[Desdemona]

The "bad boy" essentially says to women "You're not so special. I don't need to get down on my knees to you, because I can replace you with someone even better in a minute, if I decide to exert the energy". This hits women right in the ego, and forces many to think "Oh yeah?

Well...you do have to admit that a lot of men DID trade in after 25 years. That's really where the tactics started. I know a lot of women who's husbands walked out on them to "put some glitter" in their lives. In fact, I think I know more women in this situation than men who married trashy women who threw them out. It all depends on who your friends are in the situation.

But, really, some of us get enough grief at work, etc., to just want someone who will listen and not judge when we get home. Someone who would never ask us to give up hobbies or passtimes simply because that means we're not paying attention to them. There are things in my life I will NEVER give up. Music, gardening, dogs. The promonence might change, but I've worked too long and hard at it to give it up.

[SauronOfMordor]

In fact, I think I know more women in this situation than men who married trashy women who threw them out. It all depends on who your friends are in the situation.

It also depends a lot on their ages. In their 30's, women have the incentive to ditch men they don't see as living up to their expectations, while the woman still is young-and-pretty enough to trade-up. My friends who got screwed were in their 30's

In their 40's, it's a different story. A successful man in his 40's or 50's has a better chance of trading-in his wife for a woman in her 30's, than the wife has in finding a replacement for him