Are humans meant to be monogamous creatures?

[xxmyhero64xx]

Ever since I heard word of my aunt and uncle getting divorced (two people who have been together since I can remember) I started wondering if human beings are really meant to stay with one other person till death. My parents are divorced after 20 years, I've seen relationships die after couples being together for years, and the divorce rate in America is 50%. It makes me wonder considering the physical goal of male humans is to spread the genetic seed as much as possible, does it do our species any good to just stay with one partner till death?

 

[Kwaren]

I leave you with this.

 

[Drakmeire]

I highly doubt it, we have no neurological drive to stay with someone except for "There are no achievable substitutes" and "Social drives"
the idea of romance itself is an invention of humanity to add deeper meaning to what in the end is Hormones and Chemical reactions.
Annnnnnd. with that I am going to be single forever.

 

[OptimisticPessimist]

We're not meant to be anything.

 

[monstersquad]

It doesnt do us any good genetically, but we're far past that. If you look at other apes( we are apes, no use denying it), they're generally polygamous, and with chimps especially, there's a healthy amount of incest thrown in there as well. This is fine for their society, but it obviously wouldn't work in ours.

But culturally, monogamy is more important now than it ever was, considering the myriad of killer STDs out there, and just the sheer amount of people around make it more about safety and familiarity than anything else. However, I can also see how the generation of our parents really seemed to need that connection, while in our days, the implications surrounding marriage and monogamy are much different than they used to be.

 

[Radoh]

As I understand it, it is a man's genetic prerogative to get as many women pregnant as possible, while it is a woman's prerogative to stay with one man throughout their life. Take that as you will.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

We are not just slaves of our biology, nor are we the product. We are long past the 'spread your gene as much as possible' stage. We reason, use logic, have complex communication and emotions. Hell, the fact that you engage yourself in a partnership based on unwritten, unspoken but universally understood rules is evidence itself that you are not simply a breeding machine with one purpose and one purpose only.

But then who am I to tell you that we should just be monogamous? There is no single right way to live life.

In a nutshell: People can sleep around as much as they want, I'm not disputing that. But I feel that we are long, long past the stage where it is our main purpose for existing.

 

[Thaluikhain]

We're not meant to be anything.

That's more or less all there is to say.

 

[Kwaren]

*comic*

Wtf? THATS why its shaped like that?
But... I would never stir another mans porridge to begin with... Thats gross.

Biology is fun huh?

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

It doesnt do us any good genetically, but we're far past that. If you look at other apes( we are apes, no use denying it), they're generally polygamous, and with chimps especially, there's a healthy amount of incest thrown in there as well. This is fine for their society, but it obviously wouldn't work in ours.

But culturally, monogamy is more important now than it ever was, considering the myriad of killer STDs out there, and just the sheer amount of people around make it more about safety and familiarity than anything else. However, I can also see how the generation of our parents really seemed to need that connection, while in our days, the implications surrounding marriage and monogamy are much different than they used to be.

Well fuck, I have been severely ninja'd. God damn.

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

There is evidence that humankind evolved to be polygamous, but, then again, we also have enzymes specializing in digesting other humans. Take the evidence how you will. In this instance biology isn't forcing us to do anything.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Ever since I heard word of my aunt and uncle getting divorced (two people who have been together since I can remember) I started wondering if human beings are really meant to stay with one other person till death. My parents are divorced after 20 years, I've seen relationships die after couples being together for years, and the divorce rate in America is 50%. It makes me wonder considering the physical goal of male humans is to spread the genetic seed as much as possible, does it do our species any good to just stay with one partner till death?

We're primates, and the males of our species have a moderate testicular size compared to their bodies.

Therefore we are capable of monogamy, but we aren't particularly good at it. We're the half-way point between Chimps (who will screw anything that moves) and Gorillas (who are monogamous).

Lesson of the day: Guys, it's not the size of your penis that counts. It's the size of your balls compared to the rest of your body. At least as far as monogamy is concerned.

 

[Radoh]

Ever since I heard word of my aunt and uncle getting divorced (two people who have been together since I can remember) I started wondering if human beings are really meant to stay with one other person till death. My parents are divorced after 20 years, I've seen relationships die after couples being together for years, and the divorce rate in America is 50%. It makes me wonder considering the physical goal of male humans is to spread the genetic seed as much as possible, does it do our species any good to just stay with one partner till death?

We're primates, and the males of our species have a moderate testicular size compared to their bodies.

Therefore we are capable of monogamy, but we aren't particularly good at it. We're the half-way point between Chimps (who will screw anything that moves) and Gorillas (who are monogamous).

Lesson of the day: Guys, it's not the size of your penis that counts. It's the size of your balls compared to the rest of your body. At least as far as monogamy is concerned.

I love you so much Bara, that was a very entertaining read.

 

[Falconsgyre]

Biologically, humans are serially monogamous with a high tendency for extra-pair copulations. Or, we like to stick with one person socially and then sleep behind their backs as much as we can without damaging that relationship. At least in the standard view of things. Humans are probably not sexually monogamous, in the sense that we're likely designed to sleep around a lot, but there is a general tendency to pick a mate and stick with them for a while. But not necessarily for life.

If you can spare the time Sex at Dawn has some pretty interesting arguments for why humans aren't actually monogamous at all, and evolved for group mating situations.

And for all the people saying that we're not "meant" to do anything and we should just ignore our underlying biological and psychological design: that's a little like saying we should all live in the ocean because we shouldn't be constrained by our inability to breathe water. Psychology imposes limits on us. If we willfully ignore these limits, then we will often end up unhappy. Biology doesn't "force" us to do anything in the sense that we're not literally compelled to do it, but not following its dictates may end up with you being miserable. That's why we look for mates in the first place.

 

[Souplex]

Most mammals aren't.
We're mammals.
You mostly see monogamy in egg-laying species.

 

[Falconsgyre]

We're primates, and the males of our species have a moderate testicular size compared to their bodies.

Therefore we are capable of monogamy, but we aren't particularly good at it. We're the half-way point between Chimps (who will screw anything that moves) and Gorillas (who are monogamous).

Lesson of the day: Guys, it's not the size of your penis that counts. It's the size of your balls compared to the rest of your body. At least as far as monogamy is concerned.

Damn, I was going to say that.

Uh... if it matters, we're slightly on the side of monogamy. We're a little bit smaller than you'd expect from polygynists.

 

[bobknowsall]

Ehhh, no.

But yes.

Not really.

There are six billion of us. Can we really generalise?