Monday, October 8, 2007

What Am I Doing Wrong?

So umm….. here is a post from Craig’s List in New York

What am I doing wrong?

Okay, I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I'm articulate and classy. I'm not from New York. I'm looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City, so I don't think I'm overreaching at all.

Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around 200 - 250. But that's where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000 won't get me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she's not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I get to her level?

Here are my questions specifically:

- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars, restaurants, gyms

-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won't hurt my feelings

-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I'm 25)?

- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east side so plain? I've seen really 'plain jane' boring types who have nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I've seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What's the story there?

- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?

- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY

Please hold your insults - I'm putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being up frontabout it. I wouldn't be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn't able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice home and hearth.

PostingID: 432279810

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I thought this was quite funny. The girl is obviously pretty shallow and has a pretty high standard of living. She is more interested in the money than the guy, that is obvious. However, then I saw the rest of the email. A guy posted a response to her and I thought it was VERY insightful. Here it is:

THE ANSWER

Dear Pers-431649184:

I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament. Firstly, I'm not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here's how I see it.

Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a crappy business deal. Here's why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, your looks will fade and my money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won't be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation accelerates! Let me explain, you're 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!

So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn't make good business sense to "buy you" (which is what you're asking) so I'd rather lease. In case you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It's as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.

Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as "articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful" as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K hasn't found you, if not only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn't need to have this difficult conversation.

With all that said, I must say you're going about it the right way. Classic "pump and dump." I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of lease, let me know.


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What a great answer! He is so right. Beauty will fade. That is why we are not supposed to chase after the hottest girls or the guys with the biggest biceps. Those looks will fade and, if we chased after hot shallow people, we will be left with simply shallow people that aren’t much fun to be married to.

It seems to me that scripture says to be careful about who you hang out with. Once again, the secular world is seeing how scripture has revealed for millennia the right way to live… we just need to open the book and see what God has already planned for us.

2 comments:

Helen said...

Haha! That is amusing! Although didn't figure in the "hearth warming" skills. That could save him money on a housekeeper, at least.

Jennifer Nedbalek said...

That was pretty funny. What's really funny is that people will actually do that.

And I agree, that it is true that beauty fades. That is, the outer beauty. That's why, while everyone is, of course, attracted to the "hot" guys and girls, it truly is what is on the inside that counts. A friend of mine from work has a quote that fits the bill, at least sort of that, that it's not a matter of loving a "perfect" person, but coming to see an "imperfect person" perfectly. To me, beauty is the same way. Everyone has something about someone's looks that attract them, but its the way the person acts on the inside that makes that person appear beautiful to the person in question.

This got reallly long, but it helped me explain my feelings :)