A few years ago, I was your typical office-worker: stressed out, uneven energy, overweight, and inconsistent complexion. Now I'm just your typical 28-year old urban hunter-gatherer on a quest to be healthy, and having a few adventures along the way. See my full bio.
Hypothesis: The most powerful motivational force in the world is the male sex drive.
Individually, females control access to sex, and thus, decide which male behaviors to reward with sex.
Collectively, societies where females reward productive males with sex are societies that will be more productive, all else equal. Societies where females reward unproductive males with sex are societies that will be less productive, all else equal. More productive societies grow faster than less productive societies.
Conclusion: Female sexuality controls the direction of societies.
Discuss.
Comments
I'm female, over 40, and I
I'm female, over 40, and I like you. May not agree with all you say, but like that you are thoughtful and straight forward.Glad I stumbled upon your site.KiKiP.S. I kill my own mice, do my own plumbing, and don't reward unproductive behavior with sex. LOL!
Are you smoking something?
Are you smoking something?
This blog used to be
This blog used to be somewhat interesting. With the obsession with masculinity it no longer is.
Tell me you are not
Tell me you are not serious.Because if you are, you are saying that only men contribute to productivity and women, what, just sit around looking pretty?
Depends on how one defines
Depends on how one defines "productivity". Excepting cloning, perpetuation of the species requires males and females. Generally, males pursue females. Females "select" males. Ergo, "just sitting around looking pretty" is often a productive means to an end. Which of course isn't an end, but a continuation. Production.
Text for this discussion:
Text for this discussion: “The Sex Contract” by anthropologist Helen Fisher. Posited: The male sex drive and the female food and security drive (benefiting her offspring also) co-evolved and COOPERATIVELY evolved. Selected anatomical result: secondary sex characteristics. Ergo: Men created women's "womanly" bodies. Women created men's "manly" bodies. See this Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_sex_characteristic#In_humans
21st century update: Modern civilization's trappings notwithstanding, sex remains a primary and primal goal for males. For females, the proxy for food and security is money/power. 21st century update proof: Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, and many, many other couples.
Drive to Stay Alive . . . the motto for sex, which is both the destination and the vehicle.
Is Lil Wayne unproductive? He
Is Lil Wayne unproductive? He made a couple of multi-platinum records; seems pretty productive to me. Can't say I would want him as my brother in law. "Individually, females control access to sex, and thus, decide which male behaviors to reward with sex."Women sexually respond to a very limited range of behaviors, namely expression of personal power, dominance, body language, preselection, confidence. Women reward the same traits, over and over again.Guy with brown hair? Well, is he a dominant quarterback?Guy who knows Spanish? Well, can he seduce me in Spanish?Guy who builds houses? Well, does he dominate a crew of men?In fact, women know they are in love with the right guy when they feel completely out of control, yielding everything about themselves to the guy. You can go ahead and hold women accountable for their actions. That just means you were never in control to inspire those feelings. Or you just never expressed your control and gave her a reason to submit to you.http://www.gritartisan.wordpress.com
It seems that education (and
It seems that education (and subsequent increase in use of contraception) are also determining factors for societal growth, beyond sheer amound of sex. With those accounted for, it could be true that societies in which females reward unproductive behavior actually grow faster than the more "productive" societies, simply because there isn't anything else to do, and contraception is not used due to either physical or religious considerations. But as an all-time rule, whatever behaviors are rewarded with sex WILL be repeated. That's the case in my house, anyway! Off to do some chores...
In keeping with your
In keeping with your hypothesis, I thought I'd direct your attention to this article (via Jezebel):"Evolution and the psychology of intergroup conflict: the male warrior hypothesis"http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/367/1589/670.full.pdf+htmlIn a recent experimental study, researchers found that men, but not women, were more likely to endorse statements supporting war after they had been primed with attractive members of the opposite sex relative to unattractive members of the opposite sex. These results are consistent with the notion that, for men, intergroup conflict may serve the ultimate purpose of securing reproductive resources.
It's funny you should use
It's funny you should use that study, Nat. I used the same one in my research for my thesis last year. Van Vugt's theory has ruffled some feathers, especially in the more "peace-loving" segment of academia. If you bring up anything purporting to link violence with genetics or sexual selection, they go ape-y (pun intended).
There was a "How I Met Your
There was a "How I Met Your Mother" episode on that... 50 reasons to have sex. One reason being, to reinforce good behavior, such as dental hygeine.
I would be interested to see
I would be interested to see a primatologists view of this vis a vis chimpanzees versus bonobos. Little to no violence in bonobo communities where sex is rampant while some inter-community violence has been reported in chimpanzees. The ladies may hold the key on this one....
I think "productivity" is the
I think "productivity" is the wrong word, John. Something like Power or better yet Prestige would work. Only then could you explain why unproductive NBA players get laid more than anyone else!
I didn't say women *were*
I didn't say women *were* sleeping with productive men, I said *if* they sleep with productive men. Big difference, and you just pointed out why.
Are you familiar with the
Are you familiar with the play Lysistrata? A Greek play from ~400BC in which women hold sex for ransom in order to end a war. I'll offer the more modern take on this: Baba Brinkman's "Don't sleep with mean people". 'Vote with you uterus'(Hmm- I recomend googling the Baba Brinkman song as I can't seem to paste in a link. Also- he has a bunch of stuff on sexual selection/human nature that is rather amusing)
No, hadn't heard of the play,
No, hadn't heard of the play, thanks for the reference. Funny song!
This reminds me of the work
This reminds me of the work done by Napoleon Chagnon with the Yanomami and violence. Apparently he (maybe someone else) thought that the violence of the Yanomami increased thier chance to mate.
Yeah, the Yanomamo men who
Yeah, the Yanomamo men who had killed another man had more offspring as I recall.
Maybe my wife is just
Maybe my wife is just helping society be more productive. Ya that's it.
My vagina can only do so much
My vagina can only do so much for the economy.
hilarious
hilarious
^^ lol... Sound's somewhat
^^ lol... Sound's somewhat true. But what turns a girl on is subconscious, no? She just responds to certain cues of the male. Perhaps it's hardwired.
Part is out of your control,
Part is out of your control, part is within your control! If you assign status to certain values or endeavors, then a man who fulfills those values will probably be attractive.