Me and Mrs. Jones...

Someone told me once that when you get in a relationship, your demeanor changes and your confindence gets a boost. Supposedly, this all happens subconciously. When this happens, people (of the opposite sex) are more attracted to you and out of nowhere...people that neva send you, start winking at you.

I'm not sure that I agree with that completely. I think, very simply put, that people are attracted to that which they can't have. There's no science or deep psychology to it. I have seen situations where a guy is blasé about a girl that has been sweating him get VERY interested once she's lost interest. Once someone that was once very available to you becomes unavailable in some form or fashion, their appeal skyrockets.

If this is the case, is their something to the "play hard to get" theory that my mom has been drumming into my head since I hit puberty? This "if the milk is free, why buy the cow" theory that many women preach to their daughters, but guys CONSTANTLY try to disprove?

I can't say that that theory is crap, because I've heard sooooooooooooooooooooo many guys that get married/engaged/in a long term relationship tell me/or someone that "...and then I said [insert request], and she said "NO". It was that moment that I knew she was special"

Likewise, I've heard many men (including my dad) tell me that their stock went waaaaaaaay up as soon as they got married (i.e. unavailable).

Does being in a relationship show your ability to keep someone happy, and therefore makes you more attractive? Or are people attracted to what they can't have because then, they don't HAVE to commit to it?