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3MM: Body Positivity, Penises & Conservatives
3 MINUTE MONDAYHi friend, I'm back on the road. LA for a full week of episodes then playing The Regent Theater this Saturday - I can't wait to see you there! All my live shows are sold out except for Boston, Denver & Chicago now. The Rivalry Theory Of Body Positivity. TLDR: Female support for body positivity is at least in-part fuelled deep down by female intrasexual competition, which pushes other women out of the dating pool by discouraging them from losing weight. This was originally inspired by a Bill Burr bit from his Netflix Special… “You guys are so into destroying each other.
I see all that sneaky shit you do.
Ladies, if you could just support the WNBA the way you support a fat chick who’s proud of her body and no longer a threat to you, that league would be doing better numbers than the NBA.
‘Oh my god you’re a goddess, you’re gorgeous, you look great in that bikini, I’d kill myself if I looked like that, keep eating, keep eating, lose a toe you fat bitch.’
It’s like if you saw an alcoholic...
‘Oh my god you’re face down passed out, your kids are crying, you’re a hero, you’re a god, keep doing what you’re doing.’”
Do I have anything more well-grounded than a comedy bit? Kind of… “A recent study published in Personality and Individual Differences found that women who are high in intrasexual competitiveness are more likely to advise women who they perceive as a potential mating threat to cut off more hair, potentially in an attempt to sabotage their attractiveness.
The researchers studied 450 women who were presented with hypothetical salon clients.
Participants were asked to recommend the amount of hair to be cut off for each client.
Women who reported higher levels of intrasexual competitiveness were more likely to recommend that clients have more hair cut off when the hair was in good condition, and clients expressed a preference for minimal cutting.
The reason behind this recommendation might be to subtly manipulate the appearance of their rivals.
Longer hair is a cue to youth and health.
By advising more extensive haircuts, these women could potentially diminish the physical attractiveness of other women.
Another finding is that women advised clients of similar attractiveness as themselves to cut off the most hair.
In this scenario, participants effectively targeted women they perceived as being on the same attractiveness level as themselves.
This suggests a form of competitive behaviour known as horizontal competition, which occurs when individuals compete with others of similar attributes or qualities.
The choice to focus on women of similar attractiveness may be strategic.
Highly attractive individuals may not pose a significant mating threat to others because they likely have access to high-quality mates already.
On the other hand, targeting less attractive individuals might not yield the desired results, as their physical appearance may not be easily harmed through hairstyle changes.” — h/t PsyPost
Why do I think this relates to the body positivity movement? Because the parallels here seem pretty obvious PLUS you get social renown for standing up for a mistreated group. Is this the entire motivation of female support for body-positivity? Absolutely not. But I think it would be naive to say that it doesn't contribute at all. Also, isn't it strange that very few people have ever said "In solidarity with The Body Positivity Community, I have decided to gain 60lbs"? You'd think that if weight had no baring on attractiveness or health, people who are supporters of body positivity might actively choose to join it, regardless of whether they are thin right now. I imagine this is going to be an unpopular idea. It's uncomfortable to realise that what we think are altruistic compulsions might have a selfish undercurrent. But intrasexual competition is a very powerful motivator. Anyway, it’s just an idea, however I definitely think there’s something here. *caveat caveat caveat - no not everyone is driven exclusively by selfish aims, yes you can actually just care about other people without having a personal motivation, no I’m not shaming people who are confident in their body or who encourage their friends to be either. MODERN WISDOMI do a podcast where I pretend to have a British accent. This week’s upcoming episodes: Monday. Thursday. Saturday. THINGS I'VE LEARNED1. A new Vietnamese study found that men who were obese as children had significantly shorter penises as adults compared to those who weren’t. Researchers at Hanoi Medical University Hospital examined 290 men and found the average stretched length was 14.4 cm (5.7 in) and flaccid length 8.9 cm (3.5 in). Those who had a normal weight at age 10 had notably longer lengths across all measures. Meanwhile, men who were obese as children showed an average reduction of about 1–1.5 cm (roughly half an inch) in both flaccid and stretched length. Interestingly, current adult BMI didn’t correlate with penis size at all, only childhood obesity did. Adult obesity mainly affected appearance, not actual size, since higher waist fat can make the penis appear shorter. In short: childhood obesity may permanently stunt penile growth, while adult obesity just hides it. The takeaway? Healthy habits before puberty might add more than just years to your life. 2. The assumption that birth rates are falling across society in general is not really true. People who identify as conservative are having almost as many children as they were decades ago. The decline is overwhelmingly among those on the progressive left. 3. “The Instagram generation experiences the present moment as an anticipated memory.” — Daniel Kahneman, h/t Gurwinder Bhogal LIFE HACKOwala Bottles. These things are so good. Insulated, perfect size, there’s some special magic straw that allows you to sip and pour from the same spout. Most importantly, it doesn’t have a stupid handle like Stanley Cups. Not affiliated. I’m just an Owala supremacist. Big love, Try my productivity drink Neutonic. PS |
3 Minute Monday
Podcaster with 1bn+ plays. I write about the most important lessons from the best thinkers on the planet. 300,000+ people read my free newsletter. Press subscribe to join.
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