Monday, December 12, 2005

Cecilia, You’re Breaking My Heart…

Ria had sent me a forward once. It went something like this:

“Your Brain is a unique piece of art. In the right side of the brain, there is nothing left, an in the left side of it, there is nothing right.”

I assume that this clichéd joke would have already been read by a million others. However, it got me thinking today as to why our behaviour is what it is. Why is it that women are turned on by certain factors and others are not? By turned on, what I refer to is sexually turned on and therefore, am referring to the courtship and mating process.

This quest of mine threw up some interesting finds, especially a book which deserves to find special mention in this category, “The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature”.

Geoffrey Miller, an American cognitive psychologist who teaches at University College, London, falls broadly within the evolutionary psychology camp, people who argue that no matter how odd our behaviors may look today, they make sense in terms of our hunter-gatherer ancestry. They purport to explain every detail of the human behaviour by referring to the ancestral environment in which our minds and behaviours developed.

As an example, they cite that some of the most bizarre occurrences could not have taken place had it not been for the reasons that they cite are present. For example, the plumage of the peacock, differing as they are from one another might be a case in point. Economically, Darwin could only see these structures as a hindrance, which they certainly are. However, as sexual attractants he believed that they could be explained by female choice; and experiments do seem to have confirmed that female peacocks prefer males with exaggerated plumage.

Alternatively, males in the human community with exaggerated body statistics may not be the ones who are the most “satisfying” to a female sexually, or have happy married lives. I state from my own deductions that what females or males normally look for is a wholesome human being. For example, why do human females have prominent breasts? Not, apparently, as direct sex attractants. No, it turns out that symmetry of bodily structure is a fitness indicator, and symmetry is more easily detectable among large breasts than small ones. What's more, the pertness of these appendages in young women advertises the period of maximum reproductive effectiveness -- said to be an advantage that outweighs the later penalties of gravity, which warn males off.

However, I disagree with Miller when he says that each and every characteristic of a human being has been evolved as a result of mating choice. I believe that sexual selection is different than natural, or “survival” selection, which refers to environmental factors such as climate or predators that affect reproductive success. Sexual selection is much more direct and potentially powerful; it is shaped by the mate preferences of the opposite sex. However, this is only to the extent that affect reproductive success. That the male biceps are bigger than females naturally can be explained by the fact that it is a fitness indicator is a bit hard to digest.

Whatever it is, I think that the whole point of the argument is to understand why there are some females that we “go for” and there are others whom we think are “sweet”, “nice” and so on, but do not think are suitable to be our partners. That, I believe, has been underlined by the fact that a person who is intellectually more capable than the average being, is financially stronger, is presentable enough and has a pleasant disposition has a far better chance of getting a mate than the others. Take any of the matters in its individuality, and the person may not stand out.

Therefore, the old saying does hold true.

May the Best Man Win…

Peace!

Love, laughter n keep the Faith

S

10 comments:

SCRIBBLEZ TO WAKEUP said...

Hey..Much tht u want to believe tht intellect, financial status, mannerisms/presentability are linked and the link is an attractive factor when combined, I may say tht thts not the case..when it comes to partners, its like interlocking the fingers from the right hand to the left or vice versa. You choose depending on what is important to you. You may think tht looks is all you want, another person looks for money, another for a smile, another for street smartness, one for intellect, one for humour n wht not....Everyone is likeable by someone someday. I think I dont make sense here but I used to believe the way u did n am proved rong so I kind of got a hang about it....

EvolutioN said...

That is so true... but then, isnt intellect, financial status, mannerisms blah blah blah some of our needs??? it differs from one to the other... but then, what I meant was that individual needs apart, everyone searches for that person who is the most "wholesome"... know what I mean???

I knew a guy who fell in love with someone because she had the most delicate fingers!!! that, i swear by my girlfriend is totally true... :))

Love, laughter n keep the Faith

S

Nayan said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Nayan said...

Daiyyem! You stole my words man.. =)))

"Survival of the fittest!"

EvolutioN said...

I did??? fluttering eyelids at the speed of light!!!

he he

Love, laughter n keep the Faith

S

SCRIBBLEZ TO WAKEUP said...

Hey tell u...
Much to many a belief tht I had it all- being very frank, the yada yada yada tht anaverage guy looks gor in a girl, I didnt want tht sort of a partner..The first thing I told my partner was my deficiency which the outer world never sees as deficiency as they dont want to believe tht I have a problem..Then my partner was cool with tht n the artificial measures never were a parameter...Same with me...I hav a med issue but no one wanted to see it n accept it..They wanted to always see me as an angel n tht was so very weird!

EvolutioN said...

hmmmmmm...

well... u were frank and candid in telling her your deficiency... "being frank"... isnt that something of positive quality too???

Love, laughter n keep the Faith

S

SCRIBBLEZ TO WAKEUP said...

I didn't tell her, I told HIM.As I married a MAN...:)Yeah hope I always have the strength to be FRANK..:)

Nayan said...

Yeah scribblez... I know that! ;)
=)))))))

EvolutioN said...

@scribblez

sorry... I got the gender wrong... oops!!! :-S

Other than that, is your husband named Frank??? Okie, Bad PJ... ;)

@Nayan

seems like hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!!! (or a guy whose a** has been kicked very badly!!)

no offence... just kidding!!!

he he...

Love, laughter n keep the Faith

S

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Loves,

Evo