Speaker: Do women do anything to hurt their chances of finding a wonderful man?

Gloria MacDonald: I find women shoot themselves in the foot all the time by having what I call a picky list. Now, I don't think we should settle when it comes to things of substance like values and ethics and morals and things that are truly important to you; for example, if you want to have children you shouldn't settle in a relationship where the other person absolutely doesn't want to have children if that's something that's really, really important to you; or obviously if you have children and you want to find someone who will accept and love and nurture your children, that's really important also. So things like that, or religious and spiritual values, those things are important and those are the things we should settle on, but there is a difference between form, which is how tall a man is, what he looks like; how he dresses; does he have a full head of hair, those things we needs to be flexible on. Those are form versus substance. So I meet women all the time who say, I have to meet a man who is six feet tall or taller, and believe it or not, I have met quite a few who are just 5'2", who say they have to meet a man who is six feet tall or taller. Well, first of all, I think we as women have this fairytale thing going on in our heads about how tall six feet tall is. I know personally I thought my husband was six feet tall because I think we think that six feet represents that kind of perfect masculinity. I was very surprised when I found that my husband is only 5'10", but you see to me, he did represent that masculine, strong male and so I thought he was six feet tall; but believe it or not only 14% of men in North America are six feet tall or taller. So if you have to meet a man who is six feet tall or taller you have crossed out 86% of the male population. So then let's say, you say, I have to have a man who is six feet tall or taller and he has to have a full head of hair. Well, believe or not by the age of 50, 55% of men have significant hair loss. So now you have gone from the 14%, you have knocked down you are available pool to 6.

5% of the male population and then very often women tell me I have to meet a man who makes over a $100,000 a year. Well, only 10% of men in North America make over a $100,000 a year. So if you want a man who is six feet tall or taller with a full head of hair who makes over a $100,000 a year, you are talking about six-tenth of a percent of the male population. Are those things really, really that important? If a man is 5'10" and balding does that mean he is unethical, slimy, dishonest or cheater. Of course not; so those are the things, a form, that I see women really being incredibly picky on and frankly shooting themselves in the foot. I love quote from my dear friend's Mick Jagger and Keith Richards that says, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you will find you get what you need.

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