Steven Levitt has a great post today on the economics of gold digging (link). Basically there is a letter that was posted on craig’s list from a woman looking for a man who makes at least $500K a year. In response a high salaried man about the differences in the assets (looks and money_ the two couple bring to the table: “your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity.”
I also like Dr. Levitt’s final aside that economists tend to marry well. I agree with this assertion from my sample of 1. A couple reasons economists might marry well is that they are in a male dominated field, in graduate school, but are in a social science so they might interact with other fields that have more women (sociology and anthropology). Perhaps household models and game theory also help in being a good spouse.
Or maybe we are better looking than other fields.
2 comments:
Your Dad is an economist. If you don't count him as happily married and state your n is in fact 2, then I will be in trouble with your mother!
Dad
that's funny, ben and i spent a long time talking about this post over beers the other night.
i guess it makes me happy to think that men are thinking more in the long term... as long as the craigslist responder was not suggesting a serious of meaningless "leases".
i'm still terrified of all the second marriages successful men tend to have - does this have something to do with men keeping their looks (sometimes even getting mroe attractive) much longer than women? or is it all money and success based? or is it because their first wife has spent years with no career/goals and therefore does not have much value outside of her appearance?
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