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From: chrisa@azure.UUCP (Chris Andersen)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Another Social Phenomena: Puppy Dogism
Message-ID: <258@azure.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Jun-85 03:31:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: azure.258
Posted: Wed Jun 12 03:31:54 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Jun-85 01:25:00 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 46


I'm a college student (working this summer at tek) at Rennsellaer Polytechnic
Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY.  RPI, being a highly technical school, has 
fairly rigid entrance requirments when it comes to 'intelligence'(ie grades,
academics, knowledge, etc.).  Anyway, because of this (and other social
factors which results in a larger number of males as opposed to females 
studying the field of engineering) the ratio of males to females is somewhere
in the are of 5:1.  Now "The Ratio", as it is called, is one of the most
prevalent aspects of social life at my school.  The guys sit around most of
the time whining and moaning about that lack of girls (a practice I personally
think to be rather foolish).  And don't think that the girls have it easy
either.  

Think of it, a woman, fresh out of high school where, due to her high
academic standings, was shunned by many of the guys around her, suddenly
finds herself in a situation where guys are asking them out every other
minute (I exagerate here but you get the point).  The woman naturally freaks
at this occurance.  What's more, she quickly finds her subjected to an
interesting phenomena which a friend of mine has aptly termed 'Puppy Dogism'.

It goes something like this:  Have you ever been walking around and come
across a lonely puppy dog?  Have you ever felt the irresistable urge to
pet that puppy dog?  Have you actually petted?  Have you then found that
when you try to leave, the puppy dog starts following you around and you
find it very difficult to lose it without taking drastict measures?
Well, replace the petter with a woman, and the puppy with the average
male at my school (or a male from any social enviroment with a lack for women)
and you will have an idea of what Puppy Dogism is.

I find it interesting to look at this phenomena from my perspective (that of
a male) and have come to realize that I have also acted in this manner before.
At a part once, there was one unattached girl, and 5 unattached males (mwah
included).  Well, the details are kind of nauseating but frankly, I and the
others made fools of ourselves and quickly destroyed any hope of getting
to know this girl any further.

Since I have heard about Puppy Dogism, I have trained (bad pun) myself to
catch myself whenever I start acting in this manner.  I'm wondering if 
anyone else out there has ever experienced this phenomena, whether it was
a personal experience (either giving or receiving) or not.


a good life on you and yours,
Chris Andersen