You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover

Ladies! How does this guy sound?

• 34 years old.
• Attractive, lean muscular build, roughly 6' tall and 180 lbs.
• Attended a university ranked 16th in the world, majoring in economics before hitting it big and leaving college to pursue his career.
• Runs his own successful company, with revenues exceeding $100 million in 2009.
• Owns several homes and a yacht.

Would you say those are the stats of a bachelor you wouldn't mind making your boyfriend (or maybe even husband)? Well, not so fast my friend. Remember when you learned in elementary school that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover? Well the same applies here.

Now, some of you Single Professional Women (“SPW”) see this guy’s resume and swoon. To you, ”he” is the perfect man. Educated, wealthy, successful, good looking, and fairly young. Not only would you go on a date with this guy, but many of you would start "operation engagement," a mission with one goal - getting this guy to put a ring on your finger as quickly as possible.

Others of you aren’t so easily persuaded by this guy’s stats. After all, you don’t need to hunt for Mr. Moneybags. You’ve worked your asses off to get to where you are and can take care of yourselves. While a guy would be nice, you don't need a guy to put food on the table (or cute shoes in your closet) and you sure as heck aren’t the type to ever subscribe to http://sugardaddie.com . You SPW are clearly not gold diggers, but plenty of SPW (perhaps even you - gasp!), have specific professional credentials that a potential guy must fulfill before he will even be given the time of day. Some SPW admit they are searching for a doctor - period. Others are more open-minded and will accept doctors, lawyers, and men in the higher ranks of the business world (aren't they kind?). To all of you, we reveal who this man is:

The credentials listed above belong to none other than Tiger Woods. That's right, Tiger Woods, the once famous, now infamous, golf legend, husband, and father of two.

What Tiger’s stats (or similar ones for any guy you date or might prospectively meet) don't reveal is the character that man possesses. A guy can be intelligent, wealthy, and powerful but still be a horrible marriage prospect. Tiger had a plethora of affairs despite being legally committed to his (totally hot) wife. He has two kids and even those two children were not reason enough for him to curb his behavior. And yet, none of Tiger’s dysfunction is apparent in any way from the information above.

Careers and professional achievements say nothing about the type of person the man actually is -- is he honest? Loyal? Humorous? Caring? Affectionate? Who knows!?! It would take at least a couple of dates to figure out what this "accomplished" guy is all about. Running through guy after guy to come to those conclusions equals a lot of time wasted dating losers that could have been avoided with more serious dating criteria.

So, think about the metrics you're forcing your potential Mr. Right to meet. A great job does not guarantee quality marriage material. After all, you can be married to a neurosurgeon and live in a huge mansion and yet be painfully lonely because your husband works so damn much. Yes, if you were at a cocktail party people would be impressed with your husband's credentials, but ask yourself if that would really matter if you ate dinner by your lonesome every night?

Instead of being a woman who only chases after men with a particular job or income level, why not set priority #1 to be solid character? Is the guy kind and considerate to the people around him? If a prospective date is rich and handsome on top of being kind and thoughtful, then great! But don’t let shallow criteria get in between you and Mr. Right. While Tiger’s pedigree and annual income would have its perks, let’s face it – all those perks do not trump the fact that his penis gets more use than his golf clubs.