jason steiner wrote:

> I have no hard data to back this up but my impression is that there
is a
> trend towards man sharing in the U.S. Women have become pickier on
the
> type of men they will date. As a result of women becoming more
> selective, they are now sharing the shrinking pool of men they
approve
> of.

I agree with you on one point here, i.e. that women are becoming much
more selective about what men they will accept and what men they won't
accept; I don't agree that this leads to "man sharing".  The same kinds
of women who have high standards regarding men are women more likely to
resent the notion of  polygamy, IMO.
>
> Here are some of the ramifications that I see from this trend.
>
> 1. More women are dating married men than ever before.  If "all the
good
> ones are taken" , today's women will pick a "taken"
over a man they
> don't consider a "good one".

Married men don't really "date" other women;  they commit adultry with
them.  And, usually, when a wife discovers this, they divorce the man
in question, which is one reason why our divorce rate is so high.
Adultry has always been popular for men, and today, it is almost as
popular for married women who work outside the home.  It's about sex,
fulfillment and the newness of a new relationship.  Adultry sponsors
divorce.

> 2. More single mothers. Many of the same men are getting multiple
women
> pregnant.

I don't know that more of the "same men" are impregnating women, but
certainly some single women are impregnated by married men.  Having
more single pregnant women doesn't really imply man sharing, as much as
it implies, more recreational sex for single women.  This enables women
to enjoy the sausage without having to buy the pig, especially if the
woman is waiting for the prince.  :-)  And, it enables women to have
children before they meet the prince.  After all, there is no assurance
that there is a prince there for every woman, but she can still have a
family without a pig.

> 3. More lifelong single men. These are the men women don't approve
of.

I resent that.  :-)  Many single men are wonderful men and women do
approve.  Bill Maher, for example, is a single man who is very honest
about his sex life.  He enjoys having sex with many women, and is not
ready to form an attachment to one.  I approve of Bill Maher, and
applaud his ability to know himself, and his honesty toward women.

> In an earlier era things would have fallen into place for these guys.
> These were the guys who used to make good stable husbands and
fathers.
> Many will stay single their entire lives which is very unnatural yet
> does have some advantages.
>
Well, being alone has few advantages, but there is no reason for a
woman to marry a pig, when the sausage is free.  And that's the truth.
There's simply no reason for a woman to put up with the kind of shit
that comes with being married to a pig, especially when a person can
provide for themselves.

> 4. More bitter women. More women getting used, abused and cheated on
by
> the shrinking group of men they approve of.

Nah; women since time immortal have been used, abused and cheated on by
men.  This is nothing new.  What IS "new" is the vast amount of
information now avialable to women about the real feelings men have
about women.  This information allows women to make better choices.
Many women of my own generation who refused to read books by Virginia
Woolf (because they were depressing) now accept her words.  This,
coupled with the enforcement of equal rights is giving women a whole
new lease on life.

> 5. A large increase in lonely older women. As women age and lose
their
> looks many will find themselves alone for the rest of their lives. If
> they would have chosen different men they might have had
companionship
> during their golden years.

What you call an "increase" in older women has actually been going on
for quite a while.  It seems to me that women's lifespan was increased
by about 7 years for the last 40 years or so.  However, that doesn't
mean these women are "lonely".  Women are cooperative creatures; they
have cooperative interests.  In fact, I mentioned The Red Hat Club in
another post where older or retired women of means group together to
take vacations, dine, etc.

> Just for the record I'm in a relationship but these are the trends
that
> I see in general.

People who have something to offer to other people, generally form
relationships whether they result in marriage, friendship or other...
The trick is having something to offer.  There's nothing magic about
that.

  Maybe it's just my social circle, but I have> especially noticed an
increase in bitter and lonely middle aged women in recent years.

Well, some middle aged women ....women of my own generation....may have
come to the conclusion that they married the pig.  Women of my
generation didn't have the same equal rights enforced that women do
now; marriage was expected, and not many of them bucked that tide.
Today, young women have so many options that middle aged women (of
today) didn't have.  And, it's surprising how many middle to old aged
women are divorcing.  Perhaps their lives are less bitter after the
divorce.



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