Definition
Sexual Market Value (SMV) is one's attractiveness to the opposite gender.
Explanation
Relationships are a marketplace. One way of saying it: there is a man's ability to pay, as reflected by the man's SMV, and there is the woman he seeks out, which represents the cost of what he would like to purchase (a woman's SMV). Generally, a person can date or sleep with similar SMV or lower. It is thought that a man will sleep with a woman with a lower SMV, even if he won't date her (whereas a woman will not sleep with or have an LTR with a man with lower SMV). SMV fluctuates with various circumstances, but age is a significant factor.
A man's Sexual Market Value used to be based on
Actual Value
, during the era of traditionalism (most of the time of human civilization). His decency, his ability to be a productive member of society, his ability to provide, his integrity. No more. In the modern era, man's SMV is largely based on Cro-Magnon era qualities such as dominance, aggression, pre-selection, height, social status, standing amongst other men, and sometimes ridiculous qualities (tattoos, dangerous background). A woman's SMV is largely based on her youth and appearance.
The following is a chart created by
Rational Male
showing the SMV of men and women at different ages: