How do guys get played?

I happen to know two different guys who are playing the fool right now. Both are in their mid-upper 40s. Both are being hustled by girls in their mid-upper 20ies. It is so obvious it is preposterous to think they are falling for it.

Sorry to say so, but neither of these guys look like George Clooney or Brad Pitt. Frankly, they ain't even close. They should be under no delusions that these girls might have a purely sexual interest in them. In one case, the girl is far too attractive to be interested in the guy. His position of power in a reasonably large corporate office, and the fact that she is an employee should be enough to tip Mr. X that he is being played. Either he does not get it, or he won't admit that he gets it. Ad meanwhile he is being setup.

Have I ever played the fool? Almost... one time. My paranoia saved me. I presume that every girl is manipulating, until she proves otherwise. Guilty until proven innocent is my standard. These guys approach it from the opposite direction: Innocent and proven guilty. I consider that standard the fools standard. Implicit within that standard is the assumption that a girl might have a perfectly normal sexual interest in you. Let us be absolutely clear about this one thing: It is not characteristically normal for a girl in her mid-twenties to be on-fire for a guy in his mid-fourties. What if you are Brad Pitt? Fine, but what if you ain't even close?

I am under no delusions about the level of my sexual charisma. I do not believe that I am George Clooney or Brad Pitt. Both of these two gentilemen seem to think they are. They think they are dapper, debonair and swauve. That's a pretty funny joke if you see them. When I have attempted to warn each one of these guys--privately--I have encountered fearce denial. Both of these guys insist that the girl in question has a perfectly normal sexual attraction to him. This girl just wants a daddy figure.

So if it is sexual, have you gotten laid yet? No, not yet. Have you tried? Yes. What happened then? It kinda of caused a fight. What do you mean kinda? Well, we fought. So she doesn't want to fuck? No, I didn't say that. But you fought when you wanted to fuck? I just didn't approach things well. Bullshit, did she ask you for a promotion? Yes. Are you going to give it to her? I am thinking about it. Did she imply that there would some sex on the other end of the promotion? [dead silence]

These guys are getting played. Part of the Buddhist ethic is seeing things just as they are, without the distortions that come from cravings and aversions. The truth is what it is. It may be ugly, but accept it. It will save you a large amount of pain down the road. If you are not a drop-dead sexy guy in his 30s, you should not expect success with a drop-dead sexy girl in her mid-20s. That is the nature of the beast. Come off it, and recognize it.