> high income and wealth [is] needed (along with status) to compete for a partner. Only needed if you wish to compete for a high status partner. In my experien

> high income and wealth [is] needed (along with status) to compete for a partner. Only needed if you wish to compete for a high status partner. In my experience, men tend to actually compete against other men, and women compete against women. Men and women often compete for partners as accessories to enhance their own status: they want a high status partner to show off to their own peer-group. Also wealth is mostly used as a status measure: status is the game (not wealth per se).