Women's opinion of men has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Originally, women were told they didn't need men. This message permeated culture, with teachers, family, and media reinforcing it. As boys grew into men, they accepted this premise and expected relationships to form equally.

However, when boys hit puberty, they realized women did not reciprocate interest equally. This caused confusion as boys tried to reconcile what they had been told with reality. While well-meaning, the message that women don't need men applied only to economic independence, not romantic desire. In truth, women are generally disinterested in most men romantically.

Evidence shows women are substantially less interested in men than vice versa. This manifests in behaviors like women initiating most divorces, high female obesity rates, and women ranking men low on their priority lists. Culturally, female empowerment in media has morphed into man-bashing. Music lyrics celebrate disdain for men. Laws and policies now systemically discriminate against men.

Though some women have understandable emotional reasons for disliking men, and a small percentage blindly hate men, most are simply indifferent. The minority of women who adore men is estimated at just 5%. On balance, women largely do not need or want men today. This raises the question: what would society look like without men's contributions? While we cannot undo evolution, we can thoughtfully reshape culture and policy to benefit both sexes.