[galfarragem]

«Hot women are attracted to “shiny objects”: money clips, camera lenses, fancy watches. All you have to do is flash it better or more profusely than the next guy and you’re in. This is something men can understand, for there is logic here, and structure. A road map to follow: acquire shiny objects, acquire hot women. Simple. One for the left arm and one for the right arm? Sure, why not?

Beautiful women do not care about these things at all. They are attracted to only one thing in men: beauty. And what is the beauty in a man? A lifelong devotion to a personal passion, a passion larger than him, larger than her, larger than the whole wide world, a passion that radiates from his pores until the day he dies. This is the beauty of men. And this is why beautiful women are forever in love with starving artists, musicians, dreamers, iconoclasts. They love these men because they, too, possess a certain, rare beauty. They, too, are set apart.»

-- Zan Perrion, "The alabaster girl"

[thorin]

I think there is some truth in that. In a recent interview Shane McGowan's wife stated she was interested in him because he could get her access to lots of celebrities and she was very shallow. She wanted to get invites to parties with Elton John or David Bowie. Then she realised that he wasn't motivated by any of that stuff and would just as soon have a conversation with a homeless person that someone "important". She was very impressed with his empathy and community spirit and it changed her as a person to be with him. Your description would certainly explain their relationship.

[supertofu]

I don't love this, but I don't disagree at all. I think many men underestimate just how much women crave and seek out beauty. Not just within themselves, but within the world. Men who have a similar eye for beauty are irresistible to a certain kind of woman.