The purpose of this post is two-fold. First, add a little levity to this site and second, try to make a point in 1,000 words or less.
Now that biological Darwinism has been accepted by the mainstream science community and is not just a theory but plain fact … given the overwhelming evidence and the blessing of the Catholic Church (read the last paragraphs of my last post) … Darwinism has been taken up by other disciplines of science to explain everything from the development of the cosmos, technology development, cultural development and my favorite, social behaviour.
Social Darwinism in my view is not really science but rather a type of parlor game where we explain away all types of odd and inappropriate behaviour as a result of an adaption mechanism. For example, men who can’t keep their eyes (and sometimes their hands) off other women is explained as the need to disperse their seeds as wide as possible. “It’s my genome honey, you know I love you”.
How can social Darwinsim account for another observable phenomenon, the “why do nice guys finish last” conundrum? From a woman’s perspective it the common question that can arise over a glass of wine or mint julips, that of “why are guys such a-holes”. From a man’s perspective, its “why do women chose such a-holes” (translate as ‘why didn’t she pick me?”).
Indeed, why are men so aggressive? Why do we still war upon each other, rob & kill, rape and pillage? Not every man of course, is guilty of such outrageous behavior, but it seems that men are responsible for a disproportionate percentage of the world’s ills. How many serial killers turn out to be women?
Christians might claim that these traits are a result of our original fall from grace (read - it was Eve’s fault!) and for once I can’t help but agree with them. After all, with the exception of few situations where women aren’t given a choice, in the overwhelming majority of cases it is the woman who ultimately selects the father of her child. Simply put, it is sexual selection at work.
Just as peacocks have evolved decorative (and rather clumsy) plumage and the poor bower bird busts its butt building elaborate nests, human males have evolved traits to compete in the mating game. I think it is fair to say that given the plasticity of our brains and the slow pace of genetic mutation, evolution works most effectively on our behaviour.
The simple answer to the question of “why are guys such a-holes” boils down to this. It’s because that’s the type guy that woman tend to select. The old adage “nice guys finish last” is much more than simple rationalization for failure, it’s the result of ongoing sexual selection. So the next time some guy has an affair with the secretary that’s young enough to be his daughter or spends the family savings on that flashy bass boat (substitute motorcycle, kick-butt stereo system, large screen TV, etc.) just remember that you women must ultimately assume responsibility for the genomes that get selected.
That was much less than 1,000 words!
Saturday, March 3, 2007
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4 comments:
Genaro, first off - it's the way the site is formatted that makes your posts run on for screens at a time... but what you lack in screened brevity, you make up in passion and reflection.
Now, as there is certainly much more behind this post than mere evolutionary blabble, I will tread lightly, and congratulate on coming out of the closet with your frustrations about women. It is as they wish it to be.
You made a very specific error however; You made an assumption that you can know their minds, understand what makes them tick, so it were.
That is a conundrum that has been driving men mad for millennia.
Don't try - you will become a drunkard, unkempt, malodorous, poetry writer, living on a sheetless striped single mattress in the basement of a bordello, agonizing over this cahllenge; and then no-one will want to talk to you.
Women are mysterious, majestic and wonderful beings, in a pantheon far above the oubliette of man; providing impetus enough for many, to bow down to God, for their illustrious architecture.
For now and evermore.
Keno, I have new respect for you. Genaro made his statement about women in order to jolt me into commenting on it. As you said, he made the assumption that he can know our minds. I will not comment on his post. I certainly agree with what you have said. Malodorous? Oh dear, no wonder so many guys I have dated smell. Perhaps my being a deipnosophist has caused undue stress on their hygiene products!
Scarlet, assuming for a moment you are of the feminine; grooming is that thing that any man may acheive, but most disregard the need for it.
As Penn Gillette once said "My favorite thing about the Internet is that you get to go into the private world of real creeps without having to smell them."
I once wrote a story about a middle aged man, whose nose hair (in the middle of the night) gained conciousness, and grew to substantial lengths, choking the throat of it's owner. Both sentients died. There is a moral or two to that tale.
I am sorry you date the smelly ones.
Thanks for your comment Keno. As usual, you are elegant, florid, and inciteful.
Just the set the record straight, there really wan't anything biographical in my post. It was merely a reflection on something floating in the air these days.
And Scarlett, I think you should come clean and tell something about yourself ...
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