About gynocentrism

Gynocentrism (n.) refers to a dominant focus on women’s needs and wants relative to men’s needs and wants. This can happen in the context of cultural conventions, social institutions, political policies, and in gendered relationships.1

See here for more dictionary definitions of gynocentrism

Introduction

Cultural gynocentrism arose in Medieval Europe during a period cross-cultural influences and momentous changes in gendered customs. Beginning in the 11th century, European society birthed an intersection of Arabic poetry, aristocratic courting trends, the Marian cult, and later the imperial patronage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her daughter Marie who reimagined chivalry as a way to service ladies – a practice now referred to as “courtly love.”

Courtly love was enacted by minstrels, playrights, troubadours and hired romance-writers who laid down a model of romantic fiction that is still the biggest grossing genre of literature today. That confluence of factors generated the conventions that continue to drive gynocentric practices to the present.

Gynocentrism as a cultural phenomenon

The primary elements of gynocentric culture, as we experience it today, are derived from practices originating in medieval society such as feudalism, chivalry and courtly love that continue to inform contemporary society in subtle ways. Such gynocentric patters constitute a “sexual feudalism,” as attested by female writers like Lucrezia Marinella who in 1600 AD recounted that women of lower socioeconomic classes were treated as superiors by men who acted as servants or beasts born to serve them, or by Modesta Pozzo who in 1590 wrote;

“Don’t we see that men’s rightful task is to go out to work and wear themselves out trying to accumulate wealth, as though they were our factors or stewards, so that we can remain at home like the lady of the house directing their work and enjoying the profit of their labors? That, if you like, is the reason why men are naturally stronger and more robust than us — they need to be, so they can put up with the hard labor they must endure in our service.”2

The golden casket at the head of this page depicting scenes of servile behaviour toward women were typical of courtly love culture of the Middle Ages. Such objects were given to women as gifts by men seeking to impress. Note the woman standing with hands on hips in a position of authority, and the man being led around by a neck halter, his hands clasped in a position of subservience.

It’s clear that much of what we today call gynocentrism was invented in this early period, where the feudal template was employed as the basis for a new model for love in which men would play the role of a vassal to women who assumed the role of an idealized Lord.

C.S. Lewis, in the middle of the 20th Century, referred to this historical revolution as “the feudalisation of love,” and stated that it has left no corner of our ethics, our imagination, or our daily life untouched. “Compared with this revolution,” states Lewis, “the Renaissance is a mere ripple on the surface of literature.”3 Lewis further states;

“Everyone has heard of courtly love, and everyone knows it appeared quite suddenly at the end of the eleventh century at Languedoc. The sentiment, of course, is love, but love of a highly specialized sort, whose characteristics may be enumerated as Humility, Courtesy, and the Religion of Love. The lover is always abject. Obedience to his lady’s lightest wish, however whimsical, and silent acquiescence in her rebukes, however unjust, are the only virtues he dares to claim. Here is a service of love closely modelled on the service which a feudal vassal owes to his lord. The lover is the lady’s ‘man’. He addresses her as midons, which etymologically represents not ‘my lady’ but ‘my lord’. The whole attitude has been rightly described as ‘a feudalisation of love’. This solemn amatory ritual is felt to be part and parcel of the courtly life.” 4

With the advent of (initially courtly) women being elevated to the position of ‘Lord’ in intimate relationships, and with this general sentiment diffusing to the masses and across much of the world today, we are justified in talking of a gynocentric cultural complex that affects, among other things, relationships between men and women. Further, unless evidence of widespread gynocentric culture can be found prior to the Middle Ages, then  gynocentrism is approximately 1000 years old. In order to determine if this thesis is valid we need to look further at what we mean by “gynocentrism”.

The term gynocentrism has been in circulation since the 1800’s, with the general definition being “focused on women; concerned with only women.”5 From this definition we see that gynocentrism could refer to any female-centered practice, or to a single gynocentric act carried out by one individual. There is nothing inherently wrong with a gynocentric act (eg. celebrating Mother’s Day) , or for that matter an androcentric act (celebrating Father’s Day). However when a given act becomes instituted in the culture to the exclusion of other acts we are then dealing with a hegemonic custom — i.e. such is the relationship custom of elevating women to the position of men’s social, moral or spiritual superiors.

Author of Gynocentrism Theory Adam Kostakis has attempted to expand the definition of gynocentrism to refer to “male sacrifice for the benefit of women” and “the deference of men to women,” and he concludes; “Gynocentrism, whether it went by the name honor, nobility, chivalry, or feminism, its essence has gone unchanged. It remains a peculiarly male duty to help the women onto the lifeboats, while the men themselves face a certain and icy death.”6

While we can agree with Kostakis’ descriptions of assumed male duty, the phrase gynocentric culture more accurately carries his intention than gynocentrism alone. Thus when used alone in the context of this website gynocentrism refers to part or all of gynocentric culture, which is defined here as any culture instituting rules for gender relationships that benefit females at the expense of males across a broad range of measures.

At the base of gynocentric culture lies the practice of enforced male sacrifice for the benefit of women. If we accept this definition we must look back and ask whether male sacrifices throughout history were always made for the sake women, or alternatively for the sake of some other primary goal? For instance, when men went to die in vast numbers in wars, was it for women, or was it rather for Man, King, God and Country? If the latter we cannot then claim that this was a result of some intentional gynocentric culture, at least not in the way I have defined it here. If the sacrifice isn’t intended directly for the benefit women, even if women were occasional beneficiaries of male sacrifice, then we are not dealing with gynocentric culture.

Male utility and disposability strictly “for the benefit of women” comes in strongly only after the advent of the 12th century gender revolution in Europe – a revolution that delivered us terms like gallantry, chivalry, chivalric love, courtesy, damsels, romance and so on. From that period onward gynocentric practices grew exponentially, culminating in the demands of today’s feminist movement. In sum, gynocentrism (ie. gynocentric culture) was a patchy phenomenon at best before the middle ages, after which it became ubiquitous.

With this in mind it makes little sense to talk of gynocentric culture starting with the industrial revolution a mere 200 years ago (or 100 or even 30 yrs ago), or of it being two million years old as some would argue. We are not only fighting two million years of genetic programming; our culturally constructed problem of gender inequity is much simpler to pinpoint and to potentially reverse. All we need do is look at the circumstances under which gynocentric culture first began to flourish and attempt to reverse those circumstances. Specifically, that means rejecting the illusions of romantic love (feudalised love), along with the practices of misandry, male shaming and servitude that ultimately support it.

La Querelle des Femmes, and advocacy for women

The Querelle des Femmes translates as the “quarrel about women” and amounts to what we might today call a gender-war. The querelle had its beginning in twelfth century Europe and finds its culmination in the feminist-driven ideology of today (though some authors claim, unconvincingly, that the querelle came to an end in the 1700s).

The basic theme of the centuries-long quarrel revolved, and continues to revolve, around advocacy for the rights, power and status of women, and thus Querelle des Femmes serves as the originating title for gynocentric discourse.

To place the above events into a coherent timeline, chivalric servitude toward women was elaborated and given patronage first under the reign of Eleanor of Aquitaine (1137-1152) and instituted culturally throughout Europe over the subsequent 200 year period. After becoming thus entrenched on European soil there arose the Querelle des Femmes which refers to the advocacy culture that arose for protecting, perpetuating and increasing female power in relation to men that continues, in an unbroken tradition, in the efforts of contemporary feminism.7

Writings from the Middle Ages forward are full of testaments about men attempting to adapt to the feudalisation of love and the serving of women, along with the emotional agony, shame and sometimes physical violence they suffered in the process. Gynocentric chivalry and the associated querelle have not received much elaboration in men’s studies courses to-date, but with the emergence of new manuscripts and quality English translations it may be profitable to begin blazing this trail.8

References

1. Wright, P., What’s in a suffix? taking a closer look at the word gyno–centrism
2. Modesta Pozzo, The Worth of Women: their Nobility and Superiority to Men
3. C.S. Lewis, Friendship, chapter in The Four Loves, HarperCollins, 1960
4. C.S. Lewis, The Allegory of Love, Oxford University Press, 1936
5. Dictionary.com – Gynocentric
6. Adam Kostakis, Gynocentrism Theory – (Published online, 2011). Although Kostakis assumes gynocentrism has been around throughout recorded history, he singles out the Middle Ages for comment: “There is an enormous amount of continuity between the chivalric class code which arose in the Middle Ages and modern feminism… One could say that they are the same entity, which now exists in a more mature form – certainly, we are not dealing with two separate creatures.”
7. Joan Kelly, Early Feminist Theory and the Querelle des Femmes (1982), reprinted in Women, History and Theory, UCP (1984)
8. The New Male Studies Journal has published thoughtful articles touching on the history and influence of chivalry in the lives of males.

Shared Practices and Beliefs in Courtly Love, Romantic Love, and “Dating”

Romantic love, which evolved from the ideals of medieval courtly love, gradually replaced traditional marriage customs in 19th-century England and America. From there it spread eventually to most of the world. The modern practice of ‘dating’ is a direct descendant of this tradition, as illustrated in the comparisons below.

Shared Practices and Beliefs in Courtly Love, Romantic Love, and Dating

  • Idealization of the Beloved

    • Shared Practice: Lovers are encouraged to place the other on a pedestal—especially the woman, who was often idealized as perfect or uniquely special, embodying unreachable beauty or virtue.

    • Negative Outcome: Leads to unrealistic expectations, disappointment, and emotional dependence.

  • Love as a Struggle or Trial

    • Shared Practice: Love is something to be won, often involving suffering, sacrifice, or elaborate performances.

    • Negative Outcome: Encourages self-destructive patterns, toxic persistence (e.g., chasing someone who’s not interested), or emotional games.

  • Emphasis on Secrecy and Intrigue

    • Courtly Love: Often adulterous or secretive due to social constraints.

    • Dating: Modern equivalents include hiding relationships, playing “hard to get,” or managing multiple dating “options” covertly.

    • Negative Outcome: Encourages dishonesty, emotional instability, and distrust.

  • Emotional Drama and Intensity as Proof of Authenticity

    • Shared Practice: Passion, jealousy, and even despair are treated as signs of true love.

    • Negative Outcome: Normalizes volatility and codependency; can foster manipulative or abusive dynamics.

  • Romantic Love as a Life Goal or Personal Fulfillment

    • Shared Belief: Love is central to identity and fulfillment (then and now).

    • Negative Outcome: People may tie self-worth to romantic status; leads to despair if romance is absent or relationships fail.

  • Reductive Gendered Roles and Ritualized Pursuit

    • Courtly Love: Men pursue; women are the gatekeepers.

    • Dating: This still persists—men often initiate, plan, pay, etc.

    • Negative Outcome: Reinforces outdated gender scripts, power imbalances, and societal pressure on both sexes to perform roles instead of relating authentically.

  • Performative Acts to “Earn” Affection

    • Shared Practice: Gifts, poetry, displays of chivalry or wealth used to impress the beloved.

    • Modern Equivalent: Grand gestures, curated dating profiles, expensive outings.

    • Negative Outcome: Relationships become transactional or based on surface-level traits rather than emotional substance.

  • Obsession with the “Chase”

    • Courtly Tradition: Desire thrives on distance and delay.

    • Dating: “The thrill of the chase” still dominates early-stage relationships.

    • Negative Outcome: People lose interest once commitment begins; breeds instability or ghosting.

  • Unattainable or Idealized Love Object

    • Courtly Love: The lady is often married or socially inaccessible.

    • Dating: Desire may be directed toward emotionally unavailable or disinterested partners.

    • Negative Outcome: Patterns of chasing the unavailable can lead to repeated emotional harm.

  • Suffering is Romanticized

    • Shared Idea: Emotional pain or longing heightens the beauty of love.

    • Negative Outcome: Can justify staying in unhealthy or one-sided relationships.

  • Public Performance of Love

    • Courtly Love: Love was often expressed in public poetry or tournaments.

    • Dating: Love is broadcast via social media (Instagram relationships, #CoupleGoals).

    • Negative Outcome: Creates pressure to appear in love rather than actually be connected; leads to comparison, anxiety, or jealousy.

  • Status-Seeking Through Romantic Conquest

    • Courtly Love: A knight’s value was partly judged by his lady and courtship prowess.

    • Dating: Social status may be enhanced by having an attractive or high-status partner.

    • Negative Outcome: Dehumanizes partners, fosters superficiality and insecurity.

  • Love as a Moral or Spiritual Elevation

    • Courtly Love: Loving nobly was believed to refine the soul.

    • Dating/Romantic Love: The belief that “the right person will fix me or make me whole.”

    • Negative Outcome: Co-dependency, avoidance of self-responsibility, magical thinking.

  • Temporary or Transitional Nature of Desire

    • Courtly Love: Often existed outside marriage and was not expected to last.

    • Dating: Many relationships are short-lived or “for the experience.”

    • Negative Outcome: Leads to emotional burnout, cynicism, and reduced capacity for trust or long-term commitment.

 

 

*Bullet points by Chat GPT.

The Trend Of The Sexes – Men’s Review (1948)

The Trend Of The Sexes

by Rith

When we observe the relationship of the sexes in the past, we find woman solely of the ménage, a menial, subjective, subjected. The male holding the centre of the human drama. From this point to the next point -the present- can be traced the line  following an upward trend, economically, intellectually, and politically, which forecasts the eventual future point, where men and women will be equal and complimentary to each other — a real factual equality.

The conception of equality at the moment is false. The female has gained a large measure of economic freedom, and will obtain more and more. But as she advances, these advances imply just adjustments in her relationship with the male. To take new freedoms and selfishly retain the oppressions over the male, is not only to arouse male resentment, but it is an abomination indeed, which even males who have a desire to free women, must fight in self-preservation.

Those women who have progressed farther than their fellows, who are conscious of the responsibilities the new situation brings, as well as its rights, have a duty towards their opposite sex, who after all, and their brothers, fathers, and sons. To give freedom with the same zeal as they demand it for themselves, that along the road of human progress, we may work in harmony to make life a thing of happiness for both.

Men Have Become “Chattels” Of Women? – Men’s Review (1948)

Chattels

by Avertir

In 1935 the Bishop of Salisbury was reported as saying 16,000 women obtain Separation Orders a year. In the same year, 50,000 Orders were in operation. In that same year 6,000 Committal Orders were made for non-payment in respect of wives and illegitimate children. In one year alone 4,000 husbands were imprisoned for disobedience of the Order of the Court.

With time and the war condition, the number of men ordered to make payments for the whole length of their lives to women (many able-bodied), has increased to the proportions of a large army. Particularly bad and unjust is the case where the man has children to rear, and is compelled to make payments for life to a stepmother who had not an elementary knowledge of hygiene.

The abolition of these life pensions is long overdue. It is both degrading to the woman and the man. It is an anti-incentive to work for the man, and an anti-incentive to work for the woman. It is gross immorality that a being should be subject to a weekly charge for the duration of life, and further it is immoral that a woman can make this demand upon a fellow creature for the absolute length of life, a condition of parasitism.

The matrimonial position to-day is that the man is now the chattel of the woman. Either he obeys her or she is able to bring ruin upon him. The wage economics of to-day are not founded on the keeping of two homes. Wage equality with men, plus a real or potential “maintenance” payment, is the equality of a perverse mind.

By what process of logic is it right for a widow to receive child allowance and not the widower (man)? Is not his need as great, or even greater than hers? Even a widower’s children need care. While the national Press has given much of its space over the last six years to the hard lot of the mothers who have to work, shop, and do housework, I have not yet read of men that have done all these duties, AND paid a Court Order.  That is one burden no woman has borne.

MAN’S SUBJECTION

It cannot be emphasised sufficiently that men have to awaken from their totally false notions of social strength, and realise that their liberties have gradually and surreptitiously leaked away, and that they stand to-day in an alarmingly handicapped and bonded position.

It is pointed out that their social and economic power has passed in a great measure to women; their voting and numerical strength is greater and could be decisive where interests are opposed. They are a force of cheap labour jeopardising the standards of the male. By sometimes virtue, sometimes by vice, private wealth is passing to their control by Wills. Their power ranges from the cradle to the shadow behind the personal decisions of public leaders, and last but not least women have captured practically intact the secretarial sphere — the communicating gateway through which all letters must pass to reach those that control, whose actions can make or mar their fellow creatures’ lives. The possibilities with which this situation is pregnant requires but little imagination.

Sex Equality: Defining One’s Terms – Men’s Review (1948)

Defining One’s Terms

by C. Lea

THERE is a type of propagandist who finds it convenient to avoid defining his terms. He can thus vary the sense when and how it best suits him. He is not tied down to any particular interpretation.

The phrase “sex equality” is often used in this convenient and undefined way. On the one hand they denounce sex discrimination and deny sex difference favourable to men as contrary to the doctrine of sex equality. On the other hand, they regard sex discrimination or sex difference favourable to women as perfectly consistent with that doctrine.

Special rights, privileges and exemptions in favour of women are taken as a matter of course by people who hotly resent the least sex discrimination in favour of men.

Feminine superiorities, real or imaginary, are pushed down our throats by those who would indignantly deny the possibility in favour of men. These partisans readily discover arguments or evidence in support of their claims advantageous to women. They may justify special rights for women on the score of their special functions AS women, however they would, on the other hand, refuse to accept special rights for men on the same grounds.

Logically it is obvious that a series of one-sided feminine advantages cannot possibly give sex equality. Only a balance of masculine and feminine advantages can give real equality. The upholders of the system of one-sided feminine advantage continue to label it “equality,” while stigmatising as “inequality” any compensatory masculine advantage.

The time is come for us to challenge the offenders of this intellectual dishonesty to give clear, logical definition of exactly what they mean by “sex equality.”

SEX EQUALITY IN MARRIAGE

It is believed by many that in some mysterious and unexplained way the law favours the husband in marriage.  It is difficult to fathom how anyone can have this view, since the man is under compulsion to perform most of his duties, while the woman can repudiate many of hers with impunity.

A husband must support his wife or be dealt with by a maintenance or separation order. A man cannot escape a distasteful marriage without heavy financial burdens. A woman who finds marriage distasteful can leave it, earn her own living and extract a maintenance from her husband.

It may be argued that while the husband of a bad wife has far less legal remedy than the wife of a bad husband, the wife who fulfils her side of the bargain has a harder position than her husband, but this does not mean that the law presses more hardy on the wife in such a case, it means that, to her credit, the wife concerned does her duty, and more than her duty without legal compulsion.

The Convention of ‘Men Paying Women’s Way’ Condemned – Men’s Review (1948)

The following article appeared in the 1948 edition of the ‘Men’s Review’ – a pro men’s rights initiative that was active in Britain during the 1940s.   – PW

* * *

A Convention Condemned

by “Woman’s View”

MANY features of modern society have struck me as extremely odd. Among these, perhaps that which seems to me the oddest is the curious convention whereby a gentleman who goes to a place of entertainment, or to a place of refreshment, with a lady, is expected to pay the bill without any help from her.

After deep reflection I have decided that this convention (nine out of ten observed only when people of the opposite sex are together) annoys me intensely. I will try to summarise my main objections to this convention with utmost brevity.

First, I think the convention unfair. Unfair because it puts upon the shoulders of men the financial burden which, according to logic, should be shared by women. For generally speaking our participation in the benefits paid for is at least equal to the man’s. In modern times we women are, with a diminishing number of exceptions, as well off as our male counterparts.

Secondly, it leads to a greater extravagance than would exist under a “fifty-fifty” system, since the man is placed in the position in which he is not able to suggest economising on the expenses, while where he able to regard the woman as a share-and-share-alike partner, he could suggest economy without embarrassment at all.

Thirdly, the convention tends in many cases to put inter-sex relationships upon a commercial footing. The woman tends to prefer the man who takes her to the half-a-crown seats to the otherwise equally attractive man who takes her in the one-and-sixpenny seats. I happen to believe in equality of opportunity, and it is psychologically bad for women since it tends to make for an unnatural suppression of our real affections beneath the gold-digging smartness.

I AM REVOLTED

The man is tempted to wonder what return he is going to have for the money he has paid out and to arrive at what appears to be a reasonable explanation, mainly that his return will be in terms of kisses and caresses. Hereupon he, and for that matter the woman too, may begin to regard kisses and caresses as something for sale, and idea which, in my opinion, is revolting.

Much could be said in discussion of this convention, which, as I hope to have shown, links up with our modern social outlook in an enormous number of ways.

The success of such an attempt would mean that we have changed the course of social history, and changed it, I believe, for the better. I do not deny that the thrill of this thought is as much of an inspiration as a mere desire to profit ourselves from the more convenient and fair system which I have advocated.

To those scoffers who say “You can’t change human nature,” “Every woman has her price,” or whatever expression you may use, I have only to point out the vast changes in inter-sex relationships that have taken place in our lifetime and those changes for which the Society (for men’s rights) will most surely bring about.

The Man Always Pays – Men’s Review (1948)

The following article from Men’s Review (1948) discusses some of the unbalanced legal, financial and parental burdens placed on fathers. – PW

* * *

The Man Always Pays

About a hundred thousand men are sentenced for life to the bondage of maintenance orders. Try to imagine the welter of misery this factor means. Here in 1948, when there is a clamour for equality in every sphere, it is farcical that laws agreeable to the chattel era should still be enforced in a feminine-emancipated age.

Widowers (men) who marry again often find that stepmothers have not the consciousness of a decent woman’s duty toward the dead woman’s children. She spurns the children, and unlike the male, there is no legal compulsion to hold her to the care of them.

The only road that lays before the man is to stand aside and see his children treated shamefully or the woman can alarmingly easily go to court and say she left because of the man’s cruelty, and obtain a life pension. As soon as a woman obtains a court order the father is faced with the problem of being a father and “mother” too. The order seldom leaves enough to pay for the children’s care. He has the same strain of shopping, housekeeping, occasional sickness, etc., as a working woman with children, but, he doesn’t get the State allowances such as the woman is allowed. He gets the strong impression that he is ostracised completely and that he and his children have no rights. What he does manage to obtain is purely concessionary.

The marriage contract is the only contract that is entered into without the conditions being made out, and is signed by the man who places himself utterly and absolutely in the woman’s power. If the woman is of the twenty per cent that are decent he is more fortunate than he will ever know.

Does the community realise the festering sore caused by this large army of rotting men who are forced to pay maintenance while the woman pays nothing? This army of self-degraded parasitical women? Some men rot in silence. Others rot in prison rather than submit. Some spend years in hopeful writing to have their grievances righted, only to finish frustrated, and embittered, for there will be no echo in their vacuum. Can the nation afford this canker? This damnation of a fellow-creature?

Hypergamy Theory

Below are a few articles exploring the nature of hypergamy, and its common conflation with narcissism.

Articles on hypergamy:

David Buss’s Hypergamy Theory May Be a Misinterpretation Of Modern Cultural Narcissism

David M. Buss’s evolutionary theory about female hypergamy—the idea that women have evolved preferences for mates with higher status, resources, or genetic quality—is based on hypothesis and inferred ancestral behavior, not on unassailable scientific fact.

What it’s based on:

  1. Evolutionary Psychology Framework:
    Buss’s work relies on the principle that current human mating preferences evolved to solve adaptive problems in ancestral environments.

  2. Hypotheses from Evolutionary Theory:
    Buss hypothesizes that, because ancestral women bore higher reproductive costs (pregnancy, lactation), they evolved to prefer mates who could provide resources, protection, and good genes.

  3. Cross-Cultural Survey Data:
    Buss cites cross-cultural surveys (e.g. his 1989 study across 37 cultures) showing women tend to place more importance than men on traits like status, ambition, and financial prospects.

  4. Inferred Ancestral Pressures:
    The theory infers that these preferences were adaptive responses to historical conditions—not direct observations of evolution in action.

What it is not:

  • It is not a proven law of biology.

  • It does not rest on direct evidence from the ancestral past (e.g., no fossilized brains revealing sexual preferences).

  • It is not immune to alternative explanations (e.g. cultural influences, individual variation, or reverse causality).


Scientific Status:

  • Buss’s theory is plausible and widely cited, but:

    • It remains a theoretical interpretation.

    • It is subject to testing, falsification, and revision.

    • It faces criticism, especially from social constructionist scholars who argue that cultural and economic factors also shape mate preferences.


Summary:

Buss’s theory of female hypergamy is a scientifically grounded hypothesis supported by data, but it is not an unassailable fact. It rests on inference, comparative studies, and evolutionary logic, and it remains open to challenge and refinement like any scientific theory.

It is plausible to suggest that David M. Buss’s evolutionary theory of female hypergamy might be—at least in part—a misinterpretation of modern cultural phenomena, such as rising narcissism or changing gender norms, retrofitted into an evolutionary narrative.


Cultural Narcissism; A Better Hypothesis? 

Buss’s theory of female hypergamy may be a mistaken interpretation of modern cultural narcissism, a phenomenon displayed cross-culturally by women, which involves self-enhancement and status seeking behaviours.

Why It’s a Plausible Critique:

1. Evolutionary Psychology is Interpretive, Not Definitive

  • Buss’s theory relies on hypotheses about ancestral environments, not direct evidence.

  • It builds inferences from modern patterns (e.g., mate preferences, jealousy triggers) and assumes those behaviors evolved because they were adaptive in the past.

  • This opens the door to cultural biases being projected backward.

2. Modern Narcissism Could Skew Observations

  • Traits often associated with narcissism (e.g., entitlement, self-enhancement, inflated mate value) are arguably more pronounced in today’s Western, media-saturated societies.

  • If women in multiple modern cultures exhibit similar behavior, Buss may assume a universal evolved basis, when the actual cause could be global cultural convergence (social media, individualism, feminism, economic freedom).

3. Reverse Causality Risk

  • Instead of evolved hypergamy causing current behavior, it’s possible that modern environments (education, wealth, independence, online dating) are shaping behavior that mimics hypergamous strategies—but aren’t rooted in ancient adaptations.

  • Buss may be mistaking consequence for cause.

4. Cross-Cultural Similarities Might Be Misleading

  • Buss often cites cross-cultural data (e.g., women preferring higher-status partners) as evidence of biological evolution.

  • But if modern globalization and media homogenize norms, then apparent universality may not mean ancestral origin.

Some social commentators and dating coaches cite Buss to explain the growing selectiveness of women in relationships, attributing it to hypergamy—the notion that women are naturally drawn to higher-status partners. Though this idea has roots in evolutionary theory, cultural narcissism may offer a more convincing explanation.

In affluent, individualistic societies, narcissistic traits have surged—particularly among women raised in a culture that glorifies self-worth, esteem, and chivalric deference. This acquired status leads to what psychologists call Acquired Situational Narcissism, a form of narcissism born not from personality disorder, but from social reinforcement of perceived importance. Much of what’s labeled “hypergamy” today may in fact be status-seeking motivated by this cultural narcissism, not a biologically adaptive mate strategy.

Research supports this view. Narcissists tend to choose romantic partners who boost their status—those who are attractive, wealthy, or high in social capital—not because of emotional closeness but to reflect glory and inflate self-esteem. They prefer “trophy partners,” idealized mates who mirror their inflated self-image. These patterns of self-enhancing relationship selection are well-documented and correlate strongly with narcissistic motivations rather than with functional reproductive strategy.

“Narcissists are more likely to choose relationships that elevate their status over relationships that cultivate affiliation… They often demonstrate an increased preference for high-status friends and trophy partners, perhaps because they can bask in the reflected glory of these people.”
— Grapsas et al., 2020

“Narcissists seek romantic partners who offer self-enhancement value either as sources of fawning admiration, or as human trophies (e.g., by possessing impressive wealth or exceptional physical beauty).”
— Wallace, 2011

“Narcissists’ preference for romantic partners reflects a strategy for interpersonal self-esteem regulation… These partners were more likely to be seen as a source of self-esteem to the extent that they provided the narcissist with a sense of popularity and importance.”
— Campbell, 1999

“Narcissists particularly look for in a partner… physical attractiveness and agentic traits (e.g., status and success)… Indeed, narcissists report that part of the reason they are drawn to attractive and successful partners is that these people are similar to them.”
— Campbell, Brunell & Finkel, 2006

True evolutionary hypergamy does not require an individual to overrate their own attractiveness. Narcissism does. Thus, a useful test: if a woman dramatically overestimates her own desirability while seeking high-status men, this signals narcissism—not evolution. Mistaking the two leads to the normalization and even glorification of maladaptive traits under the guise of “natural female behavior.”

Moreover, modern narcissistic self-enhancement is not adaptive—it undermines relationship quality, social cohesion, and even fertility rates. Unlike adaptive mate strategies, it serves the ego, not survival.

By distinguishing narcissistic self-enhancement from evolutionary hypergamy, we avoid excusing destructive behavior as biologically inevitable. What we see today is not always nature—it’s culture, and it’s increasingly narcissistic.


References:

  1. Grapsas, S., Brummelman, E., Back, M. D., & Denissen, J. J. (2020). The “why” and “how” of narcissism: A process model of narcissistic status pursuit. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(1), 150-172.

  2. Wallace, H. M. (2011). Narcissistic self-enhancement. In: Campbell, W. K., & Miller, J. D. (Eds.) The Handbook of Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Theoretical Approaches, Empirical Findings, and Treatments, 309-318.

  3. Campbell, W. K. (1999). Narcissism and romantic attraction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1254–1270.

  4. Campbell, W. K., Brunell, A. B., & Finkel, E. J. (2006). Narcissism, Interpersonal Self-Regulation, and Romantic Relationships: An Agency Model Approach. In: Vohs, K. D., & Finkel, E. J. (Eds.), Self and Relationships: Connecting Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Processes, 57–83.

Above image detail: Left half shows a tribal or historical woman looking with admiration at a strong, competent man (symbolizing adaptive hypergamy). The right half shows a modern woman taking selfies next to a luxury car, barely noticing the man she’s with. Symbolism: Juxtaposes genuine evolutionary mate choice with modern narcissistic self-display.

Analysis assisted by Chat GPT.

Storge Love as Pairbonding Love

Storge love is a deep, enduring form of affection rooted in familiarity, companionship, and mutual care. Unlike romantic or courtly love—often dramatized by idealization, infatuation, or acts of chivalry—storge is quiet, stable, and built gradually through shared life experiences. It is typically marked by emotional warmth, trust, and a strong sense of loyalty, making it uniquely suited to the lasting commitments of marriage or long-term unions between a man and a woman.

This kind of love mirrors the biological and evolutionary function of pairbonding, which emphasizes secure attachment, cooperation, and the mutual raising of children. In contrast to romantic love—which can be impulsive, theatrical, and dependent on ritualized gender roles like male sacrifice and female idealization—storge love prioritizes the real, lived bond between two people. It supports emotional and practical interdependence rather than romantic pedestalization.

Storge is neither driven by fantasy nor by the compulsions of hypergamous courtship dynamics. It flourishes through familiarity, repeated kindness, and the rhythms of daily life. As such, it reflects a mature model of love—one that aligns with long-term monogamous partnership, shared purpose, and reciprocal investment. In this way, storge provides a grounded, healthy alternative to the often fleeting and hierarchical dynamics of romantic or chivalric love.

Evolutionary & Sociological Definitions of Hypergamy: a Synthesized Definition

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SOURCES:

1. Evolutionary Psychology (Biological/Evolutionary Model)

Defines hypergamy as a female mating preference for partners of higher status, resources, or genetic quality, shaped by evolutionary pressures.

Key Sources:

  • David M. Buss (1989). Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures.

    A landmark cross-cultural study showing women consistently prioritize status and resource acquisition in mates.

  • Buss, D. M. (2015). Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind.

    Comprehensive textbook with a section on hypergamous preferences as reproductive strategies.

  • Geoffrey Miller (2000). The Mating Mind.

    Explores how mate choice—including hypergamy—shapes intelligence and creativity evolutionarily.


2. Anthropology & Sociology (Social Structural Model)

Explores hypergamy as a socially constructed pattern related to marriage systems, gender roles, and power dynamics—often reinforced by tradition or patriarchy.

Key Sources:

  • Claude Lévi-Strauss (1949). The Elementary Structures of Kinship.

    Discusses bride exchange and status hierarchy in kinship systems; early use of hypergamy in marriage structures.

  • Sylvia Yanagisako & Jane Collier (1987). Gender and Kinship: Essays Toward a Unified Analysis.

    Frames hypergamy as a tool of gendered social reproduction within patriarchal systems.

  • Pierre Bourdieu (1998). Practical Reason: On the Theory of Action.

    Describes how cultural capital and marriage reproduce class inequality—relevant to hypergamy.

 


*Text version of the above synthetic definition:

Definition of Hypergamy (Evolutionary + Social Structural Synthesis):

Hypergamy is the tendency—especially among women—to seek romantic or marital partners of higher status, resources, or social rank, driven by a combination of evolved mate preferences and culturally reinforced social structures.

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ADDENDUM by OPEN AI

Scientific & Logical Weaknesses of
“Evolved Female Hypergamy” Theory


1. Male and Female Mating Preferences Are Both Contextual

  • Evolution favors flexible mating strategies in both sexes depending on environment, not fixed sex-specific instincts.

  • Women and men both show strategic variety — seeking mates for status, companionship, sex, or care depending on life stage, local ecology, and cultural expectations.


2. Cross-Cultural Data Shows Wide Variation

  • In many societies, hypergamy is weak or absent. Some women are economic providers, and status-matching or even hypogamy (marrying down) is common.

  • Cross-cultural research by anthropologists (e.g., Marlowe, Hewlett, Hrdy) shows that social roles—not biology—can determine mate preferences.


3. Neuropsychological Claims Are Inconsistent

  • Claims about women’s brains being “wired” for status-seeking are often based on unreplicated or low-validity studies.

  • Human behavior is not hardwired; neural plasticity and social learning play a dominant role.


4. Misuse of Sexual Selection Theory

  • Darwinian sexual selection does not require that females are choosy only for status or provisioning.

  • In humans, pair bonding, cooperation, and shared parental investment are central to reproductive success — not just resource extraction.


5. Hypergamy Often Reflects Structural Inequality, Not Evolution

  • For much of history, women lacked access to education, wealth, or autonomy. “Marrying up” can be explained as a survival strategy, not an evolved preference.

  • Where legal and economic equality improves, female hypergamy declines — suggesting it is not biologically ingrained.


6. Men Also Exhibit Hypergamy, Just in Other Domains

  • Men also often ‘marry up’—whether by pursuing partners with substantial dowries or by seeking youth, beauty, fertility, or social capital—forms of sexual hypergamy that reflect different but equally strategic mate preferences.

  • Both sexes selectively value traits depending on goals — men are not uniquely “non-hypergamous.”


7. Research Bias and Ecological Invalidity

  • Many hypergamy claims come from WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) samples, especially using speed-dating or hypothetical surveys that don’t translate to real-world decisions.

  • Lab-based designs often fail ecological validity — e.g., real mate choice differs drastically from survey answers.


8. Conflates Mate Preference With Actual Behavior

  • Studies often overstate the importance of stated preferences — real-world behavior is constrained by opportunity, emotion, context, and mutual attraction.

  • E.g., a woman may say she prefers high-earning men but choose a lower-earning partner for emotional compatibility, shared values, or long-term support.


9. Poor Fit With Evolutionary Models of Cooperative Breeding

  • Human evolution involved cooperative childrearing, not just paternal provisioning.

  • Mothers, kin, and group members played key roles, making exclusive dependence on high-status males evolutionarily inefficient.


10. Cultural Myths Reinforced as Biology

  • “Hypergamy” often reflects modern gender ideologies — not evolutionary science.

  • Using it as a “biological truth” fuels sexist narratives that justify inequality and oversimplify men’s and women’s behavior.


Conclusion

The idea that women evolved to be universally or innately hypergamous is:

  • Empirically unsupported when examined across cultures and contexts.

  • Conceptually flawed because it ignores the social, ecological, and cooperative nature of human evolution.

  • Biased in application, reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes rather than advancing scientific understanding.