There are news reports that Anthony Weiner has contacted former staffers to ask them to come back to work for him as he prepares to run again for office, including a possible run for mayor of New York or public advocate. Weiner left office after repeatedly lying to his constituents, colleagues, and the media about sending nude pictures of himself to women and accusing people of hacking into this phone. Women stated that they felt harassed by the photos that were sent without their solicitation or consent.
This moves has been expected given Weiner’s $4.5 million campaign war chest . . . and an obviously narcissistic personality. If he runs, the public would pay him an additional $1.5 million.
Weiner, 47, reportedly wants to run while there is the opportunity for public matching funds, which are due to expire after the 2013 election.
Besides mayor, Weiner is reportedly looking at public advocate office with a $165,000-a-year salary as a way of “cleansing” his career. It would be an odd choice for a man who just recently lied repeatedly to government officials, voters, and friends while engaging in conduct viewed as sexual harassment by women receiving these pictures.
Source: N.Y. Post
Tony C.
Are you a scientist? Do you spell that “shrink?” Perhaps you’re only an anthropologist?
I don’t have any disagreement with your intuitive analysis.
@Matt: That depends. Some of us scientists (and I am not being coy and saying “some” when I mean “virtually all,” I really mean “some” and there is truly a lack of consensus) believe that much of human psychology is evolved. I believe there is real evidence of that; I suppose a few famous works are by Roy Baumeister and Steven Pinker, but there are many other indications in psychology and medicine. But of course it is difficult to trace attitudinal differences back to genes or prove they are the result of development spurred by gender-specific hormones or whatever.
If psychology is evolved, it makes no difference if reproduction is an issue or not, the psychology remains in force as if it makes a difference. Men and women that are sterile still have the desire to mate, for example.
However, our evolved psychology can usually be overridden by conscious choice. Males find fit, young, healthy women sexually attractive, it is built into their machinery so deep it is involuntary. But his reactions and actions ARE voluntary, finding some girl hot does not compel a man to talk to her or even turn his head to watch her go by.
The same goes for women and their evolved psychology; feelings can be noted without becoming a priority. Reactions and actions are voluntary, and they too can make choices to not pursue a current feeling because doing so would sabotage or compromise a longer term good or goal.
For both, the psychology is still there generating the impulses as if reproduction is paramount, but they can control or thwart those impulses (for example using birth control) for their own longer term emotional well being.
Tony C.
You’re correct from a historical, evolutionary perspective. What if reproduction isn’t an issue?
@Malisha: Yes, that is the point. Men are 99% expendable in the reproductive equation, and to the winners go the women. The next generation of a tribe is determined by the number of women that get pregnant, and NOT the number of men that impregnate them. It is a fundamental disparity in our psychology; it is why men are warriors and women tend not to be, it is why men risk their lives and fortunes to win women and women do not do that to win men. It is probably why the average healthy male is built 50% larger than the average healthy woman: Men fight to mate and to defend women. Women do not have to fight to mate.
Women do compete with each other for the best man they can get, but barring a health problem every woman is guaranteed she will be able to reproduce with SOME man. Historically that was just not true for men. Even if they did reproduce, the odds were stacked against males to the point that about 60% of all males that have ever lived have zero modern descendants.
That is changing now due to cultural innovations (the middle class, true monogamy by males), but the reproductive imbalances still exist. You can even see it in our dating rituals: Men pay to show their generosity, the “better” dates are expensive to show their wealth and command of resources, the man shows deference, gentility, and strength to indicate his value as a mate, protector and provider. He is selling in a buyer’s market.