Fickle, fickle women

Oh boy, another column from MSN on the importance of lowering your standards in order to find love. Well, for women at least.

With so many great singles to choose from, do you find yourself flitting constantly from one to the next, always seeking a potentially better mate? Do you like to string several people along so you can pick a date to suit your mood? If so, girlfriend, you just might be fickle.

This time it's a really obvious quiz that unwittingly has leads the reader to unintended conclusions.

1) What does the approaching fall fashion season mean for your wardrobe?

*A trip to the attic to air out my cold-weather clothes. (Score = 1)

*You purchase lots of things in gold, rich red and deep purple, then decide to wear only black. (Score = 2)

*You can’t decide which of the fall fashions you dig the most, so you do nothing. (Score = 3)

*Everything must go to make room for the latest runway regalia. (Score = 4)

*A quick inventory of my fall wardrobe to see what’s out of fashion or needs repair. (Score = -1)

Unintended lesson: If you are a serious clotheshorse, then you'll never be happy with just one man. It's best to have a bunch of different boyfriends to circulate for different occasions like purses. After all, why settle down with just one man and be miserable?

2) Friends ask you to come over for Saturday brunch. How do you respond?

*“Great. What can I bring?” (Score = 1)

*“I’d love to. But I’d rather do dinner.” (Score = 2)

*“Let me think about it.” (Score = 3)

*“Can I let you know Sunday morning?” (Score = 4)

*“I always go to the Farmer’s Market Saturday morning and I can’t change my ritual.” (Score = -1)

Unintended lesson: Settling down with one man obviously means that you have to learn to drop everything to tend to his every need. Is that a sacrifice you're willing to make?

3) The waiter arrives to take your order. You:

*Get something you love but never fix at home. (Score = 1)

*Order a steak then wish you’d gotten the vegan entrée. (Score = 2)

*Can’t decide so you ask your friend to pick something she thinks you’d like. (Score = 3)

*Order one thing, change your order during appetizers and then send back your entrée for something else. (Score = 4)

*Order “the usual.” (Score = -1)

Unintended lesson: Monogamy means you'll get into a sexual rut. If you must settle down, don't forget that there's always the option to step out once in awhile and get something different away from home.

The other two questions are about dating itself, so there's really no unintended metaphor. Nonetheless, the entire thing does give one pause. If sticking with one man is about as appealing as sticking with one dish or one pair of shoes, then why is being fickle such a bad thing?