Ladder theory - stairway to heaven?

Basics of the ladder theory

The basic premise of Ladder Theory is that all men gauge women on an I-would-have-sex-with-this woman/how-likely-is-she-to-have-sex-with-me scale.

Women apparently have two ladders:

• Potential sexual partners, and
• Platonic partners - those she would never have sex with.

Given that women are arguably a lot more more complex than men, then that figures..

Classification and ranking (for both sexes) is described as a 'Ladder' hence the name Ladder Theory.

Allegedly, the higher up on someone's ladder you are the more likely you are to get laid.

The following (basic) table sets out how men and women apparently make their initial mental assessment of each other.

ladder theory male/female assessment factors

men	%	women	%
How attractive is she	60	How much money/power does he have	50
How soon she will have sex with me	30	How attractive is he*	40
Other aspects	10	How much women say and don't mean (e.g., I prefer a man with a sense of humour, a sensitive man, etc)	10

* Attractive (40%) to women is broken down as follows:

• 50% - Physical Attraction
• 20% - Competition (is he someone else's, does he ignore me, I-want-what-I-can't-have, etc..)
• 20% - Novelty (women it appears lay some kudos on men being 'novel')
• 10% - Other (we can only guess..)

men's ladders

Based on the above, a man will place a woman highest on his ladder if (he judges) she is willing to have sex with him and he finds her attractive.

It could be said that most men and women would not find that statement ground-breaking.

Men apparently classify women as follows:

1. Top - (of course) is the woman he really/most fancies.
2. Next - the women who he would have sex with and admit to.
3. Last - those women he would have sex with but never admit to it (or be too drunk to remember who she was). Too much alcohol can as we know make even the most unattractive woman (and man) appear desirable.

As an aside it should be remembered that beauty is subjective, and (often) superficial, especially when applied to women (although some men also prefer not to be to seen without their make-up or other physical enhancements).

Men, as stated in the Ladder Theory, do not have a ladder for 'Platonic' females since the theory works on the premise that all men basically evaluate women as sexual objects.

women's ladders

Women as stated earlier have two ladders - Potential Sexual Partners and Platonic Partners.

The first problem here for men is that they often don't know which ladder they are on.

When they do get it wrong they can come to an 'abysmal' end.

Women place Money/Power as a man's most attractive aspect.

This is borne out by how many 'not very attractive' powerful rich men have beautiful women companions. (If the cap fits..)