Bear in mind that I've had some alcohol tonight so there may well be some in my system right now.

​

After some thought, and considering various comments seen here by others, we can conclude that there are distinct differences between men and women about how we view sex. For most women, it's the final act signifying complete trust, comfort, and sexual attraction to another person. For men, it's an act that signifies the beginning of a contractual bond between a man and a woman, whereby once that act is performed and bond is made, more can be invested into potentially growing this bond.

Neither is complimentary nor collaborative with the other. It benefits women that they would be able to receive all of the benefits of a partner, a friend, whatever the case may be, without performing the final act and giving all of themselves to this person. It does not benefit men at all to give up immaterial resources like time, energy and thoughts devoted to a woman when they have not even made the initial bond of having sex with them. Likewise, it does not benefit women at all to give up sex at the beginning of a relationship when there's no guarantee that they will receive any material or immaterial resources from men afterward.

From this perspective, it seems the sexual climate between men and women is that of a dystopia where the only rules are "every man/woman for themselves." If men can get sex from women from the start without having to invest heavily without any guarantee of receiving it down the road, it's more to their benefit to do so, while if women can extract resources (time, money, energy, food, etc.) without having sex with a man, they have every incentive to do so.

I say this as someone who doesn't seem to be on the same wavelength as everyone else. As a man, I'm slow to develop an interest in others and when I'm finally able to express that interest, the interest from women has long since faded. I've been talking to a younger woman (19) over the past 3 weeks and she has confirmed to me the same nonsensical order that relationships appear to flow in. Common sense would say that relationships should follow this order:

Meet > get to know each other on a deeper level > develop interest > sexual relationship.

when it seems to look more like this:

Meet > develop interest > sexual relationship > get to know each other on a deeper level.

​

The first one resembles women's idealized path, while the second resembles more of a men's idealized path (for LTRs).

Are men and women doomed to be at odds for most relationships and only hope that things eventually work out the way each wanted it to?

Discuss.