Girls will always go for the thrill and excitement of bad boys over the comfort and ease of good guys or nerdy guys. Until those girls get tired of going to therapy or the ER due to abuse. Then they give the good guys a try.
Woman here. This made me laugh. This sounds like what guys who can’t get dates with the women they’d prefer to date say to make themselves feel better.
I was definitely a party girl, out at clubs all the time, dancing, having fun, looking good and I never looked for the biggest jerk to be with. I can only speak for myself, but what I looked for was intelligence, wit and confidence in guys (and a certain level of fitness and attractiveness if I’m honest, though intelligence and wit are part of attractiveness). I guess the guys who bemoan that “girls” seek out these abusive guys instead of “nice” guys are the ones who lack self confidence. I also guess there were plenty of women who would have gone out with them if they asked and approached the right ones instead of the unobtainable (by them) ones. Butcher’s books contain the male nerd fantasy of all these super models being interested in the unattractive geeks. It is fantasy story, though.
I’ve been married to a “bad boy” for many years. I never went to the medical emergency or a therapist for abuse. That’s just absurd. Attractive, confident men are just as likely to be “nice” guys.
Specifically on the MurphyDresden topic that spawned your “poor nice guys” tangent, I don’t know why Murphy would even consider getting involved with Dresden. That guy is an emotional train wreck and his life is a mess now. Years earlier, he was just a weird guy she knew who lived in a basement and had no money. They had no real connection then, so I’d be shocked if a successful career police officer would get into a relationship with him at that point.
Also, the Molly crush thing is so silly; no way would she be so into him, I think. That one, I just chalk up to nerd wish fulfillment fantasy.