Why do men love the "bastards"? Science responds
Much is said about if women like bad men and if men like bad women, and there are some relationships that, despite not working, start hooking (and often end badly).
But, first of all ... What is a bad man? In general, this term is used towards people who are selfish, who transgress social norms in the search for personal benefits or who simply lead us to live a toxic relationship, those in which we perceive that we give more than we receive .
Now, do men really like bad women? The famous book by Sherry Argov, which you can buy in this link, provides relevant information about this issue that involves our unconscious in the field of attraction. 100% recommendable.
In this article we will talk about this subject taking into account what scientific research suggests.
Women whores: why are they more attractive?
What does science think about it? Some scientific studies have focused on this line of research, and in many cases it seems that men like selfish women with a tendency to manipulation. According to a team of psychologists from the University of Queensland, Australia, male subjects in their study preferred to girls prone to break social rules both in its way of setting goals and dealing with others.
This study was published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Also, it seems that in the case of women, exactly the same thing happens, as you can read in this article: "Why do women prefer hard guys?"
People with narcissistic and psychopathic traits attract more
Although it may seem strange, people with narcissistic and psychopathic traits tend to generate more desire in others. This is what concludes a study published in the European Journal of Personality, which concludes that these characteristics positively influence the speed dating, and these people are seen as more attractive. The scientists found a significant correlation between the score in psychopathy and narcissism and the chances of being elected or elected, at least, for short relationships .
To carry out the study, the researchers had a sample of 90 people (44 men and 46 women) between 18 and 32 years. The subjects responded to a questionnaire in which their scores were measured both in the Dark Triad traits and in the personality traits of the Big Five test (extraversion, responsibility, kindness, emotional stability and openness to experience).
After responding to the questionnaires, the subjects carried out appointments among themselves and, after each of these appointments, they returned to fill in a questionnaire in which they had to score the other person taking into account different variables: their physical attractiveness, the desire of friendship, the possibility of having casual intimate relationships with them, etc. Although the individuals indicated that they preferred people with narcissistic and psychopathic features, they did not think the same about those with Machiavellian features .
- You can learn more about this study in this article: "Narcissistic people with psychopathic traits are more attractive, according to a study"
Does the same thing happen in long-term relationships?
These studies speak rather of attraction and of establishing short-term relationships, but when maintaining long-term relationships these characteristics can hinder the proper functioning of the relationship, and they do not seem to be the most valued to have a life partner .
This is what concludes the research published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin that I already mentioned. The key seems to be in the "sensitivity", which according to researchers is: "a characteristic that members of a long-term partner prefer, based on respect for their values and opinions. Sensitivity is the ability to give support when the other needs it and the ability to change in relationships, leaving aside individual interest.
This definition aims to understand what do people look for? in your long-term relationships , and it seems indispensable for long-term relationships of both friendship and love. As Gurit Birnbaum, one of the authors of the research, explains, "this characteristic is not important for a first encounter or for short-term relationships", which agrees with the previous explanations; But in the long term, relationships do need "sensitivity" because, as the researcher affirms, for men, sensitive women "are more feminine and attractive."
It seems, however, that in the case of the women participating in the study, sensitive men are not at all attractive, but quite the opposite, because they consider that they are dull .
Conclusion: is rebellion seductive?
First, it is necessary to mention that the label "bad" does not necessarily refer to evil.We usually talk about bad girls when they are more independent, they do not try to be kind, they do not mind spending time alone, etc. They are usually "off-road" women, who enjoy day to day and do not want complications.
Most men can find stimulants for short relationships, as some researches claim. However, scientific studies also conclude that they are not preferred for long-term relationships.
