In the old days, it was widely acknowledged that girls went to college to find better husbands than would be available at the local diner. They’d sit in on classes about Renaissance art and French philosophy for a few years, write some papers, study a bit, and find the future father of their children. Today, however, it would be a terrible insult to suggest such a thing. Why, what does a man have to do with it? Women don’t chase credentials and status to snag a higher status man, you misogynist!

But they do, because it’s natural. And this is why inflating the status of young women while depressing the status of their male counterparts is turning out to be a social disaster. Few fertile women want to settle for their equal or inferior when they have access to higher status men. In such an environment, extramarital affairs are all but guaranteed.

If society were capable of being honest with itself about these sorts of things, we’d have to admit that it would have been better for everyone if, instead of racking up degrees and awards, Paula Broadwell had stuck to sewing doilies and baking cookies. That way, at least her contributions could have had a net positive effect. As it is, she did achieve something quite spectacular, but nothing to be proud of as it turns out.