Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site cbosgd.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!microsoft!uw-beaver!tektronix!ucbcad!ucbvax!cbosgd!jcg From: jcg@cbosgd.UUCP Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Like 'em stupid? Message-ID: <128@cbosgd.UUCP> Date: Tue, 19-Jul-83 08:36:27 EDT Article-I.D.: cbosgd.128 Posted: Tue Jul 19 08:36:27 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 20-Jul-83 20:48:37 EDT Organization: Bell Labs, Columbus Lines: 36 The supposition by the Wall Street Journal that men married to career women have a higher incidence of heart failure (or some such ailment) than men married to less educated women, may be valid. You can prove or show nearly anything with statistics and it is likely that the WSJ article has an underlying basis in fact. Fact, yes. Truth, perhaps. On the other hand, I am amused by the immediate reaction of readers of this group. The assumption that the WSJ article was indeed valid in its supposition seems universal and the discussion now focuses on why. I find this quite humorous in the light of how likely we accept seemingly counter-intuitive conclusions when provided from a reputable source. Has anyone stopped to question the motivation for such a study? Has anyone pointed found out exactly what data was used? How it was collected? What the conditions of the study were? (For instance, were the educated couples engaged primarily in high stress jobs, such as Brokerage or Insurance, while the couples with the dopey spouse running vacation restaurants in Florida?) Has anyone wondered why the WSJ (and thus, the American business community) would be gathering such data? I, for one, am slightly suspicious. Regardless, if the supposition were true, and I had the choice between living an extra 10 or 15 years with a woman whose concept of an intellectual exchanged is easily met by most Dukes of Hazard scripts and dying earlier, but after a life with a woman who would scold me for misinterpreting Kafka's dialectic and parry my sarcasm with humorous riposte then I will choose the PhD every time. I cannot believe any self-respecting intelligent male would actually prefer marrying a dumb female. Dumb people are soooo boring, for Goodness Sake! Jim Grams cbosgd!jcg