Somewhat related to the topic but I was thinking the other day...
A totally worthless male gives up on the flesh to embrace spirituality -- he has no choice, he is totally worthless and the only place where he can find worth is in mysticism.
A totally worthless female gives up on spirituality in order to embrace the flesh, these are the hookers, the prostitutes, the whores, while they are not totally worthless, their sexuality keeps them from total desolation, something that the male is faced with.
The ideal man is a very carnal creature, he's into sports, he has a logical mind, he is confident and isn't afraid of confrontation, he is strong, and determined -- all the things that belong to the physical world, or things that can help shape it.
But an ideal women is gentle, caring, nurturing, and kind -- things that are ideal in the spiritual world.
See where I am going here? When a gender is disenfranchised, it causes a knee-jerk reaction to embrace the ideals of the opposite gender. A poor male embraces the spirit; a poor female embraces the flesh. An ideal female embraces the spirit; an ideal male embraces the flesh!