Science Forums 2

[InfiniteNow]

Show me evidence of a human monogamy instinct and I will entertain further study with you. Until then, I don't care what you think makes unicorns pink or purple.


As I stated myself, there exists monogamy, but the data STRONGLY implies that it is a learned, cultural trait which makes us suppress our actual instincts. I don't discount the fact that monogamy occurs, nor how it can prove beneficial. What I take issue with is the baseless assertion that it is instinctual.



EDIT: Perhaps I can be more clear. There are obviously strong social bonding traits in all of us, and even many times a desire to pair bond with a single mate for life. However, the concept of "monogamy" relates specifically to sexuality, and we DO NOT have an instinct to have sex with only one person, nor does our sexual desire go away when we are actively partnered in a pair bond. The sexual urges remain, despite the presence of a life partner.

The desire to bond with a single partner is one thing, but the concept of monogamy does not describe that.

To reiterate, monogamy is specific to sexual activity, not bonding activity. It may seem that these are the same things, but the differences are profound.

We suppress our natural urges... urges fed by hormones and instinct... when we choose to avoid copulation with other partners. That's not to say that we don't have genetic tendencies toward pair bonding with single partners, just that the idea of monogamy applies to sexual activity by definition, and hence the assertion that it is instinctual is counter to all data available to us.

Now, if HB is talking about pair bonding for life with a single mate being instinctual, let's explore that. However, if he's talking about monogamy being an instinct, he's simply wrong.


Alternatively, let's define what we mean by "monogamy." In our lab, we spoke of monogamy as the sexual part, and the relationship as the pair bonding part. Perhaps I was wrong to assume this is how all researchers do it (not that HydrogenBond is a researcher on this topic).