A man's choice of partner is often a performance to gain social and sexual capital among other men. This is seen when men date only thin, conventionally attractive women publicly, despite porn data showing private attraction to larger women.

The concept of a vast 'mating marketplace' driven by immediate value signals is a recent phenomenon. Evolutionarily, humans formed bonds based on long-term compatibility within small, familiar tribes, suggesting that today's dating apps create an unnatural and potentially detrimental dynamic.

Ancestrally, only a fraction of men reproduced (~40% vs. ~80% of women), typically those at the top of the hierarchy. This created intense evolutionary pressure for men to compete and achieve high status, as this was the primary way to attract mates and ensure genetic legacy.

Modern dating apps create a dynamic where a small percentage of men monopolize sexual partners, leaving many others sexless. This technologically-driven outcome mirrors 'effective polygyny,' an ancestral mating pattern, rather than creating a new social problem.

Data shows high-status men practice assortative mating, pairing with women of similar educational and economic standing. The "rich man marries the young, beautiful waitress" trope is a myth; successful men value partners they can relate to intellectually and who understand their world.

As women's success grows, their preference to "date up and across" creates an imbalanced sex ratio at the top of the socioeconomic ladder. This gives a small group of ultra-high-performing men disproportionate power, leading them to be less committal.

The "gender egalitarian paradox" shows that as societies become more equal and competitive, men and women diverge more in personality. This environment may activate latent sex-specific adaptations, with women becoming more prone to anxiety and men engaging in more risk-taking behaviors.

Although surveys show women prioritize earning potential more than men, Dr. Eastwick's speed-dating data reveals that when evaluating actual people, both genders are equally attracted to ambitious partners with high earning prospects. Stated preference differs from revealed preference.

Demographers theorized that as men adapted to women's emancipation, relationship rates would re-stabilize. However, even in highly egalitarian Scandinavian countries, singlehood continues to rise. This suggests deeper factors are driving the trend, forcing experts to reconsider its causes and ultimate plateau.