In any given year, the men whom women marry earn more than men of the same age whom women do not marry. Women who earn more than their husbands seek divorce at double the rate of women whose husbands earn more than they do. (p.213)
It is often in the best interests of a woman, for example, to convince others of the ideal of life long love. Promiscuous women can pose a threat to monogamous women, siphoning off the resources, attention, and commitment of their husbands. It is often in the best interests of a man to convince others to adopt a monogamous strategy, even if he fails to follow it himself. Promiscuous men usurp single men' s mating opportunities and threaten to cuckold married men. (p.215)
People often decry the frequent switching of mates and promiscuous activities. And it often serves their interests to foster this view of morality in others. (p.216)
Cultures differ in the sexual opportunities available, the resources provided by their ecology, the ratio of men to women, and the extent to which they foster permanent versus temporary mating. Our evolved psychological mechanisms are at tuned to these cultural inputs. (p.218)
( David M. Buss – The Evolution of Desire )
