Does sex make the world go 'round?
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| Sat, 03-25-2006 - 3:39am |
There are various human desires that are said to motivate people...love, money, power, etc. I sometimes wonder if, when all is said and done, it pretty much comes down to sex. Not in all instances, of course, but often enough that sex may be the dominant motivator in the world.
There is, of course, love for our family, which is generally out of the sexual realm. But how about M/F romantic love? Isn't romance very closely related to a desire for physical intimacy? Some men and women kill, risk their lives, do almost anything for romance. Posts about men and women being friends often mention that sexual tension frequently exists on some level. Then there's "friends with benefits", where it seems to commonly happen that at least one of the people develops feelings which are fueled by the physical intimacy. As for money and power, they can motivate in their own right, but I believe that for a lot of people...men especially...money and power are on some level linked to a desire for attracting willing sexual partners.
Even with familial love, isn't sex a necessary part of creating a family in the first place (excluding adoption, of course)? Aren't a lot of people motivated to have sex so they can have a family?
Almost everyone is a sexual creature...straight, gay, bi or whatever. Even with no partner, most of us masturbate. Sex is used to sell stuff, to create humor, in the arts, almost everywhere we turn. Even in the past, when it wasn't so publicly explicit, it was still there on some level. Just look at how rapidly things changed when the walls came down with the "sexual revolution".
Love in it's purest form is probably the only human desire that could match sex for it's effect on how humans live, and as stated above my opinion is that sex is deeply part of love.
Imagine that sexual desire stopped in humans. How would the world be different? I think the consequences would be staggering.
Any thoughts on this?
Greg

Greg, I agree. I have thought about this a lot over the years. This question pops up in my mind occasionally.
I think that sex is a great motivator. It's usually on my mind in some form or another, and I do believe that we most likely do things on both a conscious and a subconscious level for sex.
I watched 20/20 last night. And one of the segments was about "asexual" people. Most of these were young people, but there was one older woman. Supposedly, they do not have any sexual drive, and they aren't attracted to either sex. At one point, they were asked "Would you take a pill if it would give you a sex drive?" and some answered "No." They don't miss what they have never experienced, perhaps, but they may be an interesting group to study for some of the answers.
I think that feeling desirable and being desired(both physically and emotionally) is a pretty strong motivator--even if many times, it's on a sub-conscious level. I often wonder whether the reason I cook him his favorite meal is due to my love for him, or because I want sex. ;-) Oh, right--it's not "The way to a man's loins is through is stomach." ....have to get that straight..."heart".....it's "heart" not "loins." ;-)
Edited 3/25/2006 9:10 am ET by rain_dancer_iam
If sexual desire stopped in humans, I think that scientists would be working around the clock to find a solution. You'd see all kinds of medications, tonics, potions and such
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No deep thoughts from me.
Clearly the one purpose that all life on earth seems to share is the drive to continue the species. Sex is how we do it so ultimately *everything* boils down to ensuring that humans continue to have sex and procreate. I think that even the ultimate sacrifice of dying for pure platonic love revolves around ensuring that a person, or a group of people continue to survive and have sex.
If humans lost the desire or motivation to have sex? Can't begin to imagine the consequences.
I've been spending less time on the boards lately, directing my time and energy towards getting my life turned around after my divorce and bankruptcy. I enjoy the boards, have had a lot of fun on them and still post on occasion, but sometimes I think I was using them to excess to avoid dealing with other very important issues.
Greg
"What if sexual desire stopped in humans?"
Frankly, I think it would likely be a more peaceful world, Man. Next to the lust for money & power, sexual lust can the most destructable force in the world.
Maybe without it, we'd concentrate more on emotional intimacy/understanding with one another, brotherly love and concern for other people. Maybe not.
But as with all human "drives" whether it's the will to survive, to eat, to have sex, etc. the lessons to learn are compassion, empathy, self control and moderation and those have to be the hardest lessons to learn for any of us.