“Whoever loves, loves at first sight.” William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

Can the Bachelor Ride into the sunset?

The working premise of The Bachelor is that the last one standing in Nick's journey for love will earn his final rose and  perhaps an engagement.. However, Rachel has already been announced as the next Bachelorette even as she seems to me to have the most going for her so we are really down to three candidates.

While Rachel is offering Bachelor Nation some insights into her growing affection for our boy  she mentions that Nick covers every box in her checklist.  I ponder this for a moment and consider  the approach of using a checklist to help make a determination in the mate selection process. Of course, everyone wants an attractive mate and lets throw in a few other defining characteristics such as smarts, sense of humor, attractive personality, nice family , perhaps athleticism and for good measure lets toss in an unappreciated bonus-smells good.

Using this kind of approach,  the mate selection process takes on some of the characteristics  of a job interview. And we all know many people have been hired for jobs that in retrospect are deemed mistakes. and the extension of this concept  the conclusion that fulfilling the checklist criteria for mate selection  is no guarantee the relationship will flourish.

I do think the checklist approach can be used to preclude candidates. There may be attributes one absolutely does not want in a mate that can exclude a candidate from selection. Who wants somebody that smells bad? or is humorless, unattractive and slovenly?

But more than items on a checklist what we need in the mate selection process is a thunderbolt. Some may regard the thunderbolt as a love at first sight type of experience. Someone you know, may or may not have used a line back in the 70's  like "Do you believe in love at first sight or should I take a walk by again?"

The love at first sight theory bring up the concept of the "attractiveness halo" in which what is regarded as beautiful is also evaluated as good. The high regard for the external appearance is projected on to the internal characteristics. There is also a "personality halo" in which a person perceived having a positive personality is perceived to be attractive and assumed to have some other positive characteristics. However, the weight we attribute to beauty and wittiness decreases as time passes so buyer beware.

So how can Nick carve his way to the final rose?
Steve Jobs opined   "As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. "  This brings me back to the thunderbolt theory .
We all have different "triggers" that can make us recipients of the thunderbolts. But you know when you get hit by a thunderbolt and the energy one gets from this electric surge prods one to go forward in a relationship.




By announcing Rachel would be the next bachelorette the producers have  taken the suspense out of the culling of the candidates down to the final rose ceremony. Despite Nick trying to convince Bachelor Nation he is unconventional  ( he is not. the people that are contestants on Project Runway ...they are unconventional)  Nick lets Corinne, who leads the nation in impulsiveness and indulgence, go home leaving us with Raven and Vanessa  since we know Rachel is going after fantasy suites. The producers really pressed the Corinne button this season and my perception evolved from "this chick is this years villain" to she is a lot of fun .

Having 30 pre-selected candidates for love is surely an unconventional approach to mate selection.

The bachelor is basically given a Kaiserpass . A Kaiserpass was a note signed by Kaiser Wilhelm ( circa 1912-1915) giving the bearer the right to unconditional support and help from any German citizen.
German spies sent over to sabotage shipping to the Allies presented the Kaiserpass to German chemists, unions people and the like and compelled them to cooperation and help.

So Nick has wielded his Bachelor Kaiserpass to travel the world  and narrow down his choice to two candidates.

I suppose we have to imagine the issue is a choice between the two woman. Let us  view this like a prize fight :

	Tale of the Tape
Raven		Vanessa
	Values and Goals
	Attractiveness
	Personality
	Warmth
	Family
	Athleticism
	Place in life
	Chirpiness

We have only been presented with what the producers have determined to show us so we can only guess at most of this but hey lets give it a shot anyway.

Values and Goals
We have never heard anything about whether Nick or the ladies want kids in their lives or what type of future they want. Nick keeps saying he is unconventional but does that mean he wants to have kids with purple hair? or he wants to be a survivalist in a cabin in Montana writing manifesto about the coming world order?  As for the ladies we hear about Vanessa teaching special needs people but I get the impression she is done with that and wants to be in the limelight. Raven however I think would be delighted to live in Arkansas and drive quads around in the mud.  And Nick? jeez the guys has managed to make 4 appearances  now on the bachelor and will head to Dancing with the Stars - he has to want to have cameras on him everywhere he  goes. He is not planning on going back to Wisconsin to sell software.  Edge Vanessa

Raven enjoys animals

Attractiveness
Of course we all can have an opinion here. Vanessa is this years shampoo commercial candidate with her lovely hair. But she seems to frequently look as if she is a member of the Addams family when she uses dark purple lipstick. But her complexion is glowing and she generates a 500 watt smile on those occasions where she warms up.  Raven does have her charms but the edge here  :Vanessa

Personality
Raven is  consistently upbeat and charming. Not once have we seen her in whine mode or complained about the other girls or the fact Nick has a harem. Vanessa however always seems as if she is on the verge of making things difficult- and we are on yachts and flying helicopters. what is she like when the spaghetti is cold?  Edge Raven

Raven can enjoy the mud

Warmth
It seems every encounter with Raven is with a background of charm. Vanessa on the other hand seems ready to wield a sword at the slightest provocation. She seems like a much warmer person when she speaks in Italian though . Can the language one speaks determine personality? Edge Raven 

Raven is a charmer

Athleticism
Neither presents a threat to Katie Ledecky winning more Olympic medals.
Edge : None

Katie holding her gold medals

Family

Nick comes from a family with lots of kids  but we have not heard a word about his interest in having kids.
Raven's dad just survived a cancer scare and her parents seemed very much down to earth nice people.
Vanessa's family seems cluttered a bit but generally enthusiastic even as her Dad was not too impressed with Nick chatting up chicks on the hometowns
 
Edge : None

Place in Life 
This is an important consideration. Raven seems to know she is young and her life is ahead of her and she exudes a shining optimism about her future. As far as moving into a marriage and all, she is young but not battered and bruised despite her reports of her first serious relationship not working out ( then again, if the relationship flourished then she would not be here). I think she would be fine to move forward.

Vanessa on the other hand is older and more experienced but also a bit angry that things have not fallen her way. She is ready for the step into a marriage but it feels as if she is bringing in some baggage.

Edge : Raven

Chirpiness
Vanessa always  seems to have an edge to her as if she is defending against an attack. During the fantasy suite weekend in Finland , Vanessa  tells Nick there are things she is not willing to compromise on.  Hmm... I think to myself-now we will hear about here goals for children or to keep working with her special needs people  or living near her family. But no....  Vanessa will not compromise on....... having lunch on Sundays with anyone other than her family!

Well she has thrown the gauntlet down there . She has NO ROOM to budge on ....lunch???

As is sit there watching , warning bells are ringing as if I am at Notre Dame cathedral at a wedding.
This it where Vanessa draws the line .... her TOP ISSUE  is lunch plans?
At this point I even overlook her beautiful complexion. luxurious hair  and fabulous smile and think  this chick is wacky.  
Huge Edge : Raven


With the above one can easily  conclude that I would deem Raven a better match for our boy. Actually Rachel, the next Bachelorette was  far and away the best match ( at least from what we could see) but the producers also noticed her charms and selected her for the Bachelorette --maybe Nick will try to get on the Bachelorette and have another go at Rachel. From my view Rachel was the best "fit" but we navigate onwards to the final rose ceremony.

But even as the rational case is made for Raven, I think Nick picks Vanessa.

The mate selection process is rarely simple. Betting on Nick and Vanessa riding into the sunset might be the way go to for the final rose ceremony but it is doubtful they will live happily ever after together.


Maybe Endings are Beginnings ....

.