re:1 – It's not conditional to guys that are single or out partying, trust me. You did hit the nail on the head with the unintentional part, though, it's biological and sometimes reactionary, but that doesn't make it any less true.

re:4 – The tribal paradigm is unique to men. In social settings, women tend to compete for attention so they're less likely to follow the lead of someone else.

1) Perhaps it’s the guys you encounter who are single and out on the town, but I don’t think all guys disregard consequences, at least not intentional. At least for me, I usually begin with completely altruistic intentions, but then the resonance between the two creates the environment for less admirable thoughts. It’s as if we are constantly fighting that devil on our shoulder, and he doesn’t go away. But if you have an inkling of willingness, then we will happily listen, depending on our depth of moral character.

2) I think men want to be affirmed, there’s no doubt about that. But “ego” has such a nasty connotation to it. I think we have insecurities that are masked, and when a woman takes away those insecurities, we feel comfortable to be ourselves. And really, that’s what you are looking for anyway right ladies? Something real, sensitive and true?

3) Yes, I probably have a flirting problem. The thing is, at least with me, that it is not tightly bound to sex as you make it out to be. I love to see a woman happy, or smiling, especially if that woman is working and I’m not. Why? Not because of some odd fantasy of bedding a maid, but because I want them to feel cherished and loved. Too often women in those lines of work are not, and I think that’s a tragedy. I enjoy getting a laugh or smile or even a look because it reveals the woman’s true beauty and character.

4) I agree more with the tribe paradigm. We will all normalize to one mass of stupidity. In a work environment we will all try to emulate the most mature in the group. In a play environment we will emulate the most immature. So yes, we all want to “fit in” and will adapt to do that. Is that solely a male trait?

5) Yes, men love the chase, the thrill of the hunt. For me, the harder the nut to crack, the more alluring. But you need to be careful too. If you don’t open up, the man will hunt the easier prey that still is a challenge. If he were hunting (and I don’t hunt but I’m using the analogy), and saw a 10 point buck, he would chase for awhile. But if the buck looked difficult and he spots an easier 8 point buck… he would go for that instead.

Although I don’t agree that “every single man” is like that, I do know lots that are, but there are many others that aren’t.

I would just make a small change (IMHO) about the “dominate male rules the roost” factor. I think that in this sense, men are like animals, they behave like a tribe… if just one acts as a jerk and nobody says anything, from time to time the others will start to behave like that, even if they wouldn’t do that if they were alone… they don’t even need a “leader”, they just need a stupid one to be a jerk and a few more stupid ones to keep quiet.

That’s my two cents.

Great post as always!

Best,
Leo

But, I can’t . . .