HughRistik comments on Generalizing From One Example - Less Wrong

259 Post author: Yvain 28 April 2009 10:00PM

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Comment author: HughRistik 29 April 2009 07:21:29AM 16 points [-]

This is indeed a cached thought, but it's mostly wrong.

Men who are introverted, sensitive, and Agreeable often make this complaint, yet they tend to perceive men without those qualities as "jerks." So, "women only like jerks" really means something like "women like men with personalities different from mine."

The observation that "women only like jerks," while untrue, is unsurprising given a well documented female preference for masculine traits in the psychological literature (cites upon request). Feminists may find this notion politically difficult, and feminists themselves might atypically dislike masculine traits in men and project their preferences onto other women via the Typical Psyche Fallacy.

Comment author: pjeby 29 April 2009 03:23:23PM *  12 points [-]

Men who are introverted, sensitive, and Agreeable often make this complaint, yet they tend to perceive men without those qualities as "jerks."

The PUA community also notes that many of the men who make this complaint are in fact passive-aggressively misogynistic and/or fearful of women, and that they need to get over it.

That is, some men who have "nice" behaviors towards women do so because they are enacting a one-sided bargain, expecting to trade these behaviors in exchange for being accepted and not rejected, then become angry when the "bargain" isn't kept.

IOW, being "nice" can be just as manipulative for the typical AFC, as anything the PUAs are going to teach him. And many of the things they'll teach him will be far less manipulative and deceitful than what he was already doing, despite being less socially acceptable than being "nice".

Comment author: HughRistik 02 May 2009 11:15:14PM 5 points [-]

All excellent points. You've probably read the Nice Guy Syndrome by Robert Glover.

My impression is that the pool of men who complain that "women go for jerks" is large, and certainly contains the tendencies you mention. I do think that most of these guys are misguided, and many are bitter, but I don't see evidence that the majority of them are "jerks."

What I object to is labeling guys jerks solely on the basis that they complain that women like jerks.

Comment author: pjeby 03 May 2009 12:27:18AM 3 points [-]

You've probably read the Nice Guy Syndrome by Robert Glover.

Nope, just pickup stuff, as noted in the comment above.

My impression is that the pool of men who complain that "women go for jerks" is large, and certainly contains the tendencies you mention. I do think that most of these guys are misguided, and many are bitter, but I don't see evidence that the majority of them are "jerks."

See the comment you are responding to (which, btw, does not even contain the word "jerks", except in the part where it was quoting you):

The PUA community also notes that many [emphasis added] of the men who make this complaint are in fact passive-aggressively misogynistic and/or fearful of women, and that they need to get over it.

That is, some [emphasis added] men who have "nice" behaviors towards women do so because they are enacting a one-sided bargain, expecting to trade these behaviors in exchange for being accepted and not rejected, then become angry when the "bargain" isn't kept.

Comment author: HughRistik 03 May 2009 05:07:23AM 3 points [-]

pjeby said:

Nope, just pickup stuff, as noted in the comment above.

Well, I would recommend that book because it might be useful for some of your clients, without having to open up the can of worms of the community.

See the comment you are responding to (which, btw, does not even contain the word "jerks", except in the part where it was quoting you):

I wasn't attributing the "jerks" judgment to you. I just wanted to make it clear why, even while agreeing with the points in your post (e.g. "many of the men who make this complaint are in fact passive-aggressively misogynistic and/or fearful of women"), I still disagree with the perspective that Z.M. Davis' mentions, which reflexively ascribes jerkitude to those men (see the comments of the post ZM linked to, for example).

Comment author: William 30 April 2009 08:03:56PM 1 point [-]

I know that PUA is "pickup artist" but what is AFC?

Comment author: mattnewport 30 April 2009 08:14:13PM 5 points [-]

'Average Frustrated Chump' - your typical guy who's not a natural and hasn't got any game.

Comment author: MrHen 29 April 2009 01:33:40PM 3 points [-]

I don't need a cite, but what are "masculine traits"? Grunting?

Comment deleted 30 April 2009 03:29:42PM *  [-]
Comment author: HughRistik 02 May 2009 11:18:31PM 1 point [-]

That's a pretty good list.

I reviewed some of the evidence of female attraction to masculine traits in men here, and in this series.