I've seen a lot of scholarly MGTOW resources talking about hypergamy and how it is basically a woman seeking a man of higher status in some capacity. I checked around online but I don't think wikipedia accurately captures the meaning as I understand it. I'm going to post it below to see if anyone thinks there might be anything else to add.

 

What is hypergamy?

Hypergamy is the social phenonmenon by which human females determine desirable mates. Women do not "date down" as in attaching herself sexually to a man who would lower her social standing.

 

How is social standing determined?

Social standing is determined by comparing the relative access and control a woman has over power. Power (also known as agency) can take several forms and each woman values certain aspects differently. The most generalized forms of power can be reduced to 4 categories:

  • Physical

  • Financial

  • Social

  • Emotional

 

Physical

Examples of traits which project physical power are:

  • Muscular body

  • Facial Symmetry

  • Large (average build or taller)

  • Broad shoulders

A woman will recognize the physical power of a man if he meets one or more of the traits above. Physical power to a woman means dominance, something that men recognize as well. A physically powerful man will be able to defend her from threats and exert dominance over other men.

 

Financial

A woman will recognize financial power if a man signals his wealth (expensive clothing, jewellry, cars, a large house, etc). Wealth means a surplus of resources which a man can use to provide for her and her children.

 

Social

Possibly the most complex, social power can be determined in a number of ways. Some examples include:

  • Fame. Celebrities are well recognized and being a household name is the epitome of being famous.

  • Respect from others. If a man is seen to be treated with respect by those around him, it shows that he has a certain amount of authority and dominance granted to him.

  • Popular desire. If a man is desired by several women, he is seen as being of higher value and thus also valued higher by other women.

  • Command & Authority. If a man can cause other people to carry out his wishes by doing nothing more than speaking (or less) then he is seen as holding a position of dominance over those people. Those people and their capablities are then seen as resources by women and, if they could only be attached to that man, they would become her resources by proxy.

  • Intelligence. If a man is highly-educated he is seen as having value due to accomplishing something difficult (especially in the law or medical fields where the education takes so long to achieve). This is also a power trait because an intelligent man has much more earning potential over an uneducated man. Trade skills in a labor-based job are an intelligence skillset, but are usually less preferred when compared to other occupations where other men work for you rather than a man working for himself.

 

Emotional

Another complex form of power, this too may take many forms:

  • A man holds emotional power by being stoic and in control of his emotions, which is recognized by women as a strength in times of adversity. He will have the strength and will to act on her behalf in dangerous or uncertain situations.

  • A man may also hold emotional power if he enables the woman feel strong emotions (about herself, her situation, or the world around her).

  • Women want a man who listens to her because they want to feel important. If an important and powerful man is taking time to stop what he is doing and listen to her, then surely she must be powerful herself!

  • Women can also feel powerful by being with men who are easily manipulated. This is where decades of verbal abuse and shaming of men is of benefit to a woman who is unhappy with her own conditions and choices.