There's a class of situations where the more you want something, the less likely you are to get it.
Desperation puts you at a disadvantage when you're looking for a mate or a job. People who can fake disinterest have the advantage over those with genuine neediness.
Yet, I would think that honesty and sincerity are key attributes of mates and employees.
Absolutely true. Maybe I'm mincing words but there is a corollary here too. There is a class of situations where the harder you try, the bigger the disadvantage you have. This can be hard for workaholic types to understand.
Class A (Effort correlates with results) = Work, school, etc.
Class B (Ease correlates with results) = Socializing, dating, etc.
Desperation puts you at a disadvantage when you're looking for a mate or a job. People who can fake disinterest have the advantage over those with genuine neediness.
Yet, I would think that honesty and sincerity are key attributes of mates and employees.