Thursday, October 21, 2004

I had a thought this evening, as I was making up my bed again. I am not sure why I came to this conclusion, at the time that I did, but I continued to think about it, as I finished my housebold chores.

What if monogamy is a male concept?

This suggestion would seem to be counter-intuitive. Men are the dogs that want to be out in the world, screwing anything that moves and instinctually 'spreading their seed'. This seems to be a commonly believed, and held to be true, concept. No one ever challenges it. But is it really a fair assumption?

Are women monogamous by design or by circumstance?

Have you ever noticed that most women want, and almost need, lots of friends. They aren't happy unless there are a wide variety of people that like them, and look out for their well-being. It seems far more important, for women, to be thought of as 'nice' or a 'desirable person'. They don't all pursue this goal the same way. Some mistakenly think they can accomplish this by sleeping around. Regardless of the means, the goal is still the same. She wants to be liked.

The common preconception is, a man does not want to commit. The cliche scenario is a woman complaining to her friends (notice the plural) that her current man just won't commit to her. It is thought that the inability to commit is just a male trait. Has anyone studied this? Is it not more likely that the man is just being cautious. Commitment is a big deal. Might it not be a more reasonable assumption to believe that, men do not commit easily, but remain resolute through more adversity?

I'm not suggesting that either gender less morally sound. It is just an observation that I made. The comparison is, women need lots of friends, and men seem only to need enough for a poker game. Which pattern of behaviour seems more monogamous.

Food for thought.

No comments: