Humanity has developed a rather peculiar approach towards sex. On one hand we have the automated need to procreate and from the other the cultural context upon which the act gains meaning. The majority of humans claim to be different from other animals yet again we have create a meme out of the most simple of all acts.
Whether we like it or not, everything is connected to procreation. Being our primary biological function, everything else our species has build depends on it. The main reason for this is the structure of our brains. Our higher functions that stem from the neocortex are directly depended on the more primitive limbic brain which is too connected to the reptilian one. Our instincts that step from the reptilian brain are identical to those of the other animals. Our limbic brain then takes those instincts and decodes them into emotions. This part is also shared from many mammals. What makes humans slightly different is the extra step of decoding that filters through the neocortex. This is where our primitive instincts such as the one of sexual desire get a new narrative.
The narrative might be as elaborate and diachronic as the one religion or as parodic and withering as fashion. Nonetheless the part that everybody comes together is the one of pleasure. It feels good to engage in the act and for many reasons. A religious person might feel good for fulfilling their spiritual part as a higher being. A hedonist might just do it because they feel good. A sheeple might do it because others are doing it.
Over the last half a century or so, I believe most of the developed world has adopted the sheeple perception towards sex. Muscularity has only recently emerged and gyms have become a thing only over the past few decades. Billboard and tv ads are showering us constantly with images of sex and pleasure. Much like the new iphone or the new video game, we have to get it in order to feel good. If it's advertised after all, it means that everyone is doing it — or at least craving for it.
Humans have also a rather interesting way in forcing their views toward the minority. If the vast majority of people have families and it is regarded as a socially distinguished act, then it becomes a necessity for the rest to adopt the trend. In much the same way, if something becomes fashion then everyone tries to imitate that behaviour. If an individual decides to opt out then they become isolated. This is why even suggesting that sex is overrated might be looked down upon. Everything that we have been taught about sex reinforces the idea that it is very important whether one decides to have it for fun or to procreate.
Pleasure is a rather peculiar concept as well. Many things can make us feel good and if we overdo something then the reward ratio begins to diminish. This is why the more we have sex with one person the more bored we get. Nature has programmed us to have genetic variation aka have sex with as many different people as possible in order to create more robust offspring. Monogamous relationships are only a recent cultural invention and as the ratio of divorces suggest — not a very successful one. Love is also a very recent invention. People in the past had marriage for business reasons. Love was considered an immature tendency that teenagers had. They understood how ephemeral the whole process was and thus they kept their distance from risking the entire lives towards it.
The only reason we have love and sex advertised so much today is because of marketing. Contrary to common belief, sex doesn't sell. Sex is sold in a market that is conquered my FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). We have to have sex before we get to old. We have to procreate before we get too old. We have to tend to faces and bodies in order to have sex because eventually we won't be able to do so.
If sex was a universal and timeless idea, then billboards and tv ads would include equal amounts of 60 and 20 year old models. Instead we see sex being connected with youth, strength, power and dominance. Whether one wants to be romantic or not this is raw social Darwinism. The pretty, young, healthy and powerful will procreate and prevail over the rest. Thus, we have created an idea of sex that everything is directly linked to it. We want a good career in order to create a family aka products of sex. Some just want to make bank in order to have as many women as they wish. Without realising it all that can pleasurable in life is linked to sex because others have already created a narrative around it.
In the near future sex will be easily substituted from a VR set and some cables. Your primitive brain will be able to get all the direct stimulation based on a narrative that resembles a game that has increasing difficulties. Much the same way, most children today don't find playing sports that fun sex can easily be substituted from technology that offers it much safer and with much less stress and unwanted consequences. Sex will remain in history as a primitive act of a species that got confused about pleasure and procreation.
Ask yourself: If you had the chance to artificially simulate the sexual experience identically to the real thing — while at the same time ensuring that you could clone yourself — how much that would affect your current perception about sex, family and procreation?
The VR sex experience can be close (better and better) but will never replace the actual intercourse.
Yes but you can always get an upgrade on the wife!
Better and better indeed, maybe even up to a point we can't tell any difference anymore. When AI's are so realistic, that you're not able to see the difference between human and robot anymore. Maybe in the future people even start getting relationships with AI's.
How much AI's can talk, think and act like humans in the future, I don't know. Our lives are probably too short to experience this evolvement. But if AI's will ever be that human-like, we could produce one to perfectly match a persons wishes. And as humans will get used to them, they could fall in love with the AI's looks and personality. It would probably take many generations for this to become accepted (if it ever will be), but it can happen I guess. For a very long time homosexuals, transsexuals, etc. were also not accepted.
Luckily we live in a time that this is becoming wildly accepted. It's a process that doesn't happen in a couple of years, but in a future world were we all live amongst AI's, the acception could happen right? Even though it might be unthinkable to have a relationship with an AI at this time, people in the past thought the same thing about homosexuality at that time.
There is a Futurama episode about this!
I should watch it then! Cheers
Anyway, you can't beat nature m8 :D
you're implying that reality is overrated. maybe so, but i won't be living that way.
I love sex!
I don't believe everything is linked to sex, I believe the fun ends for the majority of people when they both stand naked looking to each other. My point is that it is not viewed as an act as much as the ultimate form of social acceptance. Being socially accepted means you are having a lot of sex and having a lot of sex makes you accepted. I think this is why it is advertised that much it doesn't serve a specific reason anymore,it doesn't have an ecumenical meaning but a conceptual one accustomed to each person. It reminds me those advertisements with all the family smilling because they eat cheese, seems retarded but somehow works.
Honestly ... sex is beyond overrated , I remember in high school couple years ago , all you hear is , talk about sex . I had sex with this person and this other person , blah blah, that's all I heard . It is overrrated , it's a hype for teenagers that oh I fuc*ed him/her. When you get older , it's more of sharing love with your partner , then when you grow older , it's literally turns into people have less sex. It's what society puts into our mind and it's part our everyone's life . Sex does help create more indivuals and all that good stuff , but maybe we should look at the bigger picture
Do we really need that many people? I think creating new humans should be a commissioned endeavour.
We don't need it , I mean if we are trying to build a family then 1-2 kids are enough . Some races go out of hand and have like 5-6 kids then leads to living from paycheck to paycheck
do we required to use condoms while doing sex with robots ? :D hahaha i think in future it will happen too :D
Lifting the best of the bottom-dwelling comments up the thread with an UPvote! 😀
True talk
Interesting post. The dude with the VR goggles and the plastic tits just kills me. I almost spilled my coffee when I scrolled down to that pic.
On a more serious note, it seems to me that this obsession with sex is mainly predominant in the West. In the Eastern cultures, celibacy and abstinence is considered a virtue.
If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain. -- Morpheus
So we can say reality is the interpretation itself, not what is being interpreted. In which case, everyone lives in a separate reality.
Just forbidden before marriage. Makes it seem even more overatted.
Interesting perspective and very realistic. Great post.
Great post...thank very much for your article.. its the same feeling between animals and human
That first picture of the turtles is the best. The look on the dude turtle face is "Ya baby you like that?", while the expression on the chick turtles face is like "I am not amused...".
It is significantly difficult to go against nature and basic human instincts, however why We should do it? Instead We should make the most out of it :)
interesting view, lol it's funny how you think things from the past must be primitive in comparison with the future. Whose to say that the people who jump into vr won't be just another part of the population. Wana go, go. wana stay and keep doing stuff.. stay. I don't see sex as primitive but i can see your view as well. I interpret it as more cosmic and necessary function of life and the universe.
Very well said most things can be solved in life by studying nature
hahaha thanks for this!
some kind of informative thing it is.
Nice post. I think I'll become asexual ha kidding🌞
Beauty is forbidden to become asexual 🤣
Haha @drakos on second thought, you are right. 😂🤗
Creative and funny, are you a humorist
I will need to ask this. Is this just a cop-out statement when you can't have sex?
I mean there have been studies that suggest active sex life might have large scale health benefits. And vice versa, missing out on those can have negative impact on health. So I'd like to know how I overrate sex when it actually is good for you.
Well, isn't that a cliche? I probably had more sex than most people would in 2 lifes. maybe this is how i came to this realisation.
There are large scale studies that show broccoli is good, hiking, having pets and even masturbating. Do the large scale studies include contacting STD's or fighting with spouses. Many things are "good" for you. sex is just one more thing.
Yes, it's a cliche but I can attest that is one thought, a statement I personally made when I realized I wouldn't be having an active sex life.
And no it doesn't include STD's or fighting with spouses. AFAIK those two are merely obstacles to having an active sex life.
Too much sex can be bad too, I guess.
There's nothing like the real thing 👌
Just like mammals do :>
So true. Marketing does a pretty good job at it, youre right;)
I really wish I was a dude sometimes.... Maybe itd change things a little:P
Interesting. I think the matter of sex being boring once with a constant person is an opinion though. I mean I get. Ive even went on my own abstinence break but I've definitely had a woman I was in love with and enjoyed sex with this "one" person all the time. So in a sense this negates the whole nature creating us to have sex with as many different people...lol...Great post but we definitely would need to sit together and reason on this one.
Didn't 80's scifi movies warn us about this shit! lol. Good piece man. Best read this morning!
Great post. It seems these days that sex is more compulsory than taxes!
As Boy George said, if anyone remembers him, I'd rather have a nice cup of tea!
Sex one of the biological needs that must be met by every creature on earth!! greeting @kyriacos
hahahaha
just that turtle's face !!!!
thanks for this good post, interesting
upvoted
VR technology is gonna affect our lives a lot and we will be having great experiences through it whether it is sex or teleportation.
Yes indeed sex is one of the most amazing things. VR is good but is not close to natural sex.
yes it is but sex is in nature.
This article came at the perfect time! I've been pondering the affect that sex has on my ability to make rational decisions and focus on my goals.
Many times I feel like many relationships are just based on sex, opposed to genuine connections. I'm far from the answer I seek, but I def think the world is going to change drastically as technology continues to advance
Hi @kyriacos thanks for upvote my first post, now I am following you. About your "Follow me" picture, may I use it in my post, and I will replace it by my account name @ecomp?
fascinating read. I had no idea VR sex experience already existed...
I really enjoyed reading about the concept of love and monogamous relationships being something that we recently came up with. I do often question what "society" says to be the "ideal" way of being in a relationship. Is it really the "right" way?
I am not in support of it
Humans are not animals. Humans have sex for pleasure, animals don't
I agree x
I can't imagine anything better then coming home from work, putting on a VR headset, and spending countless hours frantically air humping my sick twisted fantasies until it's time for bed.
I found this article refreshing, which surprised me. Sex is over-rated in the sense that it can be a burden more than a pleasure, even if the burden is hidden. There's also a high cost of sex for everyone, whether male or female it all evens out in the bigger picture. As I get older I see sex is not cat all about care-free fun or escapism. I think pornography has lead to the impression that physical sex should also be an escape or relief from everyday life...yet it's not, because 'real' physical sex is the second most 'real' thing (to human exeperience,/phenomena) next to pain-suffering.
I like it! Interesting facts of the neurobiology! I am very interested in your next posts. Keep them coming