system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Is there any truth to the meme that American women are more selective in relationships than men are? If so, how widespread is this across cultures?
gpt
It would be hard to compare to non-Western cultures, but the book *Date-onomics* compiles some interesting data within the USA comparing different populations. Essentially, where men outnumber women (suburbs, rural areas, army towns, western tech-dominated cities) women can be very selective, and their selectivity increases with the discrepancy between men and women. Where women outnumber men (liberal arts colleges, NYC, Atlanta, etc), men are allowed to be picky and women lower their standards significantly, often dating below their level of income and education and fitness, and even becoming less adept at distinguishing basic markers of attractiveness like facial symmetry.