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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   4345 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for December 4, 2022

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

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Are there studies that look at inter-generational reproduction fitness of behaviors deemed “high time preference”?

I find myself disagreeing with the time preference behavioral psychology model. A common example is a guy who goes into debt to finance a car, that such a behavior shows he overvalues the present. This ignores two huge longterm interests: securing confidence and securing a mate. If going into debt for a purchase increases your status and thus your self-confidence and general social engagement then it has a significant longterm effect on your health, relationships and income. More importantly, the model ignores that women love appearances, and that a primary motive for most men is finding a partner. Going into debt to secure a valuable appearance-status item may be the exact right decision for longterm happiness if it promotes a more attractive mate acquired younger, or a more reinforcing social environment among peers. Many men would choose a hotter wife and more kids with the cost of crippling debt versus less hot wife and fewer kids with a million in the bank, and in any case biologically the former is the correct decision.

I don't think that purchasing luxury goods on credit is a very sensible way to boost your self-confidence, and if you're the kind of person who places enough importance on luxury goods to go into debt to get them, I don't think you're set for success.

Many men would choose a hotter wife and more kids with the cost of crippling debt

Is your hot wife going to stick around with you long enough to have kids once she realizes that you're financially irresponsible, especially if she chose you in the first place because she was impressed by your wealth?

This is probably something that differs by class or race. IE lower socio economic folks care more about being flashy / appear “not broke”. Whereas you cant really fool higher class folks (in the “i drive a BMW and have a shiny (fake) watch so im obviously rich” sense - ppl know better)

There’s certainly cases where it makes sense to buy a more expensive car(like a Tesla, BMW, Audi, and the like), I just don’t think that’s how you get a wife.

I think your general point is fine, but the specific example of financing a car to attract women contradicts what I see around me and have experienced. Moderately expensive cars seem much more effective at signaling status to men than attracting long-term female partners. Sure, if you can buy a Lamborghini or something, that's going to get some attention, but I have never seen a decent woman care much about some mediocre 3 series BMW and most care even less about things like modded WRXs.

Women know jackshit about cars. Which isn't exactly a secret.

Not all women, but some are aware that Lexus,BMW, Mercs are "good".

If one wants to impress on a budget then a used Lexus is the best choice. They go for very cheap but have all the markers of an "expensive" car. 2009 ES350s are around 5k USD.

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