Only 11% of women would date a man who earns less
A survey published by the New York Post puts at just 11% the share of women willing to pair up with someone who earns less than they do.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Only 11% of women would date a man who earns less
Picture the scene: a second date, a neighborhood bar, a third gin and tonic, and she drops the usual question. What do you do for a living? Simultaneous translation: how much do you make? A survey published by the New York Post puts at just 11% the share of women willing to pair up with someone whose income is lower than their own. The remaining 89%, as a result, sets the salary bar above their own paycheck. It is not a statistical surprise: it is the numerical confirmation of something anyone can sense on the first round.
What the figure explains and what it leaves out
The number allows two readings, and they should not be confused with a sarracena verdict. One is biological: pairing up with someone who has more resources would be an inherited survival strategy, the same one at work across the rest of the animal kingdom. The other is purely economic. With more women than ever earning their own income, choosing downward is no longer free: it means taking on a real opportunity cost, not a whim.
There is a nuance that usually stays out of the headline. The preference stated in a survey is not the same as the decision made at two in the morning. Looks, humor, or plain chance weigh more than a bank statement when the moment of truth arrives — the Christmas wish list always ends up fitting whatever is in the store.
And yet, 11% is still 11%. There the figure stands, with no safety net and no adjectives.
Picture the scene: a second date, a neighborhood bar, a third gin and tonic, and she drops the usual question. What do you do for a living? Simultaneous translation: how much do you make? A survey published by the New York Post puts at just 11% the share of women willing to pair up with someone whose income is lower than their own. The remaining 89%, as a result, sets the salary bar above their own paycheck. It is not a statistical surprise: it is the numerical confirmation of something anyone can sense on the first round.
What the figure explains and what it leaves out
The number allows two readings, and they should not be confused with a sarracena verdict. One is biological: pairing up with someone who has more resources would be an inherited survival strategy, the same one at work across the rest of the animal kingdom. The other is purely economic. With more women than ever earning their own income, choosing downward is no longer free: it means taking on a real opportunity cost, not a whim.
There is a nuance that usually stays out of the headline. The preference stated in a survey is not the same as the decision made at two in the morning. Looks, humor, or plain chance weigh more than a bank statement when the moment of truth arrives — the Christmas wish list always ends up fitting whatever is in the store.
And yet, 11% is still 11%. There the figure stands, with no safety net and no adjectives.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (19 replies).
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