Q: I am attending a small, private Christian college in Southern California. I came here thinking that my prospects would be expansive (in a figurative sense). Yet, I am astonishingly single (older women are constantly shocked by this) after years here in the presence of hundreds of quality guys. What could possibly be the problem?A: Liss and I worked on our Master's thesis in this very area. The answer is a simple equation of economics -- the theoretical principles of relational economics. "Guy/girl saturation," as it is more commonly known, generally takes place in an area highly concentrated with young, single, attractive specimens.
The problem, as we expounded, is the overload of choices. Take, for example, your small, private Christian college in Southern California. For Joe Schmoe, who is eager to find a mate, his ability to act and make an analytical decision regarding the query, "Who shall I take out this Saturday night?" is hindered by too many options. Lisa from Bible class seems nice and has a heart for missions, just like Joe, but Julie from art is hot. Meredith from college group has a great sense of humor and loves kids. But then again, Sheradenne is so open-minded and fun to talk to.
Come Saturday night, all Joe can do is play Halo 3. I mean, picking one would close the door on all the others, and Joe is not ready for that. The problem is -- he may never be, as long as he's in an overly quality-female-rich environment.
Q: How can I overcome the simple economic principles of "guy saturation."
A: Believe it or not, the solution has been around for centuries. The 17th-century British philosopher and theologian Theodore "Teddy" Graham observed these principles in action at Cambridge University before coming to the conclusion that one must "isolate one's prey" in a low-option environment.
Example -- girl/guy saturation is quickly ameliorated by situations such as camp. Imagine taking two young, single, attractive Christian college students out of the large, overcrowded pool of "options" and placing them in the company of 500 fifth-graders. Suddenly, Henrietta is irresitibly attracted to Joe and Joe is incurably lovestoned by Henrietta. The magnetism is too strong to overcome.
Are Henrietta and Joe "settling"? Do they just like each other because there are no other options? Graham proved the answer is "no" in the following axiom:
[X*-2(Y)k / ==query==[blonde] + ahref
Roughly translated, such an equation leads to love -- true love, says Graham.
Q: What are some practical ways to put the equation into action?
A: We have a few practical suggestions.
- Be one of two young people in your church.
- Go on four short-term missions projects annually.
- Make friends (serve) grandparents who clearly have eligible grandchildren (in Graham's estimations, grandparents are the most concerned of all members of a family unit about the relational status of eligible young people)
- As stated above, get highly involved in camp.
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