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Okay, I understand that these threads always turn to ugly bickering and another battle of the sexes. The only thing that might save this one from that fate is that I'm posting it in chat where no one will ever see it. As much trouble as they can be, I still think that these threads can sometimes be interesting and instructive. I'm also learning not to bother reading posts from people who insist on being idiots, so I'll be able to limit my stress in that way. I'll start the discussion with a couple of comments about "Christina" and her situation.

First, she's obviously not my type because she's been an activist with Democrat causes. I realize that there are responsible liberals out there who want a strong family and will be loyal to a family. I realize that there are conservatives who have been disasters as family men. However, I think Christina is hurting her odds of finding a man who wants to be married and have a strong family when she runs in liberal circles. When one philosophy is that a village should raise a child and another is that a family should raise a child, you should only expect that the village philosophy will have more men who want to leave responsibilities to the village.

Secondly, many men really aren't impressed with a woman's career accomplishments when evaluating her as a possible wife. I want a more or less traditional family where I will be the breadwinner and my wife will run the home. (I'm 39, so I may not find what I want and may have to settle for less.) I think many men feel as I do and therefore don't care much whether a woman is the top of her department at work or just another person putting in an honest days' work for an honest day's pay. As a potential partner, I value a woman who would be willing to live a more frugal lifestyle and homeschool the kids more than I value a woman who is the youngest person ever to reach some promotion level in her company.

I'm not saying that accomplishments don't have some value. I would be very wary of a woman who is 25 or 30 years old and has never accomplished anything in life. I think I've made good use of the time that I've been given on earth, and I would expect the same of a partner. However, if I were 30, I would be more apt to marry a 25 year old who had fewer career accomplishments but was serious about making a marriage work than a 30 year old who seemed to put her work first.

While Christina hasn't been married, she's had at least one very significant relationship. If her previous boyfriend was "Mr Not Ready," why did it take her three years to figure out that he wasn't ready? What was so attractive about him that she stayed with him for those three years? In the early stages of that relationship and in others, did she continue looking for guys who might be more ready? Was she willing to dump the ones who clearly weren't ready for those who were when she was younger and work towards marrying one of those guys someday? As I read her story, I wonder a little whether she's had her fun with the party boys and now she wants a relationship that doesn't require as much work on her part. For those of us who have been careful to avoid using women, the thought of being offered leftovers from someone who has allowed herself to be used isn't very attractive.

I hear both men and women expressing frustration at trying to meet people. I think part of the solution must be in creating more opportunities, but I don't know what they'd be. (If I did, I'd use them to find a wife and sell them to get rich.)

WFTR
Bill

1 posted on 01/27/2003 5:48:23 PM PST by WFTR
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To: WFTR
You're right; it's not just that she's a "liberal." This trend is independent of political affiliation, and is seen everywhere in the country.

I could go on for hours on this topic, but I'll distill the essence of my comment.

This is a nation that has virtually no spirituality to speak of. Everything is about the here-and-now, the down-to-earth. Speak to a "Gen X/Y/Zer" of the need to see the "big picture" and they'll show you their 401k statements.

In short, aside from the need to "not be alone," there is no purpose for marriage. They aren't about to admit they might want kids (and if they seriously DID want children, they'd have them when nature intended that they have them: In their 20s).

Even if they DO have kids, they just turn them into miniature, spirit-deprived, consumer-driven versions of themselves.

There's no "there" there. I don't see why they don't just drop the pretext that marriage is what they want, and be content to go from one temporary relationship to another.

At least it'd be honest.

2 posted on 01/27/2003 6:30:29 PM PST by Illbay
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To: WFTR
If her previous boyfriend was "Mr Not Ready," why did it take her three years to figure out that he wasn't ready?

It isn't unusual for a woman to see a man as a "project", and her duty to bring him to his full potential.

What was so attractive about him that she stayed with him for those three years?

She saw his "potential."

In the early stages of that relationship and in others, did she continue looking for guys who might be more ready? Was she willing to dump the ones who clearly weren't ready for those who were when she was younger and work towards marrying one of those guys someday?

For the most part women don't think that way (it is, unfortunately, more typical of men to look over the fence to check out the grass on the other side). She saw this as an ever-accruing investment. In fact, note her reaction to the fact that he almost immediately got engaged to his subsequent girlfriend:

Then, to her annoyance and dismay, she found out that her Mr. Not Ready had turned into Mr. Ready. With someone else! He was ready to make commitments to his new girlfriend. Ready to follow her to another state where she had a job. Ready to give her an engagement ring. She had spent three years of her life in a relationship that she thought would lead to marriage or at least to a long-term relationship. She had trained the guy. And now her investment was paying off for someone else.
Note that I'm not really knocking this concept, that a relationship equals "an investment." But you wouldn't for one second expect this bright, savvy young woman to be taken in by a fast-buck investment scam artist. You can bet your bottom dollar she knows the financial investment market, and navigates it with great knowledge and confidence.

Whe she can't figure out "sure thing" vs. "junk stocks" when it comes to picking her men is beyond me.

As I read her story, I wonder a little whether she's had her fun with the party boys and now she wants a relationship that doesn't require as much work on her part.

I don't know that she (or her myriad sisters) are trucking with "party boys" so much as with "peers" who look, act and think (or so they imagine) the way they do: It's not important to "get serious" early on; you can save that for your thirties.

For those of us who have been careful to avoid using women, the thought of being offered leftovers from someone who has allowed herself to be used isn't very attractive.

You're showing your (and my) age here.

The "modern" young person doesn't think in terms of "used merchandise," because everyone is a "user" as well as a "usee".

As I said: The shallowness and callowness of the mindset is astounding, and it comes ultimately from the fact that they are all spiritually dead. They're exquisite corpses, perhaps, but they are corpses all the same.

3 posted on 01/27/2003 6:47:01 PM PST by Illbay
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To: WFTR
BTW It was already posted here....on the news side....

Where have all the good men gone?

4 posted on 01/27/2003 6:55:43 PM PST by HairOfTheDog
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To: WFTR
"I'm always getting involved with Mr. Not Ready."

Well, she worked for democrats, so that makes her a slutty liberal. The guys use her a while for easy sex, then they dump the liberal garbage and marry a great conservative babe.
Makes sense to me.

8 posted on 01/27/2003 8:16:25 PM PST by concerned about politics (Achievement is politically incorrect.)
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To: WFTR
. In the years following college, she moved into progressively more responsible jobs as a fundraiser for Democratic women candidates and causes.

Real men would run like heck away from this one. Seriesly!
It would be like waking up with Hillary every morning! ARG!

10 posted on 01/27/2003 8:39:23 PM PST by concerned about politics (Achievement is politically incorrect.)
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To: WFTR
Where have all the good men gone?

Gone?
There never were but 5 of us and we're all taken.

So9

11 posted on 01/27/2003 8:39:40 PM PST by Servant of the Nine (Candy Little Girl?)
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To: WFTR
There are no good men. There are only good-men-in-training.
27 posted on 02/01/2003 4:01:48 AM PST by Lazamataz (I have learned, over the years, to NEVER assume ANYTHING..)
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To: WFTR
Where have all the good men gone? I read this when it was posted over on News, and was rather put off by a lot of the posts. Does this mean that I managed to snag one of the last good men available? Your comments make good sense to me. I would imagine that a good many men are asking "Where have all the good women gone?"
32 posted on 02/01/2003 3:04:30 PM PST by .38sw
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