Elegant Evolution

[liveonearth]

We humans are not designed for the lives that we are living. We are designed to survive, a thousand or more years ago. Evolution is slow, and modernity is probably slowing it down or confusing it. What is the best way to survive in today's world? To be a soft sedentary thing that lives in your mind?

We are designed for a few things. We are designed to fuck, and to eat, digest, and shit. Talking seems to be an inventive new use of old equipment. We are designed to squat, and to give birth, and to spoon. Our minds are programmed at a fundamental level for living in a pack, or family, or whatever you want to call it. We are tribal at the biological level. Like the muscles that we use to walk, and the equipment we use to reproduce with, it is designed into our bodies and influences our minds.

This tribal nature is at the core of why we as a civilization are depressed, anxious, violent, and fearful. Our tribal nature is not fulfilled by technological connections. And the strengths of our physical design are not necessary in modern homes. We are not designed for keyboards. Keyboards are an extension of our minds, and a subjugation of our bodies. Keyboards cause all manner of trouble for our animal selves.

Walking is fundamental. It must have been very important for us to be able to walk some distance because we are well designed for it. In fact, if we don't do enough of it, our bodies weaken and break. We need to walk. Faster walkers live longer. Broken hips in elders are a strong predictor of impending death. These things are well documented. I bet if someone studied it they would find that humans who have regular sex live longer and healthier than those who don't. I'm sure of it.

But all this just brings me around to this juicy evolutionary question: why is it that our reproductive equipment is set up to deliver pleasure? I mean, it seems obvious that we would want to rub parts more often if it was fun, especially if we didn't know that sex causes babies. But what is the MECHANISM of the evolution? How did it get started? What other species have multitudinous nerve endings in their glans or clitoris? What other species have orgasms? Do fish have orgasms?

Burning questions here, in the season of the birth Our Lord Jesus. It is Unchristian of me to bring up evolution just now. But it was on my mind. Did you know that only placental mammalian males urinate through their penises? I guess dogs and horses have placentae. And I know snakes have penises though theirs are a lot different from human penises. So snakes have placentae? Far out.

Happy Friday, folks.

Comments

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

Roosters have penises. Lizards have penises. They're just reproductive organs... why would it be a surprise that a snake has one?

I think the question should be more along the lines of "Why do human females have orgasms?" - because male mammals have orgasms as they ejaculate. Male goats perform fellatio on themselves. I used to know a horse who jacked himself off by beating his erect penis against his belly. The pleasure thing seems to be limited to higher life forms of the male variety, until we get to humans. I don't think fish or reptiles experience orgasms. I wonder if male birds do?

Perversity

[hfx-ben.livejournal.com]

If an individual does something wierd and wackie ... and that results that individual having more off-spring, then there's a small chance that propensity gets passed on.

BTW: we tend to rationalize whatever we're compelled to do ... we don't like being confused, so we justify. If I don't want to do something, then I come up with an explanation of how it's bad. When I'm compelled to do something, I probably present it as virtuous.

Hi

[(Anonymous)]

Matthew here from Oak Ridge. I am impressed hope you had a good trip back to Oregon. I am including the "Dear and Glorious Physician" in my reading. Thanks for the book.