How Women Compete For Partners - Joyce Benenson

Joyce Benenson is a lecturer of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University who's research focuses on human social structures and sex differences in competition and cooperation. We're often told that men are more competitive, more status-driven and more ruthless with rivals for potential mates. In reality doesn't seem to be true, the difference is that women's competition takes a more subtle, cynical and sophisticated route to drive away their competitors. Expect to learn how women compete for status, why women exclude more than men, why women who promote an egalitarian world are less charitable than you might think, how you can interfere with a rivals' relationship without getting caught, the usefulness of gossip as an enforcement mechanism and much more... Sponsors: Get $100 off plus an extra 15% discount on Qualia Mind at https://neurohacker.com/modernwisdom (use code MW15) Get over 37% discount on all products site-wide from MyProtein at https://bit.ly/proteinwisdom (use code: MODERNWISDOM) Get 10% discount on all Optimal Carnivore’s products at www.amazon.com/optimalcarnivore (use code: WISDOMSAVE10) Extra Stuff: Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #dating #competition #women - 00:00 Intro 00:37 What is Unique in Female Competition? 09:27 Why Girls Should Be Subtle about Educational Success 16:15 The Dark Reason for Females Being More Egalitarian 25:32 Female Competition in Sexual Selection 34:10 Are Women More Anti-social than Men? 39:15 Why Boys & Girls Have Different Childhood Toys 44:31 Do Women Avoid Physical Methods of Conflict? 48:25 Society’s Denial of Differences Between Sexes 52:58 Women Interfering in Rival Relationships 1:00:38 Are Men Becoming More Feminised? 1:05:02 How Joyce Has Avoided Controversy 1:07:20 Where to Find Joyce - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Joyce BenensonguestChris Williamsonhost

Jan 2, 20231h 11mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: January 2, 2023
Duration: 1h 11m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Joyce Benenson is a lecturer of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University who's research focuses on human social structures and sex differences in competition and cooperation. We're often told that men are more competitive, more status-driven and more ruthless with rivals for potential mates. In reality doesn't seem to be true, the difference is that women's competition takes a more subtle, cynical and sophisticated route to drive away their competitors. Expect to learn how women compete for status, why women exclude more than men, why women who promote an egalitarian world are less charitable than you might think, how you can interfere with a rivals' relationship without getting caught, the usefulness of gossip as an enforcement mechanism and much more... Sponsors: Get $100 off plus an extra 15% discount on Qualia Mind at https://neurohacker.com/modernwisdom (use code MW15) Get over 37% discount on all products site-wide from MyProtein at https://bit.ly/proteinwisdom (use code: MODERNWISDOM) Get 10% discount on all Optimal Carnivore’s products at www.amazon.com/optimalcarnivore (use code: WISDOMSAVE10) Extra Stuff: Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #dating #competition #women - 00:00 Intro 00:37 What is Unique in Female Competition? 09:27 Why Girls Should Be Subtle about Educational Success 16:15 The Dark Reason for Females Being More Egalitarian 25:32 Female Competition in Sexual Selection 34:10 Are Women More Anti-social than Men? 39:15 Why Boys & Girls Have Different Childhood Toys 44:31 Do Women Avoid Physical Methods of Conflict? 48:25 Society’s Denial of Differences Between Sexes 52:58 Women Interfering in Rival Relationships 1:00:38 Are Men Becoming More Feminised? 1:05:02 How Joyce Has Avoided Controversy 1:07:20 Where to Find Joyce - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Joyce Benenson
guest
Chris Williamson
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Joyce Benenson and Chris Williamson, How Women Compete For Partners - Joyce Benenson explores joyce Benenson Reveals How Women Compete Safely, Subtly, Strategically Joyce Benenson and Chris Williamson explore intrasexual competition, focusing on how women compete with each other for status, resources, and mates in ways that differ markedly from men. Benenson argues that female competition is shaped by evolutionary pressures to stay alive for longer, protect offspring, and function without stable female kin networks, leading to safe, subtle, and often solitary tactics rather than overt confrontation. They connect this to modern phenomena such as social media use, girls’ academic overperformance, egalitarian rhetoric among women, and the mating challenges of high-status women. The conversation also addresses sex differences in health, risk-taking, antisocial behavior, and the contemporary crises facing both men and women in education, work, and relationships.

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