Why men find women with a broken heart more attractive

You can cry when crossing the street or when you throw the chicken breast into your cart at the supermarket. Or when you put on that gray turtleneck. Because once. Was. HE. There. All of it. And now you are alone. Solo.

The world of broken hearts is a strange one. No hunger, no sleep, thinking about him all the time and thus no longer able to wear that turtleneck without tears. It's over. It's done. And your heart lies in pieces. And you can't even think about kissing someone else in the pub. Or sticking together. Or going home with a newcomer for a bit of fun. Still, you might as well go out. Or install Tinder. Because yes, men find women with a broken heart actually attractive.

Research shows that it is precisely the men who are looking for a serious relationship who fall for a girl with a broken heart. In fact: they specifically want a girl who has just been dumped. But for men who honestly stated that they were just looking for someone for a one-night stand, it doesn't matter whether the woman was dumped or whether she herself ended it.

Why do those relationship men want someone who has been dumped? It has to do with being able to give comfort and finding that pleasant. A bit like playing the role of the prince on the white horse, actually.

Look. You dumped and a wreck, but there he is, the better version of you, the new flame who will never hurt you, at least, that's what he says now. He can only do better than you ex, because he just trampled your heart. If you wished your ex goodbye yourself, then you naturally have a less intense broken feeling and thus he can't ‘save you from doom’. They just want to hunt a bit and especially win and be the best of the bunch.

Oh yes, men. They are so complex and actually so simple. But you can better plan that glass of wine with friends through your tears if you're feeling down.

Advantage: you don't even have to do your hair to look good. Your sadness does the trick with the lustful men.

FACTS

• Proven: men recover from a broken heart less quickly than women.
• 3 percent of the Dutch regularly have sex with someone other than their partner.
• After about 11 weeks, most people are over their worst heartbreak.