According to a recent study by the University of Tennessee, when a “beautiful” women marries a “plain” or even “ugly” man, they both end up much happier. The theory? Men want beautiful women and women want supportive, positive men. Conversely, men who think they are more attractive than their wives are more often disgruntled and regard their marriage negatively.
Link to the article: http://www.wmconnect.com/whatsnew/default.jsp?story=20080601-0630
The researchers took newlywed 82 couples who had been together for over 3 years and judged them based on their “facial attractiveness.” In 1/3 of the couples the wife was more attractive, in another 1/3 the husband was more attractive, and in the final third the spouses were deemed equally attractive. They discovered that men who married attractive women were content to bask in their wife’s beauty, but men who were more attractive than their wife “are more likely to offer less emotional and practical support to their partner.” Jim McNulty attempts to explain why: “attractive men have available to them more short-term mating opportunities. This may make them less satisfied and less committed to the marital relationship.” Also, “men are rated as more likeable and friendly when they have a wife who is very attractive.”
Although, I question the validity of the science in this investigation, I can more-or-less agree with the majority of it. Obviously men prefer attractive women; I would daresay it might be the most important criteria in what most men look for in a woman. It only makes sense that they would desire someone more attractive than themselves. However, I have to somewhat question the fact that a woman’s biggest priority in a man is supportiveness and positivity. This may be true biologically and theoretically, but how many women actually put supportiveness ahead of attractiveness in their search for a mate? I have to believe that cultural norms have caused women to largely stray from this mindset.
But if it is indeed true, all I can say is take notes, ladies…please.
November 17, 2008 at 8:59 am
Personally I want balance … many people have commented on my beauty and I myself consider myself an attractive woman but really I don’t want marry somebody I don’t deem both inner and outer attractive … I’m working on myself on everything I can and I hope that my partner has a lot to go for as well … some attractive women may like them and I’m fine with it but don’t generalize … other attractive women prefer attractive men too