What Is a Sapiophile?
A sapiophile is someone who is attracted to intelligent people. In our evolutionary history, human beings developed traits that made their offspring more likely to succeed. Someone who was stronger or faster could hunt better, so their children could be better cared for and lived long enough to pass on the genes.
Evolution takes thousands and millions of years to bring about certain changes in the species. Over time, it makes sense that intelligent people would be able to pass along their genes better. Likewise, it makes sense that someone who is attracted to intelligence would be able to pass down their genes as well. While there might not be scientific research into intelligence and evolutionary changes yet, the theory makes sense.
Can You Ask a Woman If She Is a Sapiophile?
The short answer to this is no. If you take a woman out for a cup of coffee and ask if she is a sapiophile, she might be offended because she may not know what that means. There is also a type of arrogance in asking this question because it inherently means that you think that you are intelligent. While you may be the latest Einstein, it would not be a good idea to broadcast this fact early on in the date. It would be far better for her to get to know you first and find out for herself that you are intelligent.
At worst, it will make you seem arrogant. If she does not know what a sapiophile is, she may be confused or feel belittled. At the very least, the question will come as a surprise. There are so many other things that you should be asking on the first date instead of whether she is a sapiophile. If you are intelligent and she is attracted to intelligence, then you will figure out that fact when she takes you up on your offer of a second date. If one of those two factors is lacking, then she won’t be dating you again. Either way, your results will show what she likes and what she perceives you to be.
The Definition of a Sapiophile
Technically, sapiophile is not exactly a word. It is like the word “videographer.” The Latin word “video” and Greek root word “graph” were mixed together to make a new composite. In the case of sapiophile, the Greek root (phil-), or love, was added to the root word “sapere,” which means to taste.
Obviously, there are a few problems with the word itself. “Sapere” or “sapiens” only has a metaphorical meaning of intelligent because the words actually just mean tasting or to taste. In a sense, this usage compares the mind to little taste buds learning new information. If you use sapiophile in a sexual or love-related context, then someone could even assume that you mean that the person enjoys oral intercourse.
Worse still, sapiophile sounds a lot like the Greek word, “saprophile,” This words means attracted to rotting things, which is decidedly not what you want your date to think. If she does not hear what you ask properly, she may think you are asking if she is attracted to rotten things. For a more accurate word, you could ask your lady friend if she is an echypnophile, which means someone attracted to smart people. This skips out on the hybrid Latin/Greek aspect of sapiophile while still meaning the same thing.
If your goal is to appear intelligent to your date, then you probably don’t want to use a word that is a mutt-like hybrid of Latin and Greek. This is especially true if the hybrid happens to sound like a word that you really would rather not say or has a meaning that is not perfectly clear, as is the case with the unfortunate implication of “lover of oral intercourse.” While it is up to you to decide if this is the right question to ask on a date, my guess is that you should probably hold off and find out if she likes intelligent people by seeing if she dates you again.
How Many Women Are Sapiophiles?
There are no exact figures, but my guess is that this amount would be fairly high. While potential dates may not always be a good judge of a guy’s intelligence, it seems safe to say that few women deliberately seek out dumb partners. It is always possible that there are a few women like this, but most ladies are probably seeking an attractive, intelligent guy to be their partner in life.