When dating women, men are (traditionally) expected pick up the check. A naïve MRA might complain that this gives women an advantage, at men’s expense. Yet economic theory tells us that that men would be just bad off if women were expected to pick up the check. How can this be?
Layperson’s explanation: If Congress suddenly mandated that all women pick up the check, men would want to date more. They’d be more eager to ask women out, and improve their value by working out or buying nice clothes. Women would be less eager to accept date requests, knowing that they’d have to foot the bill. They would be less motivated to improve their value by working out or buying nice clothes. In the new dating market, men wouldn’t have to pick up the check, but they’d be dating flabbier women with cheaper clothes. Women would get to date fitter men in nicer clothes, but they’d have to pick up the check. Overall, neither sex is better off.
Economist’s explanation: In the sexual marketplace model, the men-pick-up-the-check norm can be modeled as a tax paid by men. Tax incidence is not affected by which party pays the tax.
This argument can be generalized for any sex/courtship double standard.
If Congress suddenly mandated that all women pick up the check, men would want to date more.
Are people actually willing to date someone they otherwise wouldn't just for the free food? I've seen this claimed elsewhere, but personally the amount I'd have to be paid for me to be willing to spend a few hours with someone I dislike is higher than the amount I'd pay for a meal by at least half an order of magnitude. So, was I incorrectly generalizing from one example?
The last thread didn't fare too badly, I think; let's make it a monthly tradition. (Me, I'm more interested in thinking about real-world policies or philosophies, actual and possible, rather than AI design or physics, and I suspect that many fine, non-mind-killed folks reading LW also are - but might be ashamed to admit it!)
Quoth OrphanWilde:
Let's try to stick to those rules - and maybe make some more if sorely needed.
Oh, and I think that the "Personal is Political" stuff like gender relations, etc also belongs here.