It’s less specific than looking for a man in finance with a trust fund, who’s 6ft5in and has blue eyes, but still just as unachievable
There’s a dating rule making waves online, and it’s called the ‘6-6-6’ rule.
While you might jokingly fantasize about finding a tall man with a trust fund and blue eyes, some women follow a much more specific rule when seeking their “ideal” partner. And no, ‘6-6-6’ has nothing to do with cults or anything spiritual.
What is the 6-6-6 Rule?
The 6-6-6 dating rule has been popping up all over social media.
It’s a guideline some women use when looking for their perfect match.
According to this rule, the ideal man should be ‘six feet tall,’ have ‘six-pack abs,’ and earn a ‘six-figure income.’
This concept has sparked a lot of debate online. You might be surprised that many women support the idea, with one woman from New York even telling The Post, “Money’s nice. A private jet sweetens the deal.”
Will he be over 6ft when he stands up?Getty Stock Images/ Catherine Falls Commercial
Of course, it’s no shock that following such a strict rule is nearly impossible. In fact, according to a survey by dating app Flirtini, about 80 percent of women admitted that they would be willing to adjust their expectations in order to find a match.
What Do Experts Say?
Blaine Anderson, a dating expert who runs the website Dating by Blaine, has also spoken out about the rule. She called it complete “bulls**t.”
While she admits that women may be attracted to tall guys, guys with money, or fit men with athletic physiques, she says that “none of these traits [are] a requirement for most women.”
Blaine explains, “If she could design her perfect partner in a laboratory… she might pick tall, rich, and fit. But women don’t date guys designed in laboratories.”
She even suggests that men worry about the 6-6-6 rule far more than women do.
The Reality Behind the Rule
One man decided to dive into the statistics behind this infamous rule. In a funny post from Diving in the Shallow End, he points out that meeting all three criteria—six-figure income, six feet tall, and a six-inch penis (which some people swap in for abs)—is extremely rare.
I think it’s fair to say the 6-6-6 rule can get lostGetty Images/ Peter Dazeley
He notes that, based on the height distribution of men aged 20-30 in the US, “being six-feet or great[er] is actually pretty rare,” and having a six-inch penis is “even rarer than being six-feet tall”
The takeaway from his post is that finding a man who fits all three qualities is almost impossible.
“In a gaggle of 100 suitors, it’s actually unlikely that a single one will meet all three criteria. Perfection. We now have a truly unreasonable set of standards by which to choose our dating partner.”
Why This Rule Is Harmful
In the end, the 6-6-6 rule is just as toxic for men as it is for women. The unrealistic expectations it sets can put unnecessary pressure on both genders.
The man who broke down the “dumb” data even mentioned that he’s “pretty far from six feet” and is “happily married.”
So, there’s hope for everyone yet.