Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 65 (9162 total)
4 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,819 Year: 3,076/9,624 Month: 921/1,588 Week: 104/223 Day: 2/13 Hour: 1/0


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Reproduction
Trump won 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1240 days)
Posts: 1928
Joined: 01-12-2004


Message 1 of 4 (89481)
02-29-2004 10:46 PM


Hi, I am not totally sure on what I am asking about so forgive me if I am totally wrong. Some organisms have nerve endings on their sex organs so sex "feels good",gives them pleasure? If this is true then if reproduction is necessary for the survival of the species why do organisms have this feature? Maybe it's because sexual reproduction differs from asexual, as in asexual is as means for survival only and sexual is not only just for survival?
If this assumption is correct or incorrect please let me know.

-chris

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by Stephen ben Yeshua, posted 03-01-2004 4:43 AM Trump won has not replied
 Message 3 by Mammuthus, posted 03-01-2004 6:40 AM Trump won has not replied
 Message 4 by Coragyps, posted 03-01-2004 6:59 AM Trump won has not replied

  
Stephen ben Yeshua
Inactive Member


Message 2 of 4 (89515)
03-01-2004 4:43 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Trump won
02-29-2004 10:46 PM


Meaningful pleasure
Chris,
When the reward for an action happens at a time long after the action itself, the body has "pleasure" to alert itself that something good has happened, even though there is no immediate reward at hand. Similarly with certain forms of pain, that tell (warn) you about destruction of the tissues before the actual destruction takes place.
As regards sex, there is sexual pleasure, but the true reward, delight and joy comes from having and raising children and grandchildren, which are the biological measure of life success. Think of it this way. If there were people who took no joy in children, and therefore abandoned them, their children would probably not survive very well, and such people would after many, many generations have no great-great-great-ever-so-great grandchildren. Such persons who might have lived many years ago would not have had me or you or anyone alive today, in other words. You and I and most all of us are most likely descended from people who liked having children, to the point that they took care of them. Then, we probably inherited their desire to have and raise children. And, of course, to enjoy sex which produced those children.
But, what if we start enjoying sex in a way that does not produce children? We get part of the fun, but miss the "real" fun. Now, in humans, "producing children" is a long term proposition. Couples raising children find that loving each other makes the child-producing much more effective and hence enjoyable. So, they often enjoy sex to "make love" even though they already have the baby's physical body produced. Their sexual pleasure produces the growth of the babies or child's "soul."
Those who have "casual" or "promiscuous" sex with no thought of future children can actually harm any future children they might have.
This is especially true of human females, because of a difference between the way males and females contribute to having babies. Every mother knows what baby is hers, and which ones she should love. But normally only fathers with women who are "faithful" to them can know for sure what babies they have fathered. Men who are with women who are, or have been, with other men, often (not always!) have doubts about that woman's babies, and less love for those babies. Presently, DNA testing helps make these matters clear. But the reptile in your brain may not believe in DNA testing.
The golden rule for men is, treat every woman the way you want other men to treat the woman who is going to have your children. That's the way to have the clearest conscience.
Of course, many people decide to cheat on nature, and get the pleasure of sex without connecting it to producing children. This is called "loving pleasure." Because it does not connect to the deeper biological issues of adaptive fitness, it is unlikely to be ultimately as pleasurable or satisfying as using sexual pleasure for what your body and pleasure centers intend. Humans are adaptable, and can often find a pretty good life in a variety of ways. But, it is healthy to hope for the complete package.
Be shrewd. Look for the meaning of all pleasure and pain, and make that meaning a part of the experience. Then you will avoid useless pleasure, and take on useful pain (called discipline). Keep thinking! It's hard, but a great pleasure, in the long run.
Stephen

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Trump won, posted 02-29-2004 10:46 PM Trump won has not replied

  
Mammuthus
Member (Idle past 6476 days)
Posts: 3085
From: Munich, Germany
Joined: 08-09-2002


Message 3 of 4 (89525)
03-01-2004 6:40 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Trump won
02-29-2004 10:46 PM


At first I thought you were asking about the evolution of sexual reproduction. But if I read you correctly, you are asking about the advantages of pleasure during sex. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are a pretty good example of the non direct reproductive advantages of sexual pleasure. Unlike the chimpanzee's you are probably more familiar with (Pan troglodytes..or Stephen ben Yeshua, Homo non-sapiens), bonobos ease group tension and inter individual conflicts by having sex. Each sexual encounter does not lead to offspring. They also exhibit a great deal of homosexual sex among group members. Rather than fighting, they have sex. It is good to be a bonobo
Pan troglodytes, and humans for that matter do use sex for increasing bonding between individuals without generating offspring, but not at the level seen in bonobo groups. So sex can have benefits that do not directly lead to offspring. By diminshing conflict or enhancing social bonds among group members, sex can increase individual fitness i.e. the ability to produce young who will survive to produce young of their own.
If you wanted info on the evolution of sexual reproduction let me know.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Trump won, posted 02-29-2004 10:46 PM Trump won has not replied

  
Coragyps
Member (Idle past 735 days)
Posts: 5553
From: Snyder, Texas, USA
Joined: 11-12-2002


Message 4 of 4 (89529)
03-01-2004 6:59 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Trump won
02-29-2004 10:46 PM


There are a great number of sexually reproducing animals that apparently don't get any big sensory reward for reproducing - clams, corals, and some other invertebrate sea life come to mind. They shed gazillions of eggs or sperm, but I don't have a clue if they're even "aware" of doing so. And I don't really see where sex among most birds would be too much of a thrill, either: a half-second "cloacal kiss" and it's over.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Trump won, posted 02-29-2004 10:46 PM Trump won has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024