A recent Columbia University experiment concluded that men value intelligence and ambition in their female counterparts – up to a certain point.
The study found that when men perceived their female co-workers as smarter or more successful, their self-esteem dropped. Instead of applauding the success of their female colleagues, most male respondents assumed: “She is successful, and I am unsuccessful.”
This trend also extended beyond the boardroom. A survey conducted by psychologist Lora Park uncovered that men were almost universally more attracted to successful women in the abstract but distanced themselves when they met the women described in person.
– Bret Buckel, The New Orleans 100