Thursday, November 25, 2010

What's your desirability value?

I apologise for the blog that has become neglected of late; I have had the undesirable experience of studying and sitting for exams this past month. Happily, that distasteful experience has drawn to an end!


I have vehemently asserted my respect for the clever minds of science and presently I will bow even further to the wisdom that emanates from them. I do not know any other human species that would be able to narrow down the intricacies of dating to a simple formula. Such incredulous simplicity is further confounded by my suspicions that those who formulated this equation have very little real experience to go by (I admit the stereotype heuristic does away with a lot of details but who can resist relying on it in such opportune circumstances as these?).

Before I reveal the revolutionary formula that will forever clear away the smog that had previously clouded your beliefs regarding dating and sexual attraction, I would like to ask you, the reader in a most amiable manner to ponder for a moment on your ‘mate value.’ This term so charitably coined by scientists serves the purpose of indicating how desirable we may reasonably assume ourselves to be in the eyes of a potential reproductive partner. If you fall into the category of ‘high mate value’ you can happily be assured that you will be sought after and that most people will be interested in you (Bredow & Huston, 2008). Sadly however, if you (understandably) refuse to see that your mate value is rather low and your objectivity is fogged over by the love your harbour for yourself (love is indeed blind), you face the firing squad of rejection.

Anyway, it is not customary to dwell on sad, poor cases and in respecting this custom I will evade any further discussion on ‘low mate value’ individuals and will focus on that happy bunch that may refer to themselves henceforth in the glowing terms of high-quality-mate-value. The happiest of them, I suspect are very good looking females who will accept nothing less than a kind, good-future-father, sexy and rich man and will do so with an assertiveness that only naturally befalls those scoring high on the mate value criterion (Buss & Shackford, 2008). Apparently, if their mate values are high enough they might even attract such idealised partners. The formula, then goes something like this:

A Potential Partner’s Desirability = His/Her Physical Attractiveness x His/Her Probability of Accepting You. Simplicity is gold.

The more observant readers will have gathered that physical attractiveness is not the only ingredient contributing to a potential partner’s desirability. The likelihood of them reciprocating plays a fundamental role. Someone who does not bestow upon you the attention and praise you so rightfully believe is deserved, will funnily enough begin to take on less desirable forms. The message then is to find someone you believe is attractive enough to warrant your attention but who will also reciprocate your lovers gaze!



9 comments:

  1. It's so simple and so sensible. I wish I learned that formula decades ago.
    Happy Thanksgiving!
    xoRobyn

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  2. heh, citajuci ovaj post imao sam utisak da sedim na nekom od tih tvojih ispita (zbog visokoparnog jezika i udzbenickih izraza :)

    Nadam se da si uspesno prosla sve ispite koji su te drzali daleko od bloga ;)

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  3. ...common sense personified. Glad I stopped by:)

    EL

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  4. And what if the attractive women who is certain to accept you turns out to be a cantankerous shrew? The equation in the diagram is a little better. A male gorilla would replace "looks" with "fertility",

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  5. Robyn:It always seems to be like that..the simple stuff is usually the most sensible!

    Dezmond:Hvala, sve je gotovo - napokon! :-)

    EL: thanks for stopping by!

    Gorilla Bananas: gorillas have the common sense which humans lack. Humans tend to confuse looks with fertility, although there is some evidence to suggest that better looking people are more fertile... but perhaps that just reflects their greater likelihood of having sex?

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  6. Hi Ivana, I think women are also sexually motivated by partners who have a good sense of humour. Some believe that humour and wit are attractive because laughing elicits a positive mood, as well as being a sign of confidence and intelligence.

    You have a pleasant weekend and keep a song in your heart. Best regards, Lee.

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  7. I'm pansexual, does that throw a spanner in the works?

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  8. Gee, who woulda thunk it; pretty people get dates :)

    An interesting site you have here Ivana. I'll stop by occasionally for my dose of psycho/social education. Sometimes I miss college, and these courses in particular.

    Have a good week. It's nice to meet you.

    .........dhole

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  9. Very interesting...ahhh chemistry is a major thing...What do I find attractive? You don't want to know I'm a nut...Thanks for stopping by...I enjoyed the read as well

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