

Lipstick Effect - Women Try to Increase Attractiveness in Recessions - mhb
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/06/27/lipstick-the-recession-and-evolutionary-psychology/

======
Udo
Of course rationally I know this is how the world really works, but somehow
paragraphs like this one still manage to depress the hell out of me:

    
    
      women’s mate preferences reliably prioritize resource access. This preference 
      stems from the important role that mates’ resources have played in women’s 
      reproductive success. [...] news of a recession may therefore signal to women 
      that financially secure men —those able to invest resources in rearing 
      offspring— are becoming scarce.
    

Am I just a lone hopeless idealist or does anyone else share this feeling of
profound disappointment in society, and the male-female dynamic in particular?

~~~
taterbase
It's not "society" that's failed. It's basic natural instinct kicking in. Many
men prefer wider hips, large breasts, and youthful appearance. We can say all
day that this comes down to taste but your inner caveman knows that she will
be a healthy and providing mother.

~~~
Udo

      Many men prefer wider hips, large breasts, and youthful appearance.
    

If I don't, so does that mean I'm actively repressing my "inner caveman" or is
it more of a hint that I'm secretly gay?

    
    
      We can say all day that this comes down to taste but your inner caveman 
      knows that she will be a healthy and providing mother.
    

We somehow presume that our movie-fueled fantasy of how a stereotypical
caveman must think and behave is a biological dictate. I know from many, many
conversations with other people that I'm probably the only person in the world
thinking this, but nevertheless I feel compelled to repeat it here: it's worth
considering that we know a lot less about very early human society than we
care to admit (and even if we did know more: how did we decide this was _the_
natural state which we should, nay, must aspire to regain?) and also it's
worth noting that social norms have historically often been justified by
invoking (some kind of) natural law.

But as I said, I know in the end it's me who's the odd one out, not society.
It's the exact same thing when people talk about religion, I just don't have
the "special knowledge" built in that everyone else has. It's all alien to me.
:)

------
z_
Outrageous! People using their sexuality to get ahead! First-wavers fought so
hard to get rid of this type of behavior. When will everyone wake up and see
the value in a meritocracy?!

