Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Insecure men seek partners who reinforce their perceived status.
In plain terms
Men trying to look smart or strong choose partners who seem lesser or compliant.
What can you take from it?
Insecurity drives attraction to submissive or unchallenging partners.

Where it applies

  • dating
  • romantic relationships
  • self perception

Putting it to work

  • examine motives
  • seek equality
  • recognize insecurity

Questions to consider

  • Why do some choose less challenging partners?
  • What signals insecurity in dating?

Another view

Attraction is complex and not always driven by insecurity.

More from Orson Scott Card

  1. 'The wise are not wise because they make no mistakes. They are wise because they correct their mistakes as soon as they recognize them. -Xenocide

    Permalink to quote #1097
  2. If you write like James Joyce, you will have an audience of twenty. The other nineteen - besides your mother, because your father won't read it - will only be …

    Permalink to quote #1099
  3. There are hard wars and easy wars. It's easy to conquer a country whose people hate their own government more than they hate the invaders. It's hard to fight a…

    Permalink to quote #1096

Related quotes

  1. Egocentrics are attracted to the inept. It gives them one more excuse for patting themselves on the back.

    Helen HayesHelen Hayes quote #12
  2. Living with a god is not what it's cracked up to be. They think their women should be grateful just to have them around

    Orson Scott CardOrson Scott Card quote #553
  3. In the popular political imagination we're familiar with the neocons as conniving militarists, masters of intrigue and cabals, graspers for the oil supplies of…

    Joshua Micah MarshallJoshua Micah Marshall quote #1