 2 years to get over my wanting to not date her but her friends or the other nutty but really hot women I meet.

      The slightly homely woman that had a normal upbringing and is a boring geeky girl that will watch SCIFI, thinks that robot chicken and the venture brothers is a hoot and was willing to laugh with me all the way through "team america" and basically is my absolute best friend is my choice for my life mate.

      Remember guys, the HOT CHICK will be a wrinkly old hag with a "hump-me" tattoo above her butt in 15 years. Tolerating a woman's wierdness or lack of personality because she makes you horny just looking at her is not with it.

      A woman who can be your best friend is your best choice, looks mean nothing.

      Believe me, I've been married to the hottie, it ain't worth it... not even if she can suck the chrome off a trailer hitch.

      And guess what, that "slightly homely girl" become the most beautiful woman in the world to you as you realize who she really is.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    19. Re:naturally... by Anonymous+Custard · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or those of us hendrix fans who play guitar with our mouth.

    20. Re:naturally... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      i dont think youll be getting alot of girls with the nickname FAILURE-MAN

    21. Re:naturally... by shayne321 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And that's the part that has always made me bitter. The fact us geeks will be there when these wild women are "ready to settle down." We won't be out there having the wild fun, partying, adventures with them, we'll be there when they're ready to end that and become more serious. They'll have all these memories and experiences, we'll have Saturday nights watching Star Trek reruns.

      Dude, if I could give you and anyone else who reads this some advice, please listen closely.. You do no need a female to go have wild fun partying adventures. Before I get flamed, let me elaborate.

      When I was 16-20 I did the typical "nerd" stuff. Sat at home on weekends, tinkered with my computer/hobbies, and never had social interaction. When I turned 21 I was fed up with it and went and got a job at a nightclub. I didn't know a single person there when I started, I didn't have a girlfriend, I just took the plunge and immersed myself in the whole nightlife scene. I was working the door of the club, and believe me, everyone wants to know the door guy. We charged a $5 cover and you wouldn't believe what some people will do to get out of paying cover. I got kisses from hot females, drinks, phone numbers, flashed various body parts, etc. Within a couple of months I was starting to go out partying with my co-workers from the club, and within a year I knew just about everyone that came in regularly.

      So in about a year's time I went from a social "zero" to a well known guy in the night life scene. In the few years that followed (my early 20's) I had plenty of girls, tons of friends, and all of the wild partying fun adventures I could handle. At one point I was even dating a stripper for a couple of months. I'm settled down and engaged now (NOT to the stripper), but I wouldn't trade those few years for ANYTHING. Yeah I probably shaved a few years off the end of my life, and yeah I probably could have spend that time doing something "productive" like studying or programming, but you only get once chance at life to have great experiences. IMO you should take them whenever possible, or make them if you have to.

      --
      Today I didn't even have to use my AK; I got to say it was a good day -- Icecube
    22. Re:naturally... by servognome · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Don't turn it into a gender issue. It's not. It has to do with maturity.

      I've found for most women they aren't looking for a solution, they are looking for empathy. When they start complaining about so-and-so at work is so difficult to work with, they don't want you to start asking questions and trying to figure out how they can work together better. They just want you to say, "they are just a bad person, I mean everybody else loves working with you."
      In their mind they already have a solution, they don't want to hear yours, they just want to know they are supported.

      --
      D6 63 0D 70 89 81 BB 8E 7B 7C 5F 5D 54 EA AB 73
    23. Re:naturally... by TekGoNos · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually, I think that this is more socially than naturally.
      I know A LOT of men who find it very pleasant just to speak about problems without trying to find a solution. It makes me feel lighter.

      The main problem is this stupid image of "the man" in society, that "a man" has to have the solution to everything. When I speak about a problem without trying to solve it, I risk that other look down on me. (Psychologically, I could say that they just dont want to be reminded that they havent the solution to every problem either, but that's their problem)

      Another problem is to find people that actually listen the way I want them to. Men tend to offer solutions, and I dont want solutions, I can find them myself, women tend to offer comfort ("this isn't that bad", "time will solve it") and I dont want comfort, it IS bad, or I wouldnt speak of it.
      What I'm looking for in a listener is his interest and his capacity to make me feel less alone. And to feel accepted despite (or even because!) the fact that I currently dont have a solution.

      Almost all people who I introduced to this "just listen" thing, ended up preferring it to advice and comforting. Men and women along.

      (Note : sometimes I also look for advice, and then I say so directly. And I find it much easier to ask for advice than to ask someone to listen. If I ask for advice, I already have figured what to do : namely, ask for advice. If I ask someone to listen, I'm lost.)

      Generally, I think that men tend to hide their insecurity in silence, women hide their insecurity by speaking about superficially things. Both to avoid speaking about the insecurity. To avoid showing a fragility, a vulnerability.

      And I find speaking about the insecurity difficult, risky, more often than not i'm terrified of being rejected, but in the end very rewarding. And I have found friends who dont reject me for it and I stick with them, as I find it highly comforting to know that I dont have to be perfect the whole time, to always have a solution, in order to keep my friends / girlfriend / family.
      And many people actually react positivly to fragility, probably because it makes me more "human" in their perception.

      And right now, I hesitate to click on the submit button for fear of rejection, especially after Semi-Lagrange said it would be "mentally underdeveloped" to only speak 'to put things on the table'. However, this is how I live my life and I want to combat these gender images (especially the "a real man only talks for to find solutions" ... bah).

      --
      I have discovered a truly remarkable proof for my post which this sig is too small to contain.
    24. Re:naturally... by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
      > "Sex Tips for Geeks" can make a strong man cry and have terrible nightmares of a hairy gnome talking about the clitoris.

      I just had a vision of RMS screaming "That's GNU/Clitoris, you insensitive clod!"

      And since I'm not sure the battery acid will be enough to erase it, I figured I'd share the misery.

  2. Woohoo! by lewp · · Score: 4, Funny

    The day is mine!

    --
    Game... blouses.
  3. small correction :P by blackicye · · Score: 5, Funny

    _rich_ nerds make better "lovers"

  4. Tiger Woods? by mopslik · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So being a rich, well-televised sports figure now makes you a nerd? Interesting.

    1. Re:Tiger Woods? by schon · · Score: 5, Funny

      As others have pointed out, golf is not a sport.

      Golf is a game. Tennis is a sport.

      To qualify as a sport, you must sweat.

      Golf is a scottish practical joke played on the rest of the world, kind of like snipe hunting or curling. It began when the Romans, after conquering Scotland, asked "so, what do you guys do for fun around here?"

    2. Re:Tiger Woods? by endoboy · · Score: 4, Informative

      might want to brush up on your history--the Romans didn't manage to conquer Scotland

    3. Re:Tiger Woods? by Fallingcow · · Score: 5, Funny

      "There's only one actor I know of who's a bonafide nerd, and I can't remember his name right now (but he does have a rather clever nickname, I recall)."

      Come on, now! This suspense is *crushing* us! Hurry up and remember, or we'll all have to Trek to your house and make you tell us! Ick, I hope you don't live in a wheat field, I'm alergic to it!

      ...

      Ok, I'm done.

  5. Of course... by OS24Ever · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure, they figure it out now that I'm married and totally committed, but noooooo, 15 years ago when I was 18 and single no one figured it out.

    It sucks to be a trailblazer sometimes. You young nerds got it easy. Back in my day a cute girlfriend was GIF pr0n & a bottle of lotion.

    --

    As a rock-in-roll Physicist once said, No matter where you go, there you are.

  6. I know its a bad pun, but.... by AviN456 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Only a geek knows how to fsck well.

    --
    - Just because we CAN do a thing, does not mean we SHOULD do that thing.
  7. Diary by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny
    HER DIARY:

    Saturday, May 21st 2005

    Saw him in the evening and he was acting really strangely. I went shopping in the afternoon with the girls and I did turn up a bit late so thought it might be that. The bar was really crowded and loud so I suggested we go somewhere quieter to talk. He was still very subdued and distracted so I suggested we go somewhere nice to eat. All through dinner he just didn't seem himself; he hardly laughed and didn't seem to be paying any attention to me or to what I was saying. I just knew that something was wrong. He dropped me back home and I wondered if he was going to come in; he hesitated but followed. I asked him again if there was something the matter but he just half shook his head and turned the television on. After about 10 minutes of Silence, I said I was going upstairs to bed. I put my arms around him and told him that I loved him deeply. He just gave a sigh and a sad sort of smile. He didn't follow me up but later he did, and I was surprised when we made love. He still seemed distant and a bit cold, and I started to think that he was going to leave me and that he had found someone else. I cried myself to sleep.

    MAN'S DIARY:

    Saturday, May 21st 2005

    Apple switched to Intel.

    Absolutely gutted.

    Got a shag though.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  8. Report From Where I'm At by BRock97 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Apparently being a nerd is now in?

    Let me check my messages.....

    0. Nope, still the status quo here!

    --

    Bryan R.
    The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
  9. Re:Just after I got castrated! by Soko · · Score: 5, Funny

    You idiot, it's UNIX, not Eunuchs!

    I will say what you did took some, er.... Nevermind.

    Soko

    --
    "Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm." - Anonymous
  10. WHATEVER!!! by SeattleGameboy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Only in NY Daily News' bizzaro world would a 6'2" guy with rippling muscles, can hit a ball 350 yards with a driver, has WORLD-CLASS hand-eye-coordination, and was routinely named as the MOST AVAILABLE BACHELOR IN THE WORLD (before he got married) would be described as "nerdy".

    Yeah, and I hear Brad Pitt is practically a hermit.

  11. OQ! by garcia · · Score: 4, Funny

    Revenge of the Nerds:

    Louis: Jocks only think about sports, nerds only think about sex.

  12. Re: "Revenge of the Nerds" by airship · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In this classic (cough!) film the nerd 'hero' sleeps with the cheerleader heroine (he is in disguise as 'Darth Vader'), satisfying her mightily. She then discovers his identity, and asks how he can be such a fantastic lover, and he reveals the secret: "We nerds never have girlfriends, so all we do is think about sex." After all, it has been proven by science (scientists are nerds, remember) that the brain is the most important sexual organ. It has also recently been proven (again, by nerd scientists who sit at their computers all day) that just THINKING about exercising is almost as effective at increasing strength as actually exercising. Therefore, it makes sense that just thinking about sex must make you better at it.

    --
    Serving your airship needs since 1995.
  13. Re:Nerds Make Better Lovers??? by SeattleGameboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    You sir, are either a sham or an impostor.

  14. But seriously, SHOWER! by SlashChick · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am sure there will be a lot of comments on this article like "Yay! I can get a hottie!" now. However, speaking as a woman who has dated several geeks, I thought I would share a woman's perspective.

    1) I can't tell you how many geek guys I know who can't even take care of their most basic personal hygiene needs. You need to shower at least once a day and use deodorant to become reasonably attractive to any woman. No woman is turned on by stinky body odor.

    2) Self-confidence is attractive. Unfortunately, many geeks think self-confidence is something for guys who brag about every "conquest" they have. It's not. Self-confidence is simply respect and love for who you are. Love yourself first and good relationships will follow. This is difficult, but it's the key ingredient to any successful relationship. If you know who you are and you love who you are, people will love and respect you that much more.

    3) Complaining/whining is not attractive. Some geeks have very bitter personalities and spend a lot of time whining about how the world would be a better place if only this or that. (The most common one I hear is whining about a job they're in.) If you complain, do something about it! Start your own business. Program something better on the side and sell it. Take control of the situation and create something better instead of griping.

    4) Being a slave isn't attractive. If you make it clear that you'll do anything for a woman, and grovel for her affection, you're going to end up attracting the wrong type of woman. Any successful relationship is a two-way street. While there's nothing wrong with showing your love and affection, groveling only means you'll get taken advantage of and perhaps become bitter about (see #3.)

    5) Lead a balanced life. No one is less attractive than someone who sits on a computer all day and never gets out of the house. Plus, it doesn't make for a healthy life of your own (I should know; I work from home and often spend 12-16 hours a day in front of the computer.) Get out there, meet people, and have fun. It will make you feel better about yourself to have a good group of friends around, as well.

    I have been in several great relationships with geeky guys. I find the most successful relationships I have are with guys who already have a decent level of self-confidence and several friends who respect and love them. They may be interested in computers, but they are also interested in having fun and getting out of the house on a regular basis. Take this guide to heart and you can have a good relationship with the right woman as well.

    1. Re:But seriously, SHOWER! by Jackie_Chan_Fan · · Score: 4, Funny

      All of the above is true. I should know because i meet none of those requirements and i'm a lonely loser.

      Such is life... the ever fleeting depression :)

      I'll never have confidence, I have no idea what a balanced life is.... And here I am whining about it.

      Not a girl around me, and none who care to be around me.

      Oh well. Truth hurts but its true atleast :)

    2. Re:But seriously, SHOWER! by geekwench · · Score: 4, Interesting
      • And just accept the fact that attractive women want attractive men. That's biology for you. Sorry. If your personality can overcome that, good for you, but most of us are programmed by God, Darwin, whoever, to chase the most physically attractive of the opposite sex. The so-called geek success stories here are successes because they have lots of cash, which frankly, goes a long long way toward attracting women.
      Not entirely true. Yes, some women insist on a standard of "only hotties need apply", but please bear in mind that women have different standards of what they consider physically attractive. Personally, I don't have much interest in the Tom Cruise / Brad Pitt type; even when they manage to be down-to-earth emotionally, they're what I refer to as "beige wallpaper". It's versatile, goes with anything; you can dress it up or take it down to the bare minimum, but when you come right down to it, it's still beige wallpaper. Bland and boring. Give me a few quirks and a face with some character to look at, instead.

      You might be correct in the general sense, but it is still a generalization. :)

      --
      Doing my level best to piss off the religious right wing...
    3. Re:But seriously, SHOWER! by Koiu+Lpoi · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wait...

      you're female...

      you're trying to piss off the religious right...

      you want quirky guys...

      you're posting on slashdot...

      So, how many marriage proposals have you gotten so far? My bet's on 14.

  15. Occam's Razor... by Embedded+Geek · · Score: 4, Funny
    When multiple explanations are available for a phenomenon, the simplest version is preferred.

    Thus, we can conclude that IT security at the New York Daily News is lax and some "nerd" has figured out a way to post prank stories. Expect a deluge of stories about the Duke Nukem Forever release party.

    --

    "Prepare for the worst - hope for the best."

  16. Not to mention by MrHanky · · Score: 4, Funny

    We are certain to have the biggest hard drives, and the longest uptime.

  17. WoW by notcreative · · Score: 5, Funny

    Things to think about once my paladin hits level 60.

  18. Oh, fer frack's sake... by geekwench · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Is it at all possible to knock off with the whole "geeks / nerds never get any" commentary? [/mini-rant]

    Now that that's out of the way, I can make a more rational response.

    Women are attracted to intelligence and stability? As a femmegeek, I've known this for ages. What irks me about most of the comments is the reversion to early adolescence that marks these discussions. Using the experiences of high school as a benchmark for your entire life seems a really bass-ackwards thing to do. Almost nobody is, as a teenager, self-confident enough to choose a dating partner without regard to what your "friends" might say. And yes; women can be horribly self-absorbed and shallow. Even women who self-identify as "nerdy". Guess what, though: men can too, and in some ways, they can be even worse about it. I have, sadly, dated male geeks who wanted me around because having an attractive female on their arm supposedly raised their status, somehow. Never mind that I was at least as intelligent as they were; they wanted a trophy, and nothing more. However, I've stuck with the high-IQ set, instead of lowering my standards, because I am attracted to intelligence. I think that many, many other women out there are as well, but given the still-prevalent expectation that "girls aren't..." (good at math, interested in science, fill in your stereotype of choice), most women are more than a little reluctant to admit it. The 50s-era maternal admonition of "boys don't like girls who are too smart" still echoes today.

    Luckily, I never bought into it. So I sit here, posting on Slashdot, an intelligent, fit, good-looking geek woman, who isn't ashamed to admit the fact. And I think that I speak for a number of my fellow geekettes, gentlemen, when I say that smart is sexy. If you want to engage my hormones, engage my brain first. I'm not going to make hot sweaty snugglebunnies with anyone with whom I can't have a good conversation.

    --
    Doing my level best to piss off the religious right wing...
    1. Re:Oh, fer frack's sake... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful
      It's actually easy enough to get a girlfriend if you are financially stable. The trouble with a lot of geek-type guys is that they don't realize, they don't actually want one. They think they do, their sex hormones are telling them they do, but they don't. What they actually want is a semi-monastic experience chasing esoteric intellectual pursuits, and to get laid now and then to relieve the biological pressure. This makes for a terrible relationship.

      Most women (and men, for girl geeks) want things that geeks, for all their protestations to the contrary, don't want to give them.

      How do I know this? Let me put it this way, I was happier when I didn't have a girlfriend! I love my girlfriend, but she drives me crazy. Lot's of reasons, but financial ones are the biggest ones.

      It doesn't help that our society pushes emotionally unready people into relationships by acting like, "Oh, if you only had a boyfriend or girlfriend, you problems would be solved." The reality is, "oh, you've got a boyfriend or a girlfriend, that's another problem."

  19. Re:Of course...Dude! by mr_z_beeblebrox · · Score: 5, Funny

    Back in my day a cute girlfriend was GIF pr0n & a bottle of lotion.

    I'm dating your' ex!

  20. reminds me of a joke I once heard... by the-build-chicken · · Score: 5, Funny

    An artist, lawyer and programmer are sitting at a pub, having a few drink and soon the conversation turns towards cheating on their wives.

    The lawyer pipes up. "Don't do it guys, I don't care how pretty she is. I see this every day in my profession, some fool cheats on his wife with some pretty little thing, she finds out, before you know it he's lost half his house, half his assets, half his future paycheck and can't even see his kids any more...And with all that stress, it's just not worth it."

    Then the artist pipes in. "no no no no...life is for living...how can you live in fear like that. Imagine the romance...the passion...the secrecy and mystery. That is what life is about my friend, who cares if you get caught, life should be lived dangerously and passionately."

    The programmer looks up over his glasses and says "yeah, I've got mistress...have had one for quite a few years now".

    The lawyer and artist are shocked. The certainly wouldn't have expected that from thier geeky little friend. The artist pipes up:

    "Oh my friend...tell us, what's it like. Are you always stressed out worried about what you could loose...is it passionate and wonderful...what?"

    The programmer looks up again and say "It's great...best thing I've every done.........wife thinks I'm with the girlfriend, girlfriend thinks I'm with the wife, I can go get some coding done."

    boom tish :)

  21. woman's perspective.... by King_TJ · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Your list of suggestions make sense, but as a self-proclaimed "geek guy" who believes he already follows most of those, I'd still have to make a few counter-points.

    1. I *do* complain (or whine; your pick how you wish to label it) a lot about things I observe in the world around me. If that's too "unattractive" for a woman to deal with, so be it. But I usually point such things out to spark a conversation. I'm typically upset at something I think needs to be pointed out and addressed, rather than just swept under the rug. All too often, I think women want to avoid confrontation or discussion that might not be of the "happy, happy - joy, joy" type. You know... the types that try to end all political discussion at a table as soon as it starts, with a "can't we just talk about something ELSE?!" plea?

    2. I'm not too convinced many women really want a guy that seems very "into" them at all? Practically every time I've been in a new relationship that I was really excited about (felt those "sparks" from the first time we met and all that good stuff), the thing that seemed to immediately terminate it was expressing the fact that I felt so strongly about it! My theory is, women want to feel like they're the ones who "won the guy over" themselves... They want to be the one in the "driver's seat" after the guy makes that first move and does the initial "hitting on them" and they accept. No matter how much you're falling into "like", "love" or "lust" for the woman, the only thing she wants is for you to pay attention to her on her terms, and always drop what you're doing to come over there *if you're invited*, but NOT to start doing things on your own to show how much you care. It has to be HER show, played out the way SHE wants it to play out.

    3. On the "balanced life" thing, sure - everyone needs to get out in public now and then. But if you're really into computers, you can use that to your advantage rather than it working against you here. The computer is the ultimate communications tool! Get into a local IRC chat room for your city or state and organize a "get together" for the people who congregate there. Use email to invite some people out for dinner or bowling or trivia night or whatever you think they'd all enjoy. Do some searches online for recommendations of interesting things to do or see in your area. Buy a cheap hand-held GPS and get into the new hobby of GeoCaching! (www.geocaching.com)

  22. Well congatulations. by ammie · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yesterday, while sifting through the UK version of a Cosmo, I found the most remarkable ad I think I've ever seen. It was for a soap product, I think, but the photo was that of 20 Exactly Normal Looking Women. It occured to me that I dont think I've ever actually *seen* Normal Looking Women before...

    I put the ad in front of my fiance, and watched. Over about seven seconds, his face turned from daily-default expression to smelling-onions-and-old-celery. "They're all tubby" he said. I was crushed.

    I was crushed because I work out three times a week, pay all the bills, get paid roughly three times as much as he does, ride a motorcycle, have fabulous hair, very often get asked out, and this all adds up to one thing.

    I can't be normal. I'm not allowed. If I get to be normal, it means that I've just lost whatever it was that made me.
    I listen when he's having a horrible day. I dance when there's no music for no reason. I come home and work on the house-wifey duties, and I make him laugh so hard and so often that any tone in his stomach is at least 60% to my credit. I never thought that I'd have to figure out how to be a good mate despite being pretty because now being pretty is synonymous with being ditzy.

    He is an engineer, and a mechanic, and one of the most nerdy guys I've ever met. He is doting, and flattering, and patient, and as long as I continue to be nothing short of a full-blown goddess, he will continue to be wonderful.

    At least pretty-boys are low maintainance. At least jocks and players they know they're worthless, it actually turned them into better people. Nerds aren't the underdogs, they're the staple, now...and they know it.

    Congratulations boys, now you're the trophy.

    --
    {...reality is wrong, Dreams are for real...}
    1. Re:Well congatulations. by swillden · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I put the ad in front of my fiance, and watched. Over about seven seconds, his face turned from daily-default expression to smelling-onions-and-old-celery. "They're all tubby" he said. I was crushed.

      Maybe he was just trying to say that he likes you better than all of them. I mean, if he'd said "they look nice", how would you have taken that? He may very well have thought that you wanted him to point out why they were all worse choices than you.

      Men dread such ad-hoc tests, because we often don't know which reaction is the right one, within the twisty maze of feminine logic. And, by "right" reaction, I don't mean the one that will make her think what we want her to think, I mean the one that will make her understand what we really think. Women tend to analyze relationships much more deeply than men do, with a result that they read more into our reactions than is there -- it's not uncommon that they read so deeply that they get entirely wrong answers.

      If you want to know what your fiance thinks, don't try to test him like that, just ask him. He might lie to you, sure. That's a risk you have to take. But trying to draw conclusions from his reaction to magazine photos just causes you to deceive yourself, which makes you angry at him -- which leaves him baffled, because he, being a man, missed the whole damned thing!

      Keep in mind also that his reaction to the appearance of random women on the street is *NOT* necessarily related to how he would view you if you looked like them. This ought to be obvious, actually. Would you love him more if he were built like a Chippendale dancer? Would you love him less if he were 30 lbs heavier than he is? While men are more focused on appearance than women, they're not *that* much different. My wife was slender when I met her and married her, and she's now somewhat overweight, but I still love her. More, actually, than I did then, because I know her much, much better.

      So, rather than showing him pictures of other "tubby" women and asking what he thinks of *them* and then assuming that implies something about what he would think of a "tubby" *you*, why don't you just ask him what he would think if you put on twenty or thirty pounds? Point out to him that you won't always have time to work out three days a week and that you probably will gain some weight.

      Yes, he'll hate those questions. Just like we hate the inevitable "Does this make me look fat?" and "Do I look older than her?". And he may even lie, giving you an answer that he thinks will make you happy, rather than the flat truth -- it takes many years before there's enough confidence in a relationship that flat truth isn't frightening.

      But even if he lies, it will be a lie intended to make you happy, and that's what you really want to know. As long as it's more important to him that you be happy than that you be his ideal woman, you know that your life with him will be good.

      I think I'll have my wife read your post and this response and get her reaction... :-)

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.