Are Men Intimidated by Successful Women?

Why the woman who can provide for herself is a scary creature

It was my fourth date with Robert,* and I was finally comfortable with him picking me up at my house. He arrived, and I headed out to his car. As I sat down, he turned to me and said, “That’s a big house for one adult.”

I never know how to respond to these statements, but I usually deflect with humor.

“Yes, I better get procreating and fill those rooms with babies.”

I never heard from him after that date.

I have grown accustomed to this pattern. The first few dates go smoothly. We laugh, flirt, spark each other’s intellect, and then I let him pick me up at my house. That’s when things fall apart.

He sees where I live, is oddly uncomfortable, and then makes a graceful exit the next day. This has happened to me so many times that my friends tease, “Your house is a boner killer.” And every time, I scratch my head and wonder why.

I once tried another experiment on my dating profile. I swapped a picture of me in a bikini for a picture of me being interviewed on PBS.

Boy, did that switch make my matches drop! Maybe men saw it as a humblebrag. Who knows. But why shouldn’t I be proud of my success as an…