Have any of you Divorced Over 50 women ever said something along the lines of, “There just aren’t any great guys out there for me to date”?
Or, if you haven’t actually said it, have you thought it? It seems like a pretty widespread sentiment — the kind of thing you hear a lot. The real problem, though, is that when a woman accepts that belief and throws in the towel, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Instead, what if she flipped the script and took control of the situation?
This article from the British site High 50 basically says, “You know what, ladies, the odds are against you. So do something about it!”
The piece focuses on the book Date-onomics: How Dating Became a Lopsided Numbers Game, by author Jon Birger. Birger argues that dating truly is more difficult for women because they outnumber men. That means not only are there fewer men available, but that the ones who are consider themselves “in demand,” so they resist making a commitment.
Then how do you beat the odds? Some of Birger’s suggestions include:
- Be assertive — don’t sit back and hope Mr. Right will come after you; if you see someone who interests you, make a move
- Leave your comfort zone — get involved in a group, take up a hobby; get out there.
- Redefine desirable — be open to dating someone less educated and/or from a lower socio-economic background.
- Change careers or locations — okay, probably don’t want to do this only to find more dates, but if you were thinking about it anyway, it might be added incentive.
- Get a pet — the dog park is a great place to naturally, and easily, meet new men.
The bottom line is, the shortage of men is real, but rather than lament it, accept the facts and take some steps to overcome it!