content: oh wait and i just realized: THAT is why romance was viewed as attractive. toughness / masculinity are the foundational need, which is why it is the main desire of women in modern sexual society. however, women don't want a man who will go crazy and kill them -- so back when women were objects to be owned -- instead of looking for a tough guy (as it was MOSTLY unnecessary) -- it made   5608  more sense to look for a devotee. and a man who who would "do anything for" and "defend to the death" HIS woman, was actually seen as very desirable. this with the compounding effects of a society which idealizes the romantic leads to women finding that really hot and not creepy or needy or submissive.