I didn't get married until I was 40. I wasn't anxious to get married and I was determined that if I did, it would be for life; divorce is just not for me. Consequently, I decided I would only walk down the aisle if the girl was perfect. And by "perfect" I don't mean completely without failings. I mean that everything that is important in a relationship, she does correctly or properly. Well, I didn't stumble into such a character until I was 36. Because I didn't get married until I was middle-aged (certainly not because I am such a prize; I'm not), I went out with a whole bunch of different females. My observations were this: Some of them were great and almost every woman has at least one or two things about her that makes her somewhat attractive or desireable. But every woman I had met prior to my wife had at least one glaring failing. Sometimes it was financial irresponsibility. Other times it was emotional self-indulgence/self-absorption/shallowness. But among middle class American females (of whom I dated a whole bunch), easily the most common problem was they just didn't know when to shut up. I speak for the purpose of communicating information. This was only one component/utility/purpose for speech with any number of women I had the pleasure of dating, however. For them, speech could equally be a weapon, means of emotional release, active part of the thought process and general balm for life's problems. And for a good number, talking was a sort of "miracle drug" which they would apply liberally to all situations they deemed worthy ... whether you asked them to put a sock in it or not! I very specifically remember this young woman I was involved with about 10 years ago. Almost like clockwork, every three or four weeks she would make the pronouncement "Sam, we need to talk." She would then sit me down, gather my attention and proceed to launch into some diatribe about the most irrelevant matters on the periphery of concerns. After this went on for a few months, I noted to her "Every time you interrupt what I am doing with one of your 'We need to talk' speeches, I have noticed that you are invariably wrong in your estimation of the situation." Needless to say, my evaluation was not received well. My point: I see women knock themselves out to lose weight, wear fashionable clothes, obtain attractive make-up and hair styles, and even purchase slinky lingerie to increase their appeal. You're wasting your time. I know. I've been there. Cook a little something every now and then and give a man some peace and your attractiveness to many men of substance will increase exponentially.