But in general, ugly people have ugly children. Attractive people have attractive children. The ugly to me seem to have a different set of advantages to ensure their survival. Can you think of a characteristic in another species where a deficiency in one area is not counterbalanced with advantages in other areas? German Shepherds have many advantages making them attractive as guard dogs, but many people pick poodles for pets because they see advantages in poodles that Shepherds don't have.

I don't see where the rich and attractive have more children or their children survive any better. I'm still inclined to believe that ugly people develop other qualities to ensure their survival that the pretty don't have.

I think you have a North American bias in this matter. Throughout our evolutionary history,  things like money, food, shelter, clothing, etc... have been traded for sex. I think this trading has been a driving force in the development of technology and civilization. Men have also been the one's to select which women get the goods in exchange for sex. Our history has been more like a brothel than a monastery. Because the USA has been relatively prosperous, you don't see the trading as much as has been the norm.

I'm not sure if looking for a man that stands out is an advantage. Because human children require so much money, time and energy to raise well, women should also look to get a male that can help in this effort, which is why humans invented marriage right? The woman that picks the man that "stands out" to be the sperm donor can often end up a single mother raising children without any help from the father. So maybe she should go with the uglier, less talented, poorer man that would be more faithful. But this would be a rational decision, rather than following instinct.

You know the nail that sticks up the most is the one to get hammered first. So people that stand out have disadvantages too. In corporations, if you just act normal and don't try to stand out, you don't make any enemies, you don't make anyone jealous of your success. So you can do better by not trying to stand out sometimes.

I think what I'm getting at is that humans have this unique feature for rational thinking. It seems to be in very deep conflict with our primordial instincts. My choice in women when I was young was pretty much the instinct for beauty. But now, it needs to be based more on rational thinking about what will make my life fulfilled. I want to be a rational person rather than a slave to my hormones.

So you think it's possible to have my cake and it too? So the concept of a high maintenance woman is irrational, made up by bitter men? It's possible to have just as good a relationship with a hot woman as a not so hot woman?