Fidelity In A Pill: Is Promiscuity Genetic?
Published by Alex February 9th, 2007 in Romance, Sex. Share ThisFewer than 5% of mammals are monogamous, and as much as we try and win, humans fail far too often to make this short list. Ask most guys and they’ll tell you that nature is at least partially to blame for his instinct to copulate with as many females as possible. It is our higher brain, not our descending pair, which compels us to mate with a single female exclusively; the boys below argue constantly to run amok.
It comes down to an agent called vasopressin, which the brain releases upon a successful bout of copulation. Vasopressin triggers serotonin, which feels quite nice, and the association with doin’ it and these good feelings leads to an increasing instinct to repeat such activity as often as possible with as many partners as possible. We are thus…vasoppressed (har) by our own brains into being sluts!
However, scientists at the Emory University in Georgia are researching the potential for genetically altering normally promiscuous organisms into doting, faithful ones. Pretty good article on how they’ve succeeded on this with little varmints below.
The question is, what actually happens differently in the brain? Does it make sex feel less good, or just more easily contained to a single relationship? If a pill was available that could actually make you stop chasing skirts, even stop taking notice of other women than your mate, would you take it? Or is the strength and honor that comes from resisting this urge in and of itself worth the difficulty, and damned if you’re going to pass up on some free braindrugs anyway?
Faithful partners and swingers, please chime in.
Love rat cure in sight [news.com.au]
6 Responses to “Fidelity In A Pill: Is Promiscuity Genetic?”
- 1 Pingback on Feb 13th, 2007 at 2:17 am
This seems, to me, not as much a question of science, but one of morality.
If someone thinks sleeping around (either before or after marriage) is wrong, they should act on their beliefs and not do it. Yes, there will be temptation and they may fail. Pick yourself back up and try again.
If someone thinks sleeping around is morally acceptable, I can’t see them having an interest in this pill.
I suppose there may be those who WANT to be monogamous, but just “can’t help myself”. With the exception of someone who is hormonally damaged, to such a person I would say, “Suck it up, be a man, and live by what you believe. Seek counseling if needed.”
We, as intelligent humans, are responsible for our actions. I would venture to say that every emotion and urge we have is, at some level, related to hormones and the various chemicals our bodies create. Our hormones may elicit emotions, but we choose our behavior. We are not slaves to our pituitary gland. I’m not comfortable using the behavior of animals as justification for my lack of self-control.
1/2 of people in relationships cheat and the other half feel too guilty to admit it. I’m considering investing in a bar and if such a pill were to come to fruition I would lose everything I potentially sink in. People only go to bars because of the possibility (not probability) of sex, not darts, small talk or the awesome juke box. The key to cheating is either be first–the sting of your straying partner’s confession will be lessened by your preemptive strike or ‘2 heads for an eye’…the mess up and you get to stop trying to live up to a fairy tale ideal.
Wow eddie, you have very little faith in people. I don’t think it’s true that everyone cheats, so I hope that your comment was tongue-in-cheek. “Not cheating” is all about having a little self-restraint, which most adults are capable of and don’t need a pill for. It’s the same maturity that prevents me from stealing when nobody is looking, or drinking and driving even when I’ll never get caught, or saying “fuck-you” to bums on the street. It’s called being a decent human being.
I agree with Doug, the only people that would even consider taking this drug are already mature enough that they wouldn’t need it.
There are no decent human beings, but lots of people tru to pass themselves off.
The latest psychology stats show that women’s admition of infedility is growing and has now risen to 47% among married women. Given their lack of testicles, where would such a drug fit in to a society based on couplehood? Is vasopressin released upon clitoral orgasm?
A male friend of mine,we’ll call him Tom, was with the same lady for years, never strayed; was a little too loyal, often saying that compared to his hot wife, most chicas were far from tempting (she is a very pretty lady). But his pretty lady cheated numerous times and eventually left him 6 months after marriage. He had the opposite problem as “most” guys, while he liked sex, he rarely thought about it more than once or twice a day. And his job and stress level ran amok all over his mannuggets, until he was simple unable to raise the flag. This was two years ago and he’s still not dated. Yes, he needs help.
Unfortunately, some womens’ biggest complaint isn’t their partner’s wandering eyes, but their men’s lagging sex drive. There’s certainly a timeframe when man-boys are humpmonsters, sexing everything in sight. But for many it does change with age, toward the thirties and on. And with all the disease and crazy people out there, I know a few guys, single or no, who are simply afraid to even think grabbing random tail. Bringing home someone from a bar is a scary thing nowadays. But those who do and get the hiv, i guess that’s just a little natural selection.
It would be so easy if all guys were just walking testes, armed for release, “boys” constantly tempted to “run amok”. No true loyalty, no special affection for that certain someone, all stereotypical pricks. And, I dare to say, the average guy, joe blow on the street who looks at my ass as he and his girl walks by, could use a little drug therapy. But there’s such a wide spectrum of “guys” and they don’t all just want to fuck as many chicks as possible. Some, like my friend Tom, get off more on chinese takeout and xbox then bar trash.