First off, you are entitled to your opinion and I respect that. However, I have seen relationships from several different angles since I have a wide circle of friends that I actually see in person. People from different countries (Nicaragua, Thailand, Nigeria, Germany, Mexico, Canada, the UK, Greece, Japan, etc.) I have more slightly more male than female friends.

I have met and known women who were definitely looking to get whatever material benefits they could from men. (I didn't consider them, or the men they dated to be friends, but I did have some acquaintances like this.)

The woman will put in a lot of time and hard work to be a perfect physical specimen and then she seeks what she considers her male equal - a rich man. The men in this transaction have worked hard to get rich and want arm candy. Neither side actually loves or cares for the other the way I perceive love.

I've also seen gay and lesbian couples that follow this dynamic. Usually one partner is older and has the comfortable home, the vacation villa, etc., and the other is 15-20 years younger and physically attractive.

I have also seen married couples (both gay and straight) which are truly loving and emotionally intimate.

I have seen women visit their husband every day in the hospital, and men do the same for their wives. I have known women who are very supportive of their partners, and also men who were the same way.

It's not about male/female. There are absolute jerks in both genders, and wonderful, caring people in both genders.

However, when the person is an absolute sh*t, the genders tend to have different styles of sh*ttiness. Men have more of a direct, obvious sh*ttiness, like a broadsword. Women are more subtle and indirect - like a stiletto.

I had a guy friend once who was dating a woman who I knew was using him. I asked him why he didn't break up and move on. I knew there were at least a couple of truly decent women who were not users. So why didn't he give one of them a shot?

"You don't understand!" he said. "The sex is SO good."

I also recently met a woman who is, frankly, not attractive. She is overweight and has a plain face. But she is a genuine person. Honest, loving, emotionally caring. She is getting married next month and I think her husband and family will be very lucky to have her, because when it comes to love - what is inside is what matters. Money and physical beauty are just not important. The emotional, intellectual, and spiritual connection are more important.