i'm gone.

you know you've studied economics and business administration too long when you find this funny.

Q: A market economy ought to be based on free markets and thus on the best possible end result for the individuals acting in these markets. That leads me to my question: Why do I never get laid?

A: Thank you for asking! I do occasionally face the same problem. Let's acquaint ourselves with the couple formation in free markets, shall we? Pay attention, now.

According to the principle of free markets, couple formation should continue until the distribution of couples is Pareto-optimal, i.e. no-one can find a better partner without causing someone make do with a partner of lesser quality. In order to achieve this equilibrium, perfect or at least equal information of the available partners is necessary, as is the unrestricted possibility to choose the preferred partner within the framework of one's purchasing power. Sounds simple, does it not?

I must, however, note that an individual's purchasing power does not correlate perfectly to the success in couple formation. For instance, the time of the year has a remarkable significance in the functioning of couple formation markets. As the spring arrives, many relationships find themselves in dire straits. The market, saturated with options, highlights the faults in the current choice. In the fall, however, even a less satisfactory relationships seems to hold together as the cold winter nights seem dreary and individuals seek warmth and safety in an already formed relationship.

This leads also to the fact that as the volatility of markets is greater in the spring, the possibility of obtaining quick returns by means of speculation is easier as in the fall as the volatility falls. Also the rate of success of long-term relationships seems to be greater if the relationship has been formed in the spring. As the fall arrives, it is likely that the relationship has reached the critical mass and thus, further strengthened by fall and winter, the probability of annulment of the relationships is less when the spring markets open.

Unfortunately, to the capitalist's disadvantage, several socialist or social-democratic actions weakening the principles of free markets have been undertaken also in the couple formation markets. Attempts to reduce the free mobility of partners have been made through different social structures, for example, with apartment policy that prefers cohabitation to single apartments. Simultaneously, the social-democratic system force-feeds monogamy by means of both judicial and moral norms. This kind of one-alliance principles, protectionist subsidies and moral rationing norms do not belong to free markets. Thus, a message to legislators: Leave the markets alone, once and for all!