When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault

by David M. Buss

The movie star Paul Newman was widely regarded as the most attractive man in the world during his acting peak in the 1960s and 1970s. Women threw themselves at him, creating an abundance of sexual opportunities few men ever experience. When asked by a reporter why he never strayed and maintained total fidelity to his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, he replied with a metaphor: “Why eat hamburger out when you have steak at home?” This comment elevated his sexual attractiveness even more and drew a larger avalanche of female attention, but there is no evidence that he ever succumbed to temptation.

Many men are burdened by lust for a variety of different women, constant cravings that cannot ever be fully satisfied. Sexual desire sometimes bursts forth into action. It explains why a handsome movie star such as Hugh Grant would engage in sexual activity with a prostitute, despite having Elizabeth Hurley, a gorgeous model and actress, as his then steady girlfriend. It explains why then governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger would sleep with his housekeeper despite having the attractive TV host and author Maria Shriver as his wife. It explains why the actor Charlie Sheen spent many thousands of dollars visiting high-end prostitutes, despite his ability to attract beautiful girlfriends. It explains the rage of the incels, whose sexual desires remain forever unfulfilled as they watch women they want from the sidelines of the mating market.