"why women want love and why men want sex"
 

I was in the store the other day, and noted a book of the above title being sold.

I didnt buy it, but it struck me that this really is a common stereotype, and one I myself dont see much truth in.

Not trying to brag, but in my life I have known girls who enjoyed sex fully, and would iniate it even.

I myself dont consider myself less of a man because I am capable of loving someone or having my feelings hurt.

_

Why does this whole stereotype still hold such a strong grip on popular culture?

With all due respect, my own personal experience has been the polar opposite of yours- so I don't see that book title as anything other than something I've run across for years. Therefore, I wouldn't pick up the book, because it's telling me something I already know.

I don't see it as a stereotype. :)

Stereotypes are myths. People embrace different ones. Some refuse to entertain other ideas through laziness or ignorance. We all want love, Strange Famous. Many of us want sex. I think most of us want to be who we are without fear. You're not going to stop making gay jokes at work, right? Neither am I, though mine have a different bent. I tend to disregard the hate & therefore feel a lot more love.

It made you interested in the book, didn't it?

Intrigue sells well. Shock/disgust sells better.

Women are idealists; men are practical.

Clearly.

Stereotypes do not merit trust, but also do not emerge fully formed from a vacuum.

This woman is pragmatic to a fault. Especially regarding her own self interest. She wants love and loves sex.:) For any reasonably attractive woman sex is very easy to find.
Love is less often on offer.

Lindy

I want it all, bitches.
And I shall have it.

Niner's right... it's all about selling books. Life is built on stereotypes... it's how we organize our knowledge of the universe. Some people are right and some are wrong. It is easier to take an experience and, after it happens a few times, generalize it right on down the road. Much harder to change it or challenge it later.

same reason why men like hamburgers and women like chicken sandwiches.
duh.

Only Crackers eat mayo. Asians are bad drivers. Negroes love sneakers.

...

Delving into the actual thread topic itself:

It can be argued that the idea that men are motivated by sex and women are motivated by love has biological roots.

As far as the species is concerned, men need to bang as many women as possible but women need to only allow those with X-Y-Z traits to bang them.

That's how it is for most species. I recall sitting in 7th grade biology class learning how even microscopic organisms could be picky.

/obvious crap that contributes nothing to this thread

More /octcnttt:

Many men want love as much or more than they want sex. Our species' having so entwined the two is the basis of the author's confusion.

I want both, but not always at the same time.

Sometimes it ain't easy being from Mars.

"Higamous Hogamous, women are monogamous
Hogamous Higamous, men are polygamous"

A silly bit of doggerel with a kernel of truth as deep as the roots of sexuality. And it is noteworthy that this bit of doggerel not only is true for "women are monogamous" - it is also true for "men are monogamous". Which means as much as you want it to mean.

In other words, a universal statement about a topic as deeply convoluted and heavily filtered through our human brains and our silly social structures as sexuality is worth exactly as much as you want it to be worth. Just don't apply your value system to the person standing beside you, that's all.

Men and women are different in mind and body. Simple as that. We all want to feel love for sure, sex is unrelated to love most of the time. hmm... will most of the time.

Or a penis from Venus.

12 eggs per year vs. billions of sperm. I wouldn’t say that was a stereotype. Implantation and gestation of an egg requires comfort and care. It takes time and patience to grow. The product of this will be completely incapable of caring for itself; thus the female must hang around, feeding and caring for it so it will eventually thrive on its own. This skill, is a learned one and must be taught. Teaching how to live in the world takes a long-ass time, we’ll say, hummm, 18 years, maybe??? Yes, at LEAST that.

The human incubator doesn’t have the biological luxury of banging someone and then moving onto another casual tryst without a trail of incompetent tag-a-longs begging for help, wiping their noses.

It sure would be handy, however, if you stuck around to do the goddamn dishes. Did I mention, that I loved you????

Have you ever noticed an elderly couple just sitting on a bench, content with each others company, probably holding hands? I think, as twilight gathers, what people want is companionship and mutual trust. When you are 90 and look back, sex will seem such a small part of the tapestry that makes your past. I did meet one elderly gent who said his ideal death would be to die in bed aged 104, shot by a jealous husband.

creating pigeonholes and compartments through stereotyping perpetuates the illusion that we understand the universe that much more and are that much more safe from all the chaos. it's a comforting illusion and that's what the book title is preying on.