A lot of good points in the comments section. My definition of a jerk in this case is a man that disrespects a woman... and yes it goes the other way too.
Self-confidence is sexy... I really don't care so much of what a person looks like as much as their inner qualities and how they carry themselves. People who are happy and successful in life also tend to have a good level of self-confidence and self-esteem. If this is what is considered to be a "jerk", then yes it's not very hard to see why men and women would be attracted to these types. However, self-confidence does NOT mean a big-ego; or a nasty, manipulative, and abusive personality. To me those are the real jerks.
Also being self confident does not mean that a man can't be "nice" to a woman and sensitive to her feelings. What it DOES mean is that the man sets healthy boundaries for himself and doesn't tolerate someone stepping over those boundaries w/o good reason.
PUBLIC OPINION > Women Are More Attracted to Jerks
SodaHead Living
2012/05/21 13:00:00
You know the old addage, "Nice guys finish last." Well, the converse is also said to be true... "Jerks finish first." Especially when it comes to love. (Or at least illusory love.) We don't need to present you with "recent studies" to convince you that jerks often come out ahead with the ladies. From imaginary a-holes (James Bond, Don Draper) to real-life reprobates (Charlie Sheen, Jesse James), it seems like the odds are stacked in their favor. We asked the public if it was true.
Unfortunately for you sweethearts out there, most people feel that women are, in fact, attracted to a-holes. Why is that? There could be a variety of reasons. Some suggested it's the result of a woman's relationship with her father; some point to low self-esteem. Others pointed out that guys who are physically attractive are naturally more able to get away with it.
Men Are Convinced
Not surprisingly, men were way more likely to think women go for jerks. Many female commenters blamed it on "other women," but one admitted, "I'm attracted to that kind of person, guy or girl actually. But, I wouldn't stay with them. Yeah, it can be exciting to be with them, but in the long run, I normally find their personality disgusting and break it off."
Drinkers Don't Deny It
What do James Bond and Don Draper have in common? A stiff drink, among other things. However, we're not saying alcohol has anything to do with being a jerk. In fact, if drinkers are more likely to think women are attracted to jerks, it might suggest that drinkers are a bit resigned to the idea. Maybe spending time in a bar, as a nice guy or a jerk, it rings more true.
First-Hand Experience
The demographic that was most convinced that women are attracted to jerks was the divorcees. That should be telling. Presumably, most divorcees have come to a significant negative conclusion about someone they were once very fond of. Based on the results of this poll, there's a good chance that conclusion has something to do with the topic at hand.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about jerks. We'd love to hear from you!
Top Opinion
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ReindeerWS6 2012/05/22 00:19:52
This is all because of that douche bag that she keeps on going back right? Well, with science I have decided to prove this theory. You see, when a girl is young and playing with male kids, sometimes that male kid will hit, or call he names etc. The girl would then run home crying to her mom who would say, "If he hits/calls you names that just means he likes you." This idea gets drilled into the young child's head and eventually becomes a normal way of thinking. So this in time becomes the douche bag theory; all girls will go for the guy that treats them like crap because it's what they were taught to do.
Hopefully this blew your mind as much as mine.
Every single girl who gets the crap beat out of her or just treated like crap deserves what they choose.
LOW self esteem NOT necessarily the factor - in fact, they have to have extremely HIGH self esteem - and have a huge ego as well to seek out a jerk. Losers do not seek jerks - they will take any guy. LOSERS do not seek the jerk, the jerk seeks THEM. Women who fall into either category, should NOT be with men at all. Relationships are NOT supposed to be one sided, they are supposed to be a partnership.
It doesn't always work, but when it does........!!!!
1) the want to change that person. Our society has been influenced through television and such to believe that there are all these "bad boys" out there with hearts of gold. Those types of relationships seem to be the average girl's dream guy.
A really awesome spoken word poet said something that reminds me of this:
"You're just smelling for smoke so you can follow the trail back to a burning house to find the boy who lost everything in the fire, to see if you can save him. Or else, find the boy who lit the fire in the first place, to see if you can change him."
2) somebody else has mentioned something about traumatic experiences of being hurt as a cause of bad partner choosing. I completely agree. It has been studied over and over again. People generally create cycles in a way to deal with, justify, or give excuse to past emotional hurt. And a great majority of the time it is subconscious.
3) also, there is a more "shallow" view on the situation. Because of this continuing pattern of "jerks" getting the girl, it becomes desirable. They are often considered "popular" or "successful". It's a matter of pride. Some women just like to hold that trophy of a man.
Seriously yous all wanna calm down. Bunch of bad people