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Studies Confirm That Bad Boys Get More Girls

seattlle foodie sends along a New Scientist article outlining two recent studies that confirm what many have long suspected: bad boys get the most girls. "The finding may help explain why a nasty suite of antisocial personality traits known as the 'dark triad' persists in the human population, despite their potentially grave cultural costs. The traits are: the self-obsession of narcissism; the impulsive, thrill-seeking, and callous behavior of psychopaths; and the deceitful and exploitative nature of Machiavellianism. At their extreme, these traits would be highly detrimental for life in traditional human societies. People with these personalities risk being shunned by others and shut out of relationships, leaving them without a mate, hungry and vulnerable to predators."

34 of 960 comments (clear)

  1. That's nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But it is not an excuse. Women who repeatedly get used in these types of relationships and then go cry to their geek friends deserve no sympathy. They should be smart enough to figure it out.

    1. Re:That's nice by packeteer · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Then you shoudl be smart enough to not fall for a cute chick who is gorgeuos and seems cool but really just used you for your money right? Look it happens to the best of us because it is ingrained in us. Women who are abused are not the ones to blame. They are the ones who have the power to stop it but they are not really to blame.

      --
      unzip; strip; touch; finger; mount; fsck; more; yes; unmount; sleep
    2. Re:That's nice by vertinox · · Score: 5, Insightful

      They should be smart enough to figure it out.

      I'm not sure if this was something from a Buddhist monk, but I always took it to heart:

      "The first step to having free will is to admit you have none"

      The point is that if you ignore your instincts(or 300 years of evolutionary programming) you will never over come it. You first must become aware of your limitations and natural impulses so that you can deal with them.

      If you become aware of such things then you are able to take a 3rd person view of yourself when such natural instincts arise and then are better able to deal with the situation with a clear head.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    3. Re:That's nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'll revise the grandparent post for your benefit: Geeks who repeatedly get used in these types of relationships and then go cry to their geek friends deserve no sympathy. ;) It's too harsh, but, seriously. Re-evaluate your relationships.

    4. Re:That's nice by vux984 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Or maybe, the women that do end up with nice guys actually stay with them.

      This would trivially explain why bad boys get more women. Nice guys get fewer, but keep them longer.

      I was rarely single in the 10 years I was dating before marriage. But I can count the women without using up all my fingers. It didn't hurt that I actively avoided brainless sluts, with only one very breif exception.

    5. Re:That's nice by Gewalt · · Score: 5, Insightful

      and hearing her say, "I wish I could find someone like you..."

      Ya, see, thats the point where you're supposed to put your tongue in her mouth. Failing to do so results in you not getting laid, and her continuing her search elsewhere.

      --
      Modding Trolls +1 inciteful since 1999
    6. Re:That's nice by mgblst · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It is simple. The reason that bad guys do better, is that bad guys don't waste their time with people who aren't interested in them, whereas people like you do. How are you supposed to get anyone else, if you are wasting all your time chasing someone who doesn't want you.

    7. Re:That's nice by QuoteMstr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      See, that's where I think you're wrong. Here's my reasoning: as geeks, we pay more attention to the specifications and documentation than normal.

      But as the guide for writing unmaintainable code says, bad documentation is worse than no documentation

      We geeks read about how we're supposed to act around women. All that material is a product of a feel-good, postmodernist feminism that utterly fails to reflect what women actually want. It's the sociological equivalent of a single female saying she wants the nice guy and screwing the jock.

      Speaking of these stereotypical jocks: they don't read. They don't think. They just act on their biological impulses. And thousands of years of evolution have honed these biological impulses to match what females want.

      So, in short, society is telling anyone who will listen feel-good, egalitarian, and utterly wrong information about how to act around women. The successful ones, for once, don't read the documentation.

    8. Re:That's nice by thegnu · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I've never heard of women claiming sex with men would have anything to do with violence

      I think it comes from 2nd wave feminist era propaganda. But I'm not sure.

      circumcision is NOT a genital mutilation.

      Your example is excellent. I never meant there weren't extenuating circumstances necessitating the procedure. However, doctors botch it at a fairly high rate--the quoted 1 in 10,000 only counts problems that arise in the week or two following the procedure. They don't take into account mutilated glans, excess skin removal, or anything that would arise at puberty.

      Equaling

      Who said that calling male circumcision genital mutilation (which it is, by definition) means that it is equal to female genital mutilation?

      removal of a completely unnecessary piece of skin

      yeah, well the main symptom of the removal of an eyeball is decreased sensitivity. Same with the foreskin. go figure.

      which - by coincidence - is also found shit ugly by most women I know

      Coincidence? You mean that these women who live in a culture where roughly a high percentage of the male population has a specific genital mutilation find that specific genital mutilation to be attractive?

      They found in a survey of the southern USA that 80% of women preferred circumcised men. They also found that 75% of those women had never seen an uncircumcised penis.

      And for what it's worth, I think that you shouldn't mutilate your child to increase his sexual attractiveness. And women who mutilate their little babies because they think an unmutilated body is ugly are bad people.

      regardless of the reason this removal was done

      I don't. I just wasn't clear enough.

      to the *real* genital mutilations performed on young girls in Africa, practically crippling them for the rest of their lives, is actually an unbelievably ignorant thing to do!

      You misuse the word real. You might mean 'more egregious.' However, the women in that culture were quite happy with the procedure. Also, some of the cultures just trim the labia minora, which is quite similar to male circumcision.

      Crippling only occurs in some cases. Same as with the males.

      It seems like you think that if I stand up for a man who is beaten by his wife, I'm detracting from the efforts of those who stand up for female victims of *real* spousal abuse. Who's ignorant now?

      Especially nowadays, that the pretty direct connection between the foreskin and the cervical cancer has been pretty much (statistically) proven.

      I think that the fact that the foreskin makes the penis a more hospitable environment for HPV, which HAS been directly linked (statistically) to cervical cancer might be what you're talking about.

      Also, they've found that removing the labia minora decreases the likelihood that a woman will contract HIV, which has given anthropologists pause in reforming cultures where HIV is rampant. However, it seems like you could inform people of the increased risk, rather than strapping babies down and cutting a part of their body off for no reason whatsoever.

      Not to mention that there isn't a single medical association in a modern developed nation that recommends circumcision. Look it up.

      I guess you also don't "mutilate" your fingers by the barbaric act of nail clipping, do you?

      What the fuck are you talking about? It's not a living part of your body. I can't believe I just got suckered into explaining that to a grown man.

      Oh, one more thing. Go find a good physician. The rabi should keep his fingers away, that's for sure.

      Physicians are in general as incompetent as the next guy. The procedure is treated as a trivial one, and not with the care it should be.

      This "operation" is such a routine around here in Europe, that I've NEVER heard of the complications you mention in your post.

      The ci

      --
      Please stop stalking me, bro.
  2. translation by jaemmer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    let me translate this... so their self-confident, exciting, and maybe appear to be rich

  3. Re:but.. by alex4u2nv · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Its not really the "bad boy" like the article claims.

    Girls are attracted to that guy who steps on everybody's toes for his own personal gains. A go getter, powerful person who aims high. These are people with leadership qualities, and in the "badboy" circle, they're "ring leaders."

    Girls run after these guys because with such a mate, her offsprings would have a better chance of survival.

  4. Classic prisoners dilemma by LordZardoz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you have a large enough population of players where nearly everyone plays co-operate, the 2 or 3 assholes who play to betray do quite well. They only pay the price if they play the same opponent a few times. Without paying the price, they will do quite well.

    END COMMUNICATION

  5. Re:Captain Obvious Strikes Again by the_humeister · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What may seem "obvious" does not necessarily make it so upon further testing. These studies are performed to confirm or deny such notions. If the study had found the opposite, you would not be having such a reaction. People used to think it was "obvious" that heavier objects fell faster than lighter objects. Turns out that they were wrong.

  6. Re:Captain Obvious Strikes Again by green1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Although this is common knowledge to most males, women constantly state that this is in fact false, and not only do they say it, they seem to truly believe it. Of course this "belief" seems to have no basis in reality as they talk to their "nice" guy friends about how they wish they could just find a "nice" guy, all the while ignoring him to chase the guys they constantly complain about...

    yes... I've had that speech from women far too often "you're so nice, why can't the guys I date be more like you?" (ummm... maybe you would consider dating the person you want your guys to be like???)

  7. Re:Women are somewhat masochistic... by REJOSU · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Precisely, I first figured this out to some extent in High School where my strategy at time time evolved to make fun of the girl I liked at the time the most to no end.

    It turns out, women are so self-conscious in High School that, even seeming that you are at some point where you are able to display that you better than them, they immediately want to latch on.

    I have since grown from this pattern, which works, for a select purpose.

    Some women will never grow up, and if you want to have one like that, what worked in High School, will probably work now.

    For the most part, however, women do mature to a point where a good provider is the best choice for her.

  8. Re:study doesn't comment... by NewbieProgrammerMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That's too bad--it sounds like all the data about sex life is self-reported, so if they did comment on whether the sex was consensual, I'm sure it would totally be a valid conclusion. After all, bad boys would never be inclined to lie about their sexual conquests and prowess on a study questionnaire.

    --
    [b.belong('us') for b in bases if b.owner() == 'you']
  9. Re:Captain Obvious Strikes Again by Original+Replica · · Score: 5, Insightful

    as they talk to their "nice" guy friends about how they wish they could just find a "nice" guy, all the while ignoring him to chase the guys they constantly complain about...

    Speaking as someone who was a "nice guy" all through highschool, it's the fault of the nice guy as well. Why buy the cow if the milk is free? If a "nice guy" is going to be a "good friend" and supply emotional support/fulfillment then the cute girl doesn't have to have that need met by her conceited prick boyfriend. Girls who date pricks will always want to have a nice guy friend, because girls need emotional fulfillment in the same way that guys need sexual fulfillment. So all you nice guys out there stop giving it away for free, get your needs met as well or get out of that relationship. When they say "you're so nice, why can't the guys I date be more like you?" point out that emotionally they are dating you, they just happen to be fucking someone else.

    --
    We are all just people.
  10. Well, I RTFA by BlueParrot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bullshit conclusion. I have not had many partners during the last couple of years, but it wasn't because nobody was attracted to me, rather it was because I was in a relationship that lasted more than 3 years. The findings in the study could just as well be explained by suggesting women don't stay in a relationship with an asshole, or that the assholes don't bother with long term relationships, resulting in "bad guys" having multiple short relationships while the "nice" guys have fewer longer ones. You really can't conclude much about women's preferences from this.

  11. Re:but.. by synaptic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Most women do not consciously realize they select a mate on these criteria, but they do. So do men. There is a lot more compulsive, animal behavior in humans than we care to admit.

    Women do sit around and discuss it, just not necessarily in terms of genetics. But when women think or say "he's so strong", "he has a big dick", "i can control him so he'll stick around and help with the baby", etc.. Think about what these ultimately mean to a female and why she may be attracted to them.

    Whether you are aware of it or not, these cues tell you that your children with that mate "will have all the advantages they need to edge out those mutants from down the block"!

  12. Re:Captain Obvious Strikes Again by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Insightful
    "So all you nice guys out there stop giving it away for free, get your needs met as well or get out of that relationship. When they say "you're so nice, why can't the guys I date be more like you?" point out that emotionally they are dating you, they just happen to be fucking someone else."

    I could not put it better. Please...someone with mod point hit the parent up here.

    The sad thing is....SO many guys don't learn this till much later in life. You blow it in your teen years when you can do your most and best serious fucking....

    I wish to hell I'd learned this lesson early in life when I was 16+....I did pretty good, but, nowhere NEARLY as well as some of my friends, and I just never knew why back then. Thankfully I figured it out in my 20's.....

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  13. Re:Captain Obvious Strikes Again by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    yes... I've had that speech from women far too often "you're so nice, why can't the guys I date be more like you?" Here's my favorite illustration of this:

    DragonflyBlade21: A woman has a close male friend. This means that he is probably interested in her, which is why he hangs around so much. She sees him strictly as a friend. This always starts out with, you're a great guy, but I don't like you in that way. This is roughly the equivalent for the guy of going to a job interview and the company saying, You have a great resume, you have all the qualifications we are looking for, but we're not going to hire you. We will, however, use your resume as the basis for comparison for all other applicants. But, we're going to hire somebody who is far less qualified and is probably an alcoholic. And if he doesn't work out, we'll hire somebody else, but still not you. In fact, we will never hire you. But we will call you from time to time to complain about the person that we hired. So, to all the nice guys out there -- read this, and remember it. At a certain point, you have to call them on it -- say "I'm sorry you got hurt, but it's your own fucking fault." Or, when you get the "nice guy" speech, say "I'm right here."

    Not only will this make you less of an emotional bitch for her, but it will also show at least some of the qualities that she seems to like -- assertiveness, bluntness...

    --
    Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
  14. Re:but.. by kaizokuace · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "i can control him so he'll stick around and help with the baby" hmmm. The back of my hand can answer that one.
    Also more generally instead of going into genetics and stuff women like guys who are confident and can take charge of situations. It's an attractive quality. This quality isn't found very often in "nice guys". Most nice guys are too afraid to cross any lines with others. From my experience girls really want nice guys but confidence takes priority and confidence is found easily in jerkfaces.
    --
    Balderdash!
  15. Re:Women are somewhat masochistic... by Hannah+E.+Davis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I would like to point out that a woman's idea of how she wants to be treated might be different from yours.

    Too many self-described "nice guys" seem to believe that a woman should be put on a pedestal and treated like a delicate flower. The man in her life should hold doors for her, give her gifts, and obey her every whim. He should listen to her, support her no matter what, and never let slip the slightest criticism or contrary opinion.

    The problem is... a lot of us don't actually want to be treated like that -- to be quite frank, it's annoying as hell. Yes, we want a man who's nice, helpful, respectful, etc., but we'd rather have someone who pays attention to what we really want than some guy who thinks that acting like a puppy dog will get him laid.

    I like guys who aren't always there for me because it means they have lives of their own. I like guys who are not afraid to express their opinions -- criticism can be useful, and I love a good argument. And I like guys who don't pretend that I'm a flawless godly being, but instead acknowledge that I'm a regular human with as many faults as anyone else.

    Does this mean I like assholes? Perhaps, if you define an asshole as someone who treats me the way I want to be treated rather than the way guys like you think I should be treated, but I certainly have no desire to date a "nice guy."

  16. Re:but.. by Snocone · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Naaah, you're wrong.

    Well, you're kinda close. What you mean is girls like guys who are nice to them. Telling off everybody else as the mood takes you is just fine. If there's any woman who isn't attracted to you for her being the only one you bother being polite to, I haven't met her yet.

    Of course, if you *really* want to attract them, the correct approach is to treat most everybody with barely restrained contempt, her with casual indifference, and another prettier girl with impeccably debonair politeness. Once you get those competitive instincts going, whatever qualities you may or may not possess become all but utterly irrelevant. Funny how that works...

  17. Re:but.. by structural_biologist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    My problem with the article is that it doesn't directly examine females' attraction. The study merely looks at how many sexual partners "bad boys" v. "good boys" have. Not surprisingly, the "bad boys," who desire more relationships of shorter duration, have more relationships than the "good boys," who do not desire such promiscuity. So yes, people who seek more sexual relationships have more sexual relationships. That's the duh factor of the article. It's up to future studies to determine whether these bad boys are actually more attractive or desirable to girls.

  18. Re:Captain Obvious Strikes Again by eh2o · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Whatever... IMHO younger partners are quite frankly not as good in bed. Yeah there are some limits to be sure, but in general it just gets better. There is nothing special about being young.

  19. Re:Slashdot Pseudo-Science, again by h4rm0ny · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is just more of the same old Slashdot pseudo-science that is posted as a real story.

    You got that right. And your entire post is interesting when compared to the actual article which I don't think many people have read (surprise, surprise). The study concluded that people with certain negative traits had more partners in a given time. Conclusion: They can't or wont keep a relationship going. We can presume that people without these traits are more capable or simply happier being with one person. All your suggestions are about how to find such a person. The "bad boys" in this study are seemingly after casual sex.

    The headline is a little less inflammatory when you translate it as "self-centred people are more likely to bounce from partner to partner than to have one particular partner."
    --

    Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
  20. Re:Women are somewhat masochistic... by mikael_j · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think one problem is that women are a lot worse at sending hints to men than they think they are, and another is that a lot of women, for all the talk of empowerment and taking charge actually enjoy sitting back and having guys do all the work since it gives them an advantage in that they're the ones who are making the decisions, it also makes rejection easier to handle...

    If you go up to someone and talk to that person and get rejected then the defeat is obvious, but if you just sit back, blink a little, smile and maybe twirl your hair between your fingers then you can always tell yourself that "Maybe he just didn't notice...".

    And then there's this weird perception some women have that just because a man isn't screaming like Tarzan and starting fights with people for stepping on his shadow then this must translate into him being bad in bed, sexual prowess doesn't decrease just because a man has a brain and manners enough not to act like a loud idiot.

    Final point, a lot of the guys women see as "leaders" and "alpha males" aren't. A hint to the female slashdot readers, next time some guy looks like a "leader" to you by "taking control" and all that bullshit, don't stare at him and drool, observe his friends, do they actually follow his lead? or do they shake their heads and look like they're considering ditching him and going somewhere else?

    --
    Greylisting is to SMTP as NAT is to IPv4
  21. Re:Slashdot Pseudo-Science, again by thegnu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    i think a big part of it is nice guys try to be nice, whereas "bad boys" are just themselves without reservation, for good or bad. so the bad boys seem more honest.

    being honest will get you laid. it will also get you scoffed at, laughed at, rejected, etc. but it will find you what you're looking for. it's hard to be honest and considerate. just get lots of practice flirting.

    --
    Please stop stalking me, bro.
  22. Re:but.. by Das+Modell · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who the fuck wants to be with a 'sweet girl'.

    I would imagine a 'sensitive guy' would, but not all of us are that way...some of us want to be as in touch with our physical nature as we are our emotional ones. Generally girls that are considered sweet don't pay much attention to the physical side of things. They believe it is bad or wrong...they don't want to get fucked in the elevator and they think holding hands is 'orgasmic'.

    I've gone out with a few of these over the years. Utterly boring.


    Yes, because fucking in the elevator is exactly what mentally stable people do all the time.

    Sweet Girls are the ideal for guys on this site because they are so afraid of a woman with any depth to their personality that they need someone that isn't going to harm them in any way. Unfortunately, most people have emotional depth that goes beyond the pure 'nice guy' approach...

    So you're a self-destructive masochist? I don't see why any normal person would deliberately seek out a relationship that will harm him. Are you perhaps into "strong women" who manifest their alleged "strength" by being bi-polar or sociopathic?

    I can understand why women don't go for nice guys...just the same as most of us out there that actually talk to real living people don't want one dimensional women. Get away from your computers. Get a life. Meet people. Make emotional bonds.

    And here comes the obligatory "get a life just like mine" speech, because obviously you're the one who defines what constitutes a life, and obviously anyone who wants a nice girl is some nerd who does nothing but play WoW.

    Beyond this, take risks. A good friend always reminded me what is the worst that is going to happen if you approach a woman and are turned down? Well, you've been turned down. Thats it. You might have a bruised ego, but thats it...and even then, you quickly learn not to worry about it. We *ALL* have criteria...some more than others. Women have more criteria than men on average. Take the risk anyways and realize dating isn't an all or nothing approach. Can't get one...move on to the next.

    Please punch your friend in the face, because that's stupid advice. It's not going to help someone who effectively has a phobia towards approaching women. Everyone rationally knows that approaching a women and getting turned down doesn't really matter, but phobias are by definition irrational. Your friend's advice is about as useful as telling a depressed person to cheer up.
  23. Re:Slashdot Pseudo-Science, again by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Couldn't have said it better myself. Many women in the U.S. claim to want "equality" when what they really want is to offload any responsibility for their own existence onto their partners of the moment. Oh sure, that's a generalization of Biblical proportions, I know. But there is more than a little truth to it, I think.

    For my part, I finally found someone that truly understands what "for better or worse" means and is in it for the long haul. More to the point, she is totally focused on making life better for both of us, not just herself. In turn, that frees me to give without reservation. I've been trying for a couple of decades to find someone like her, and it's a remarkable experience and I don't want it to ever end. Honestly, it took some time for me to realize just how different she is from all her predecessors, but once I did I realized I had to do whatever it took to keep her. That meant making some big changes, but they were all worth it.

    Unlike yours truly, she wasn't born here, but you know what? I couldn't be happier ... and I'm not looking back.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  24. Re:Slashdot Pseudo-Science, again by kklein · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Okay, there is a little stuff in there I'm uncomfortable about, but let me talk about what I agree with:

    If you're looking for a wife, get out of the US. Our angry, second-wave-feminist, crybaby boomer mothers raised our generation for men to hate themselves and women to hate men. For no good reason. Find me a man who says "women should stay home, barefoot and pregnant!" or "women make great secretaries, but that's about it." No. One. Thinks. That. But we all have to grovel and supplicate to prove we're not one of those sexist straw men our mothers made up.

    As a result, American, and most Western, women have become, in my opinion, untenable as life partners. I want equality in my marriage. By that I mean social equality. I don't want to be the bad guy. I just want to be someone's husband. Partner.

    Why do American guys flip over Asian women? Just as the parent says, it's because it's the first time most guys have ever had a woman treat him kindly. On the other hand, why do Asian women often flip for Western guys? Because for them, it's often the first time a guy has treated them kindly. This is why you see so many successful married couples with Western guy and Asian woman. The cultures' gender roles, in the current generation, are complementary.

    BUT...

    And this is where the parent has kind of fallen down...

    Don't expect it to stay like that forever. It won't. It can't. It shouldn't.

    East Asian households are basically run by the women. They expect to control the finances. However, in my experience (my wonderful wife is Japanese), and that of my friends, they're pretty damned good at it. It bothered me at first, but then I had to admit we were living very comfortably, I had plenty of money for toys, and we were saving over a third of our income! So I let that go. YMMV.

    In the West, we've been programmed to think that a housewife or stay-at-home-mom is a slave. She's not. My wife doesn't work, and even though we could get more money otherwise, and it would of course be fine if she wanted to, it's awesome. I now see why that's been the dominant model in every society since the beginning of time. I work outside of the house, she makes sure the house is operating correctly. We get to spend a lot more leisure time together that way. We don't have to spend our weekends cleaning the house and doing laundry. We eat healthy, home-cooked food that bonds us socially. She's not a slave, she's my best friend and partner. I gladly work my ass off to make sure she's comfortable, and she gladly works her ass off to make sure I am. That, my friends, is a partnership. Just because I'm the one making the money doesn't mean I'm in a higher position. I'm in an equal position. We're taking the entire job of life and splitting it up and assigning roles.

    For the record, if she could make more than me, I'd be delighted to stay at home and do the housework.

    I guess what I'm saying is this:

    1. If you are looking for a nice woman who wants a partnership, that's still in vogue in Asia.
    2. As the parent said, don't be a dick. Learn the language and culture. This will ensure that you're not getting into something you don't understand.
    3. Your preconceived notions are probably not complete. Asian women are strong and strong-willed. They expect to be given control of certain domains in your life, and you may need to go along with that, or work out a different deal, for your relationship to proceed harmoniously. Just because they don't treat men like crap doesn't mean they are Madame Butterfly. If that's what you want, um, well, you deserve to be unhappy and alone.
    4. Realize that in a culture where women are nice to men, that niceness may or may not actually be indicative of anything special. I got really burned with my first girlfriend (only have had 2) in Japan. I fell head-over-heels for her, wanted to marry her, but found out
  25. Intellectual Whores by NaishWS · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Most nice guys are used as intellectual whores. Basically this means that whenever a girl gets in an argument with their boyfriend, they will go complain to their intellectual whore, who thinks by listening to her whine will get him in bed with her, when he is sadly mistaken. "An Intellectual Whore is a man who a woman keeps around for intellectual purposes. She is uninterested in him sexually and considers him a friend. He probably wants to sleep with her, so he pretends to be her friend in the hope of one day getting sex." Link Here, it appears to be down at the moment.

  26. Re:Slashdot Pseudo-Science, again by kklein · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But generalizations are generally true.

    That's why they call them generalizations.

    They don't disallow variation within them; in fact, they expect it. Of course people are different. My wife happens to be good with finances. One of my friends' Japanese wives is abysmal. So he takes care of it. But generally speaking, when you're raised in a culture that says "women will be in charge of the finances," women learn how to handle finances.

    I made generalizations about people in certain cultures. If you don't think people can be grouped, generally speaking by culture, then... Well, maybe you need to get out and see the world a bit.

    What I was specifically talking about was gender roles within cultures. I was specifically addressing the "ladies first" culture of the West and the "men first" culture of much of East Asia. I was pointing out that this is why you see so many successful pairings of these people. The gender roles go together nicely and lead to two people being nicer to each other than they expect.

    Of course individual people are different.

    But that doesn't mean they aren't also kinda the same.

    Finally, after 7 years with my wife, I think I have a pretty good idea what she's like. I also think I have a pretty good idea what my sister-in-law is like. And my father-in-law. And even though I never got to meet her, I even have a pretty good idea what my late mother-in-law was like. I know what my friends are like. I know what my coworkers are like. I know what my students are like. I am fluent in Japanese and have lived here for the better part of the last decade. I have a degree in Asian Studies. I teach international communication and comparative religions at a university. Believe me, I know what Japanese culture is like, and I know what individuals are like.

    In fact, I'm pretty offended that you would imply that I see my family as generalizations. As stereotypes. They're my family. Just because they fall under rather broad cultural trends does not mean they aren't individuals.

    Get that through your head, and you'll find it a lot easier to understand other cultures.