The Professor wrote:I'm seeing more and more couples where the woman is significantly older than the man. The situation is even worse in China. Almost all of the foreign guys I knew in China who had girlfriends were dating older women. Some were dating women 10-20 years older!
Women have always had a sexual preference for men in their physical prime, which is around 20. That's when men have the most stamina, the most energy, the highest testosterone levels, have the fastest metabolisms, have the strongest immune systems, are the leanest, and generally the strongest. So back during the Paleolithic era these men would have made the best providers. Back then 30 was roughly the average life expectancy, so it wasn't in a woman's best interest to mate with a man over 30 since he would not only be an inferior provider, but he would probably die soon. All around not a good investment for the woman, who had to carry the baby for 9 months and take care of it for years.
You might wonder why any of that matters since older men make more money and are better providers now. The truth is our instincts have not really changed since the Paleolithic era. There was a short period where a lot of women married older men if they were good providers but older male providers have since become obsolete.
Men want women that are around 20 because they're the most fertile and most likely to bear healthy children. The difference is any 30 year old woman can date 20 year old guys but for a 30 year old guy to date a 20 year old woman or even a 25 year old woman, he needs to be exceptionally wealthy or have great looks and look younger than his age. Lots of 30+ guys think the latter of the two applies to them but most of them are just lying to themselves.
I guess as a professor, you don't know much about the real world.
At no time in history, ever, have 20 year old's on average been the best provider. Not even when we were chasing deer to eat, and fighting off predators.
Nor are they usually even the best athletes. Let alone the best killers, hunters, farmers or traders.
When people died at 30 on average, they didn't look old, chubby or scrawny. They just got sick and died, or got killed. Some died as kids, some lived to 60 or beyond. 30 has never been "old".
And no, women do not rationally calculate self-interest. A name brand on a purse means more to a woman than a "good investment". Their mating decisions are swayed by sweet words, dance, music, candlelight, etc. If women were rational, Mark Zuckerberg would have groupies.
And human females have never been polyandrous. Even street whores can't help falling in love with their pimp.
Women are irrational. They want to belong to a man with status. In the absence of media programming, religious rules, and public education, that would generally be the oldest, most revered warrior in town. Till he got picked off. Just like any herd mammals.
But since we are not just animals, the younger guys would still have a chance. Through looks, sweet words, bold gestures, brave deeds, etc.
But in the absence of those things, females prefer higher status.
In the current situation, both sexes behave unnaturally. Men seek approval, women demand. Older independent bitches may indeed find boy toys, as you describe. Homosexual behavior spreads, and even self-mutilation is accepted. None of this is natural.