Quote by Richard Dawkins
There is bound to be variation in the population of males in their predisposition to be faithful husbands. If females could recognize such qualities in advance, they could benefit themselves by choosing males possessing them. One way for a female to do this is to play hard to get for a long time, to be coy. Any male who is not patient enough to wait until the female eventually consents to copulate is not likely to be a good bet as a faithful husband.
Summary
This quote suggests that there is natural variation in the tendency of males to be faithful in relationships. If females were able to identify these qualities beforehand, they could benefit from choosing males who possess them. One strategy for females is to intentionally be difficult to pursue, as this may weed out males who lack the patience required for a committed relationship. The quote implies that males who cannot wait for a female to consent to sexual activity are less likely to be reliable as faithful husbands.