“Now if you are a rich, powerful older bloke, having a young thingy
on your arm is rather common. Not so for the average non rich,
non powerful bloke.”

"Rather common?" Is that so Yabby? Now please advise how many of the richest people in Australia have “ a young thingy on their arm.” There’s a good boy. Oh and this exercise could help keep you away from the Fantasy Land in which you dwell - Hugh Hefner and the Playboy bunnies eh?:

• Harry Triguboff
• John Gandel
• Andrew Forrest
• Anthony Pratt
• Gina Rinehart
• Kerr Neilson
• Kerry Stokes
• Lindsay Fox
• James Packer
• Frank Lowy
Blair Parry-Okede

Dickie dear, your list is rather meaningless, in that it contains a
number of younger blokes and a woman! Perhaps the argument is
going over your head.

As a matter of interest, Paul Hogan, Rupert Murdock, Mel Gibson,
Bob Hawke, all took younger wives. Gerry Harvey, Bill Wiley, Kerry
Stokes, John Singleton all have/had younger wives.

In fact my point is quite well made by David Buss in his
"Evolutionary Psychology", in quite some detail. I note that he
has published a few pages of it on the net.

http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/Homepage/Group/BussLAB/pdffiles/Human%20Mating%20Strategies.pdf

As to the role of mistresses, well check your history. They have
been as common as chips, for all those who could afford them,
including kings, politicians, even a pope!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistress_(lover)

So clearly across cultures, women tend to be attracted by status
and resources, men by youth and fertility. But read what Buss
has to say on the subject for yourself.

From Yabby’s link:“In summary, the relative investment of the two sexes drives the operative components of sexual selection, with the high investing sex being selected to be the most discriminating and the lower investing sex being selected to be the most competitive with members of their own sex.”

So the males fight to be selected by females. I like it.

I think Foxy awhile ago posted something about “parental investment”.

But Yabby that is all too simple when talking about the Bosca & Bint situation aye. It seems a few people think that he was the one with more choice and obviously more responsibility for a choice made for himself, his family and the people he worked with.

I was possibly one of them but now I’m waiting to see which way the conversation goes.

Yabby

Good grief man nobody is say that it isn't happening. You really do need to read a little more thoughtfully. You miss read the question that set you off and you continually pick statements out of context But that aside.
All everyone is saying is that there are a host of other reasons why a woman might be attracted to a male (regardless of the ages of the involved).

The primacy you give to 'animal instincts' can't be proven as being the only or even the main reason.
What I've read of the article says these are tendencies NOT absolutes.
When will you finally acknowledge that in the discipline of your interest there are 'apparent' indicators but NEVER is there any reference to IMMUTABILITY as in a LAW.

Generalities and stats on which most papers are based on don't show squat about specific INDIVIDUAL. Therefore your assertions to answering the “why?' regarding this or any specific situation is not really the issue.
At best it is a SINGULAR FACTOR IN A COMPLEX CONCOCTION that make people do what they do .

No one can know Kate's motives were/are without more information and the level of importance your 'animal instincts' played without testing.
Frankly we've thrashed this to death and I'm bored with it . Your obsession/instant answers for ALL human behaviour is your problem.

Dear Yabby,

The scenario of the older men dating a younger
woman has been around for years and will likely
never die. However wealthy men aren't stupid.
They know when they're being played - and it
may suit them for a time. However, I imagine that
their preference would be for another
set of women who truly enjoy the company of the older
man. These are the women who
respect the qualities the older man possesses -
qualities that enabled the older man to
have achieved and reached his position of power and
money - and its these relationships that develop into
long-term relationships that usually work.

It's not only older men that are dating and marrying
younger partners. Women are doing it as well.
For example -

Demi Moore - 40
Ashton Kutcher - 25

Deborah Lee Furness - 43
Hugh Jackman - 34

Cameron Diaz - 31
Justin Timberlake - 22

Madonna - 44
Guy Ritchie - 34

Joan Collins - 69
Percy Gibson - 36

Susan Sarandon - 56
Tim Robbins - 41

Goldie Hawn - 57
Kurt Russell - 50

Naomi Watts - 35
Had an affair with Heath Ledger - 24

Carrie Fisher - 46
Had an affair with a 23 year old

Sharon Stone is fifteen years older
then her current lover - Adrien Brody

As I said earlier - it's all a matter of personal
choice - for both males and females.

Perhaps DB's resignation had nothing to do with his affair and was a convenient out. I guess further inquiry will tell.

Yabby
Like Foxy I am not saying your scenario does not happen. I just don't paint it as the norm - even for powerful men with money.

I am not totally knocking your biological determinism outlook as a whole as I subscribe to it to some extent. Humans are able, with our larger brains, to invent, learn and thus evolve. What constitutes 'the norm' varies across cultures. This suggests it is not all biology but other factors at play. I do hate it when some people use the biological argument to excuse bad behaviour such as affairs, as though we also do not have the capacity to make value judgements. My Biology made me do it.

I would also hate to see men and women become so inextricably identical but for our physiology - genitals. Call me old fashioned, but I think like all animal species, humans are biological beings and there are two different genders. We may have a higher brain function but there is no comfort for me in the thought of morphing of gender. This is not the same as gender equality issues when it comes to work and family although it is probably naive not to expect it influences our behaviour - especially on OLO on gender issues.

I keep thinking I am not expressing myself as well as I would like but nevertheless.