- In discussing ideals, we shall ask (a) what are the present ideals governing sexual selection in the United States; (b) is it psychologically possible to change them; (c) is it desirable that they be changed, and if so, in what ways?
(a) There are several studies which throw light on the current ideals. Physical Culture magazine lately invited its women readers to send in the specifications of an ideal husband, and the results are worth considering because the readers of that publication are probably less swayed by purely conventional ideas than are most accessible groups of women whom one might question. The ideal husband was held by these women to be made up of the following qualities in the proportions given:
| Per cent. | |
|---|---|
| Health | 20 |
| Financial success | 19 |
| Paternity | 18 |
| Appearance | 11 |
| Disposition | 8 |
| Education | 8 |
| Character | 6 |
| Housekeeping | 7 |
| Dress | 3 |
| — | |
| 100 |
Without laying weight on the exact figures, and recognizing that each woman may have defined the qualities differently, yet one must admit aside from a low concern for mental ability that this is a fairly good eugenic specification. Appearance, it is stated, meant not so much facial beauty as intelligent expression and manly form. Financial success is