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rfmcdonaldIt is entirely possible to construct an economic model of sexual attraction and romantic desire. Why not? At some level--and pardon the subsequent inevitable pun, or not--it all comes down to what services you want, whether generic encounters (first, second, or third base, or home run) or something more specific. Guys talk about the effort made to secure someone; guys talk about the effort not being worth it (whether because the result impossible to acquire or because its unworthy of the effort); guys talk about what they'd want among themselves.
At first, it might seem that a simple cost-benefit equation might work: If it's worth acquiring, then the effort will be made to acquire it. This, however, can't be applied to any more than one situation, simply because the large majority of people want some variety. What if you (say) like girls more than boys, or vice versa? Or what if you like particular types of people (academic types, black-haired types, loud types, short types, thin types) more than you do other types? Or (here getting into the PG-13 area of livejournal) you prefer certain acts to others? A cost-benefit curve would make more sense.
To use this model, simply determine what you define as a class of benefits and determine how much effort you're willing to pursue on behalf of each member in the set of benefits. Once this is accomplished, plot the different data points on the chart, and then draw a line connecting these points. The resulting curve will bound the upward limits of your sexual/romantic goals; goals which are located below this curve will be the goals that you'll aim for, while goals located above this curve will be the goals that you'll decide not to pursue, whether for lack of interest in the necessary effort or disinterest in the actual goal.
You could add other variables to this mode, for instance, you could add the variable of time, to reflect changes in your sexual preferences and the amount of effort you're willing to expend, as time progresses.
Thoughts?
At first, it might seem that a simple cost-benefit equation might work: If it's worth acquiring, then the effort will be made to acquire it. This, however, can't be applied to any more than one situation, simply because the large majority of people want some variety. What if you (say) like girls more than boys, or vice versa? Or what if you like particular types of people (academic types, black-haired types, loud types, short types, thin types) more than you do other types? Or (here getting into the PG-13 area of livejournal) you prefer certain acts to others? A cost-benefit curve would make more sense.
- Have cost--the amount of energy you're willing to expend--as the vertical axis.
- Have benefits--the degree to which you which prefer a particular goal--as the horizontal axis.
- [Nota Bene: It doesn't particularly matter whether you're willing to use more (or less) effort than other people, or whether "benefits" refers to specific people, acts, or relationships. This is a purely relative and theoretical model, and I'm not at all qualified to talk about a general model.]
To use this model, simply determine what you define as a class of benefits and determine how much effort you're willing to pursue on behalf of each member in the set of benefits. Once this is accomplished, plot the different data points on the chart, and then draw a line connecting these points. The resulting curve will bound the upward limits of your sexual/romantic goals; goals which are located below this curve will be the goals that you'll aim for, while goals located above this curve will be the goals that you'll decide not to pursue, whether for lack of interest in the necessary effort or disinterest in the actual goal.
You could add other variables to this mode, for instance, you could add the variable of time, to reflect changes in your sexual preferences and the amount of effort you're willing to expend, as time progresses.
Thoughts?
