Are we attracted to wealth and power in our partners? According to a study recently published in the journal “Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin”, the answer may be yes. The study found that people are more likely to be attracted to partners who have higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES) than they do. In addition, people also tend to prefer partners with similar levels of power as themselves.

However, another study in the same journal found that people are not necessarily attracted to wealth and power when it comes to long-term relationships. In this study, participants were asked to rate their levels of attraction to potential partners who differed in terms of SES and power. The results showed that people were not more attracted to high-SES or high-power partners for long-term relationships.

So, what does this all mean?

The Case For

There seems to be some evidence for the idea that we are attracted to wealth and power in our partners. The very existence of sugar daddy websites is a giant red flag that some people are, at the very least, interested in the idea of dating someone with a lot of money. And, as the “Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin” studies suggest, there may be some truth to the idea that we’re attracted to people who have more SES than we do.

Having said that, it’s important to keep in mind that these studies are far from conclusive. They’re based on a relatively small number of people, and they don’t necessarily reflect the real-world behavior of millions of people. In other words, just because some people are attracted to wealth and power doesn’t mean that everyone is.

The Case Against

There’s also quite a bit of evidence against the idea that we’re attracted to wealth and power in our partners. For starters, there’s the aforementioned study from “Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin” that found no link between attraction and SES or power when it came to long-term relationships. If anything, this suggests that we’re not hardwired to be attracted to people with lots of money or power.

There’s also the fact that, in the real world, wealthy and powerful people often have a hard time finding partners. Just look at all the divorces among celebrities and politicians. If wealth and power were such big draws, it stands to reason that these people would have no trouble finding willing partners. But they do, which suggests that money and power aren’t necessarily the biggest factors when it comes to attraction.

Psychology Today shows that money can buy happiness, but only because it buys you time. As such, purchases are not an inherent source of happiness. Instead, it is what you do with your time that matters. So, if you are busy working to make more money, you may not have time for the things that make you happy. Money may give you the ability to do more things, but it cannot buy happiness itself.

Correlation Is Not Causation

Money and power can certainly be positive factors in your life. But it’s important to remember that correlation does not equal causation. Just because two things are correlated does not mean that one caused the other.

Is it really money and power that people are attracted to, or is it something else? Generally, in order to acquire money and power, people need certain personality traits and skills. For example, they need to be ambitious, intelligent, hardworking, and exceedingly competent. So, it could be that these are the qualities that people are actually attracted to, not the money and power themselves.

It’s also worth noting that, in many cases, money and power are simply a byproduct of other qualities. For example, if you’re attracted to someone because they’re ambitious, it’s not necessarily because they have money or power. It could be because they have the drive and determination to achieve their goals. The same goes for intelligence, hard work, and competence.

So, while money and power can be attractive qualities in a partner, it’s important to remember that they’re not the only things that matter. If you’re only attracted to someone because of their wealth or power, you may be missing out on something special.

The Bottom Line

There’s no simple answer to the question of whether or not we’re attracted to wealth and power in our partners. The truth is that there’s both evidence for and against the idea. Ultimately, it comes down to what you value in a partner. If you’re only interested in superficial things like money and power, you may be missing out on something much more important.