This is the topic that always makes me cringe and say "o.k. - here we go". There's an unfortunate truth in my profession that is best illustrated in the joke -

Q: How do you know there's a pilot at your party?

A: Don't worry - he'll have already told you.

There are several of us that when we're out on the road together we make up all kinds of funny stuff. The latest is that we are "regional salesman for a casket company".

The looks after that are priceless! And ya, we get "thhaaaatttss niiice" .

I guess sometimes that response is also akin to "I don't know anything about your industry, so I can't even sound intelligent enough to ask you more about it". I haven't read through all three pages of comments, but I certainly know that I have personally said "that's cool (or nice, or interesting, etc., etc.) when it wasn't meant as a brush off or lack of interest, just more the mental knee jerk of I can't figure out a proper follow up.

However, on the other topics of mate finding, there are certainly numerous studies out there that show that the things men find most desirable in a mate are almost inversely proportionate to what women want. One in particular listed: Looks, Good in bed, Potential good parent, Financially stable, Good provider. Men found those traits in a mate preferable in that order. Women, just read that order in reverse. I don't necessarily think that's being shallow. In many ways I think that's probably years of nature and nuture programming our brains and DNA.

I can only add in my own scenario, the end of my first marriage began after my financial situation changed. I became a victim of AIDS (Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome). After 9/11 my ex wanted me to go back to old job selling box sealing tape for 3M. When I refused, well. . .anyway, she obviously didn't see me as a provider or financially stable anymore.

Many of the previous posters touched on one of the important factors in finding a mate - compatibility. Having similar goals for life and ideas for getting there are very important.