London – There was a time when many men felt they had to overshadow their partner – especially when it came to brains.
But most of them now want a woman who is more intelligent than they are, a study has found.
They want to follow the example of George Clooney, whose new wife Amal is a world-renowned human rights lawyer.
Research reveals that 87 percent of men would be happy with a woman with a higher intellect and who earns more money.
Nearly half actively seek out an ‘independent, career-driven woman’ as a potential life partner.
And 58 percent would be happy with a woman who is ‘considerably taller’ than they are, the study of 5 600 people for dating website Match.com found.
Men also fall in love faster and want to move in faster than women, the study showed.
Biological anthropologist Helen Fisher said that the days of men wanting a dependent partner were over.
She said: ‘We’re shedding 10 000 years of our farming past and moving forward to the kind of relationships we had a million years ago. Then women were just as educated, just as economically competent.’
She added that the trend had been noticeable for the last few years but was ‘so dramatic now, it hit a tipping point’.
The researchers branded the phenomenon the ‘Clooney effect’. The couple were ribbed at the Golden Globes last month when host Tina Fey compared Clooney’s lifetime achievement award with a long list of his wife’s working highlights – including working on the Enron scandal, advising the UN over Syria and investigating war crime claims in Gaza.
Daily Mail