[Jon1000]

I don't think I made a slick attempt to avoid the main topic of the thread. First off, that wasn't even my goal. I was talking to you. You specifically responded to micro's most-guys-can-get-most-girls-regardless-of-money statement by writing, "It's nice to see that someone feels this way, but it's clear you simply haven't been in many situations in which money matters or are for some reason unable to picture them, not that money doesn't matter, and sometimes matter a lot." I didn't grasp what your last two phrases meant, but it appears that you are saying that money matters a lot specifically with regard to picking up women.

As to you poo-pooing my life experience. You may be right. I am a year out of college and probably a fair bit younger than you. Having said that, I 've attended elitist preppy schools for my entire life and do not come from a wealthy family. So, in terms of being surrounded by people with far more money than me in social settings, I would be surprised if you had as consistent or concentrated an experience as myself. I assure you that I approach women and was not being disingenuous when stating that I don't think money matters as much as you make it out to. Although, it appears that the majority of your second paragraph was more of a gibe at me than a series of serious thoughts.

As I previously posted, I did think some injustice took place when fluff's initial post was met w/ someone calling all women idiots based on her cursory response to a topic which is heavily avoided in most social settings. You seemed to agree, "Yup, this is a taboo subject, and its discussion can be pretty easily socially punished. There's a good amount of fear around honesty of this type." So you openly write that it's an incredibly difficult topic to talk about for the great majority of women, yet expect the sole woman responding to the thread to be completely honest about all the underlying socially ingrained reasons behind a particular action which she may not have throughly poured over herself b/c hey, "[t]his is a forum, not life." That does seem a bit unrealistic, does it not? Again, I'm not sure how I stepped so far out of line.

You did insinuate she was being dishonest, actually almost immediately. "Security is long-term. Being able to party and buy you stuff is short-term. I doubt women get the two mixed up very often, or that everything they do, especially at very young ages, is all about the security. Or even much of it at all." So, I suppose I should take back the "completely" adjective and the "say/insinuate" word choice because this is pretty clearly insinuation that she is dishonest. In writing my post, I used "say/insinuate" b/c I knew some posters had railed against the statement explicitly and some through insinuation. I did not go back to specifically check on you. You are one of the latter. Apologies.

After this, your rant deteriorates further to the point where it is difficult to respond to without reducing myself to name calling. However, you do seem to take it as a personal affront that I would defend a women who should be able to think for herself. If anyone goes too far, I think it is you in this instance, "And this from the white knight on horseback coming to rescue the damsel in distress? Perhaps you should give the objects of your protection more credit. Or do you believe it is actually impossible for such silly little creatures to do such unfeminine things as either think or be honest? Such frail creatures surely cannot survive without our nearly divine, somewhat hairy intervention, right?" I was suggesting nothing of the sort, and I feel as though that was quite obvious, but on the off chance you were serious, I do think that she was being honest about a hard topic and have written that repeatedly. I find it somewhat galling that you choose to debate me by telling me I don't think women can do "such unfeminine things as either think or be honest," because much of what I was trying to say was that the subject is incredibly difficult to discuss (which you previously agreed to), there is one responder, and you and many others are being abrasive first and facilitating discussion second (I use the word second loosely).

Perhaps I am guilty of responding more to the spirit of your arguments and feelings behind them more than to specific words in some instances, but re-reading the thread, I certainly do not feel as though I'm that far off the mark addressing the general bitterness and unrealistic weight some place on money. goodnight for now