# If you had the superpower of seduction, how many people would you sleep with? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883 "2004-11-27T16:19:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/1 "2004-11-27T16:19:44Z")
Here is the way it works. You find out that you have the superpower of seduction. Your power will make someone practically insist on sleeping with you but first you must meet them in person, have a short conversation with them, and do this specific gaze into their eyes. At that point, they will sleep with you anytime within the next 4 hours. It will work on anyone over 18 but if you want someone like say, Laura Bush or a celebrity, then it might not be that convienent because it will be somewhat difficult to get the one-on-one time to make it happen. Also assume that if you have a SO, they respect your powers and will not try to hinder you unlike that Darren on Bewitched. Map out the average number of people that you would sleep with each week. In your lifetime. Break down by sex if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/2 "2004-11-27T16:25:14Z")
I’d be dead from exhaustion within a week. ---
**Author:** ![uncleangus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/779978/32.png) [@uncleangus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncleangus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/3 "2004-11-27T16:28:07Z")
I don’t like the “sleeping with” part. Can’t we just have sex with them and move on to the next one? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/4 "2004-11-27T16:47:20Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > …but first you must meet them in person, have a short conversation with them, and do this specific gaze into their eyes. Isn’t this required anyway? Sometimes I just don’t get the demands of society. 😉 …And, um…Laura Bush? I’d rather bag Barbara! (Not grandma!). Well, maybe Grandma! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/5 "2004-11-27T16:51:27Z")
One. Seeing as how the power doesn’t come with the additional ability of me not getting my legs broken by my wife. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/6 "2004-11-27T16:54:57Z")
What about groups? Can you use the power to get women to agree to a threesome? Or more? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/7 "2004-11-27T16:56:34Z")
It’s these kind of serious, sober yet innovative studies of human behavior, so often ignored in the hidebound, peer-reviewed literature, that keep me coming back to this board. 😃 > [@](#): > > I don’t like the “sleeping with” part. Can’t we just have sex with them and move on to the next one? Personally, I’d practically insist on the ‘sleeping with’ part, because that’s when I get to practice my five-point exploding palm back rub/foot rub skillz, which, historically, have scored far higher on the pleasure-o-meter for my partners than my technique at the old in-out in-out. Anyway, in response to the OP’s question, one new partner per evening, six days a week, allowing for one day of rest or a major televised sporting event. Actual number of partners would be less, because after any particularly good liaisons I’d want to go back for seconds, thirds and probably fourths, and because whenever it gets to the point where I’m doing the back rub/foot rub thing, they’ll never leave me alone again anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/8 "2004-11-27T17:04:26Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > One. Seeing as how the power doesn’t come with the additional ability of me not getting my legs broken by my wife. No, it does come with that power too. That was alluded to in the last sentence of the first paragraph: “Also assume that if you have a SO, they respect your powers and will not try to hinder you unlike that Darren on Bewitched.” That means that your SO will not try to hinder your use of your powers or hold them against you now matter how many other people you seduce. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/9 "2004-11-27T18:01:48Z")
What happens the next day? Does the person you slept with say “My _GOD!!_ What was I thinking??” Also **Zebra** raised the question: just what will your partnerl agree to? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/10 "2004-11-27T18:07:14Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > What happens the next day? Does the person you slept with say “My _GOD!!_ What was I thinking??” Also **Zebra** raised the question: just what will your partnerl agree to? The superpower includes the fact that your spouse or SO is fine with your exploits (and the spouse would not be anymore likely to try the mortal version for themselves than they normally would). The people that you seduce will just remember the superseduction as something that happened and was pleasant. They won’t fall in love or try to stalk you. You can use the power on the same on the person as many times as you wish but the question is really about the number of different people you would have sex with. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/11 "2004-11-27T19:04:49Z")
This is tricky. On the one hand, it’s fundamentally rape. It’s a violation of a person’s very psyche in order to fulfill my most base desires. It could have major drawback for the woman. Ranging from veneral disease or pregnancy (nothing works 100% of the time, even if I’m responsible), to the guilt of infidelity (on her part), to shame at having sex with a total stranger. Hell, you never said it wouldn’t work on non-heterosexual women. If I seduce a lesbian, that would confuse the hell out of her. But those complications would only occur in the minority of my partners. And unlike actual rape, they’ll be happy to have sex with me before during and usually after the fact. They’ll never know nor care how they’ve been violated. It’s the world’s most horriffic victimless crime. But it is free, effortless sex. I’d do it at least once. Then, knowing me, I’d spiral down into addiction and self-loathing. Never learning how to get a girl legitimately. Never trusting in any real relationship I did form (is it me or teh power she loves?). Hating myself for being a rapist. This could fuck me up good and proper. Anyway, I’d probably use a few (five or six) women over and over again, and then move on to about one girl a month once I had given up on love. ---
**Author:** ![foxymoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@foxymoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxymoron)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/12 "2004-11-27T19:19:19Z")
Assuming spousal consent, immunity from contagious diseases, free on-call childcare, and no social reprecussions… I’d have some serious make-out sessions two or three times a week (especially with women. I miss women.), but I don’t think I’d have actual sex (oral or intercourse) with anyone other than my husband. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/13 "2004-11-27T19:31:00Z")
Considering I don’t really use my own modest powers of seduction too much anymore, I don’t see myself racking up a real high score. Might try to bag some celebs, though, just for bragging rights. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/14 "2004-11-27T19:45:36Z")
Here is the way I see mine working: I am 31. In the first year, I think that I would try for one new woman a day. That = 365. That would wear off after a time and there would start to be repeats. Insert complicated math here. If I die at age 80, I figure that I would end up in the 3000 - 4000 women range with zero men. That would make me very happy. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/15 "2004-11-27T20:05:32Z")
Plus, you’d be one heck of a STD vector with that number of partners. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/16 "2004-11-27T20:05:51Z")
What’s this “If”? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/17 "2004-11-27T20:43:16Z")
I don’t know, but I know I would sleep with at least one rich, naive woman, get her pregnant, get custody and collect 6 figure alimony payments. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/18 "2004-11-27T20:51:39Z")
I’m a woman. All I have to do is say “yes.” So – how would this alleged superpower differ from real life? ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/19 "2004-11-27T21:16:11Z")
This answer assumes that, along with this mystical power, I have no current SO. I would sleep with quite a few people. In time perhaps I would find it a shallow pursuit, but that’s a chance I’d be willing to take. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883/20 "2004-11-27T21:56:30Z")
I would probably be really promiscuous at first, just because I’d have the satisfaction of screwing all those women who would never give me the time of day. But I think what would happen for a lot of people, and not just me, is that you’d be with so many people your standards would start getting really really high. But my gosh, the variety you would have! :eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-had-the-superpower-of-seduction-how-many-people-would-you-sleep-with/276883.md?page=2)