So these thoughts just came to mind while I was taking down biology notes (lol, typical)... and I can't really put them together in a cohesive way thus I apologize in advance for any confusion that may arise due to my poor grammar and writing structure.
So when I was reading/writing notes on behavioral biology, I noticed that humans are such sadists in comparison to most animals (except for ones like cats who enjoy "playing" with their prey before actually killing it). I mean we teach animals like dogs and such to perform tricks for rewards; however, those animals will continue to perform those tricks when we discontinue the rewards. Isn't this taking advantage of their optimistically simplistic minds? Sure they're not psychologically capable of figuring out that the reward isn't coming every time (especially if the trainer confuses the dog by rewarding at random intervals), but it's still pretty cruel to make a dog believe that they'll be given a treat every time they do a trick.
Next topic would be... as usual, sex. Haha, just kidding, it's only somewhat about sex... Anyway, this was when I was reading about Darwinian fitness (reproductive success) and it made me feel opposed to arranged marriages. Perhaps you don't get how they're related straight away, but consider this: arranged marriages are fundamentally opposing Darwinan fitness and natural selection. Who cares if the guy/girl is rich or successful or whatever? They must lack something important to be incapable of finding themselves a mate (this does not apply tho countries where arranged marriages are the only way to become eloped). If a person can't attract a mate to themself then they pretty much don't have the right to reproduce because their offspring will be equally as lacking. Sex is originally and fundamentally meant for reproduction, if you can't find a mate to reproduce with, it pretty much means you shouldn't.
(disclaimer: I'm willing to make exceptions, there are exceptions to everything so no, you cannot stone me - besides which, this is America :p free country. 1st ammendment hahaha).
Just a couple of facts in my bio book:
- lengthening exposure to sunlight results in neural and hormonal changes that induce behavioral association with reproduction. No wonder there are so many babies born 9 months after Summer! This also explains people's tendencies to have summer flings (although I will take into account how people loose inhibition in a foreign country anyway).
- Red coloration of body parts tend to trigger either aggressive or sexual behavior in many species with color vision. This explains bulls (who charge at red objects that flutter about) and people also lol, no wonder Wilson didn't want people wearing the promiscuous "red" to prom because it was le color of le whore ;) - I don't know why I replaced "the" with "le", it just sounds more moulin rouge-ish I suppose.
For the record, I painted my fingernails and toenails bright red *before* I read this. No wonder men find bright red lipstick sexy.
Pce, <3, and cookies
-Lisa
About Me
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
well humans are like dogs too.
ReplyDeletesometimes we don't know, other times we do know we won't get the 'treat' but sometimes we still do the same 'tricks' over and over in *hopes* of getting that 'treat'.
it's kinda like slavery, or not even that, but you could raise a child like a dog metaphorically, teach them 'tricks' and they'll keep doing it even when they're older...
wait what? since when does someone's kid have to be just like their parent? and since when does someone who is able to attract a mate have immediate right to reproduce
anyway I think everyone can find a mate to reproduce with, they just don't necessarily find them in their current life, or they don't try/it's not that important.
and anyway, if two people want to get married and have sex and kids but aren't attracted to each other that way..then that's their problem XD
and um don't arranged marriages happen not because they can't find a mate but because of their family or culture or whatever? how would the person to be married arrange their own marriage? it's the family n stuff who do it, so....and if there wasn't some sort of attraction or benefit at least on both sides then they probably wouldn't have children in the first place even if they were forced to get married XD;;
don't mind me, just had to argue 8D
You could but humans are more capable of realizing the actual situation than animals are.
ReplyDeleteNo I mean in extreme situations, if you're pathetic enough to want a mate so bad you'd agree to an arranged marriage then there's probably something wrong with them. That's why I said the exception is for culture and stuff. I suppose a dating service is also like an arranged marriage type thing.
Lol it's okay, I like arguing. It's just something that occurred to me when I was supposed to be doing bio.
our dogs are smarter than that :(
ReplyDeletethey know that there's nothing in it for them to listen to us, so they don't xD
the one exception to this seems to be the dinner table. they always stare at mom, because if they look sad enough she gives them food. they never bother with me, because i only give them food on completely and utterly random whims, thus i'm not worth the effort xD
lol. well lisa, if you're going to look at it that way... our whole SOCIETY is like killing natural selection. take people who wear glasses. obviously defective eyes are not beneficial to the species, but it can be "fixed" (glasses) now, so people with eye problems still get married (e.g. my parents) and have babies with even WORSE eyesight (e.g. me)
and other medical stuff. like we're all PC now and stuff, but if you're going to go COMPLETELY for natural selection, then shouldn't everyone predisposed to various illness which are treatable but still genetic not reproduce? like all the ones who would die without constant "help" like no animal would survive with defective eyes, no animal could survive with an allergy (like to peanuts) to a thing most of its kind eat... i know there are more examples i just can't think of them. oh yeah like every mental illness there is :S or deaf people etc etc
i'm not actually attempting to bash people born with bad eyesight/colour-blindness/allergies/genetic conditions. I'm just saying, humans are like... so far off being good with the natural selection deal anyway, what's an arranged marriage or two for people who are that sad? :P
eh have u seen....well you won't have but there was that lady who went with this stranger and SOMEHOW (you'd think you'd have to be stupid to follow such a guy but there you go, we're not all that capable I guess :P) she gets made his slave basically and eventually she stopped thinking of ways to get away and believed everything he said and he did such horrible things to her and.............blah *fail* I'm so bad at explaining D:
ReplyDeletelol I think I get what you mean now, twas just a bit hard to tell in your entry :P
lol yeah it's amazing the thoughts that come to you when you're meant to be doing something else XD
haha lee has just had to take a scientific approach XD
but yeah it's true, genetic defects or whatever are more guaranteed to happen too compared to, uh, attractive-ness or lack of it XD
Ooh, theoretical biology eh? Looks like the right spot for me to barge in.
ReplyDeleteBehaviour and culture are very important to the biology of humans (and a lot of other animals).
This weaves complicated webs where strange cosmic coincidences stick just because they work.
Think about the relative success of humans on earth right now, and its biological consequences to cattle. What about cats? Dogs? Flies?
One thing many people forget to think about is time. That's all life is really, if you think about it: buying yourself more time. The definition of you, of course, is the way your parts are put together. This includes everything: the way you look, the way you metabolise, the way you think.
What are the local and long-term advantages and disadvantages to various human reproductive strategies, when seen from the perspective of time?
What about in terms of space?
What have humans done to enhance their own preservation through time?
What am I doing, via you, right now?