What would Steve Harvey say?

I never thought I’d tune in to a morning show radio personality for advice on my love life.

However, recently I have found the words “Steve said” regularly flowing from my lips. KKBT-FM’s (100.3) Steve Harvey has me thinking about how I approach dating.

Essentially, he said to his female listeners, “Y’all set yourselves up wrong.”

Steve Harvey followed up by saying that emotion clouds women’s good judgment. Men, he said, are masters of deception.

“Men are hunters. They know what to trap with.” They will pretend to be exactly what you are looking for in a man, say the right things. (Of course, men say that about women too.)

On a recent evening, I joined a cadre of thirtyish pals -- Paul, Mimi, the two Lauras and Luz -- at McCormick & Schmick’s happy hour. As the ladies sipped cosmopolitans and Paul his beer, I conjured “Dr. Steve” yet again to get a real-world perspective.

“Steve Harvey says we shouldn’t overlook the man who is ‘under construction,’ ” I said.

The ladies disagreed. Mimi threw her fist against the table: “No!” she exclaimed, startling Paul -- the lone man at the table.

Continuing with that building analogy, Luz said she has no interest in a man over 30 who is still gazing with uncertainty at his personal blueprint.

I said I might entertain the idea of a fixer-upper, but he must have a good foundation -- and, we all agreed, be on a promising block. (Not on the corner of Hopeless and Fiasco.)

“Location, location, location!” said the Lauras and Luz in chorus.

Like real estate ads, some men have mastered the art of masking substantial flaws with false advertising. Paul confirmed the conspiracy is alive and well.

“I have a friend who says I don’t play the game enough. He says that I should pretend to be into a girl, even when I’m not interested -- just for the prospect of action,” he said.

That’s not Paul’s style. “I mean, I don’t even want to stay on the phone with a girl if I can respond correctly without listening. ‘Yeah

So how are we to appraise a man’s structural integrity? Here are Harvey’s questions:

1. What are his short-term goals?

2. Hit him with the follow-up: What are his long-term goals? (They should bear no resemblance to the short-term goals. If they do, Steve said, he hasn’t really thought out his future.)

3. What are his feelings about kids and religion? (Steve said, why bother going one step further with a man who doesn’t want or believe the same things as you?)

That’s all simple enough. These questions aren’t horrible for a burgeoning relationship.

“A man is not going to run off if he’s really interested,” Steve said. And we women know that when a man really wants to be near us, there’s not much we can do short of obtaining a restraining order or unleashing a pit bull to keep him away.

I proceeded. “And then he said we need to ask about two more things before we ‘give up the cookie.’ ”

“The cookie?” Paul said, setting down his beer.

“OK, no cookie. What are the other two?” Mimi said.

4. What does he think about you? Steve said the man could probably tick off a long list of things such as, “I think you’re supportive. I think you’d be a good mother.”

“And this last one is where Steve says your relationship will build or crumble,” I said.

5. What does he feel about you?

There was a hush at our table amid the din of the bar. Each of us was probably considering the last time we asked someone that question -- and the answer it elicited.

“If the guy can’t tell you how he feels about you, Steve says that means ‘he doesn’t feel nothin’ for you.’ ”

Even reliving the moment over drinks at happy hour, that was deep for morning radio.

Contact Michelle Maltais at weekend@latimes.com.