I have a friend who insists on a certain way of understanding how men and women couple off. Basically, he sees the situation as rather animalistic, where all the women are essentially waiting to be asked out, and the first men to do so get the "choicest" women. The rest of the women are left for, well, the rest of the men. Obviously, this is pretty traditional/sexist/chauvinistic. Anyway, barring all that, he feels a constant urgency to get to women "before somebody else does," because "the best women will be taken." Of course, I understand asking someone out before someone else does, but his theory is off-putting to me. It seems like human personalities, reasoning, circumstances, geographies, and cultures throw a monkey-wrench into his theory. Things are a lot more complicated in my mind. Do you have an alternative way of seeing the dating world, have a different experience, or are there any studies that you could point me to on this subject?
posted by uncannyslacks on Jan 23, 2013 - 38 answers

I keep picking women who don't give as much as I feel I give and so I always end up feeling used. And because I keep picking them (even though the last one should've been enough to warn me off of the next one), I also end up feeling stupid too. Meanwhile, I've had women who've given to me the way I've given to those others, but I never seem to end up with them, even though they are exactly what I say I've wanted. How can I keep the good one and stop picking the bad ones? What is my problem? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 26, 2012 - 15 answers

I'm currently seeing a man who has children, and this is my first experience with such a situation. It's new, so I've only just started asking the important questions, i.e., why did you divorce in the first place, how long have you been divorced, how is your relationship with your ex, are you both at peace with how it ended? etc. Everything seems to check out so far, but I know it would be foolish to think I won't encounter some unique problems if things get serious. [more inside]
posted by CXXVII on Jan 17, 2012 - 27 answers

I'm a mid-thirties man, committed relationship, wonderful kids, good job, great life, but I can not stop chasing attractive women. And it is wreaking havoc. How can I stop this, and why don't I want to? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 25, 2011 - 69 answers

Stuck in an impossible dating dilemma: overhaul my entire self, or never have a relationship with a man? [more inside]
posted by tamagogirl on Dec 7, 2010 - 28 answers

Did she just take the easy way out or am I just that guy? About 8 months ago I started talking to a girl I have known for many years. She is 7 years younger than me and I never noticed her until boom she magically grew up. I always thought she was a loser ( hung around with the wrong crowd made bad choices). We began talking every so often then it turned into a daily ritual txt, fb, and phone call situation once she got rid of her BF. I slowly began to develop feelings and we started hangin out when.... [more inside]
posted by SleeveHearted on Jul 2, 2010 - 36 answers

Help me find the recent MeFi comment account of this gangster's philosophy of women, (treat them nice until they say they love you.) [more inside]
posted by brenton on Apr 14, 2010 - 5 answers

Okay. There is a girl I like her birthday is @ the end of this month. She's an amazing person. We went out once while she was home last summer (she was home for like a month), she's coming back in christmas but her birthday is in like 2 weeks. (I'm 19 she's 21). I'm pretty sure she's interested in me, but not ceretain. How do I reinforce (romantically) in my birthday card to her that I'm interested in her but not in a creepy or stalkerish way?
posted by BoldStepDesign on Nov 10, 2008 - 17 answers

Does dating through craigslist actually work? [more inside]
posted by spamguy on Aug 28, 2008 - 39 answers

Am I fair in blaming a snail's-pace relationship on my weak ability to show affection? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 15, 2008 - 24 answers

How can I be more relaxed, and less anxious (read: totally flipping out) about dating people I like? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 1, 2008 - 8 answers

I'm on the cusp of dating someone soon after a breakup. Is it too soon? [more inside]
posted by stedman15 on Mar 20, 2008 - 23 answers

RelationshipFilter (sorry!): I've become entangled in a complex 'relationship', and I'm not sure what to do... [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 29, 2006 - 57 answers

How do I date more than one person at a time? [more inside]
posted by callmejay on Aug 9, 2006 - 23 answers

I'm a man in his thirties who has gone on very few dates in his life, and I'm having trouble getting a good read on the behavior of a woman who I've been interacting with. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 2, 2006 - 70 answers

How do I make my wife feel sexy? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 22, 2005 - 36 answers

ShootingBlanksFilter: I'm a single male in my mid-twenties, whom after taking a long break from the opposite sex, is getting back into the game. However, reading about fertility control issues, and also having first-hand experience with this, I've come to realize that men do not have the same reproductive control options available to them that women do. So now I'm considering a vasectomy. [more inside]
posted by id on Jul 31, 2005 - 26 answers