BRIFFAULT’S LAW
BRIFFAULT’S LAW
The female, not the male, determines all the conditions of the animal family. Where the female can derive no benefit from association with the male, no such association takes place.
There are a few corollaries:
1- Past benefit provided by the male does not provide for continued or future association.
2- Any agreement where the male provides a current benefit in return for a promise of future association is null and void as soon as the male has provided the benefit (see 1)
A promise of future benefit has limited influence on current/future association, with the influence inversely proportional to the length of time until the benefit will be given and directly proportionate to the degree to which the female trusts the male (which is not likely).
REFERENCE: Robert Briffault was a surgeon and social anthropologist.