Is everything we do subconsciously motivated by reprodructive success?

[Heilige]

DO you believe everything a man does is ultimately related to getting access to reproductive success/access to lots of women to have sex with?

Van der Dennen: Sex and the powerful male sex drive existed on this earth millions of years before humans evolved some sense and sensibility. Every sexual act involves some retrogression, in which empathy, reason, etc. are temporarily suspended. This is valid, I think, not only for powerful men.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa from the University of Canterbury found out that successful men have more sex and more sexual partners. Is it an evolutionary adaptive behavior?

Van der Dennen: Not only Kanazawa, but dozens of studies have found this relationship. An interesting evolutionary analysis of the power-sex-polygyny link was presented in 1986 by Laura Betzig in her book "Despotism and Differential Reproduction: A Darwinian View of History." With unbridled enthusiasm, powerful males have used their power in the service of reproductive success.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: What do you think these men must be thinking about themselves in the moment when they are about to have "forbidden" sex?

Van der Dennen: It is not too speculative to think that powerful men live in a sexualized or eroticized world. Not only do they expect to have sex whenever they fancy, but they also expect that every woman is always willing to provide this service, and enjoy it. They are completely egocentric and opportunistic and just take what they want. It probably comes as a complete surprise when somebody does not comply. The forbiddenness, and the awareness of transgression, makes the sex even more attractive.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: You do not mean to say that everybody who climbs to the top is at risk of becoming a rapist?

Van der Dennen: Not necessarily. Most powerful men do not need to rape because they have consensual sex much more frequently than their more unfortunate brethren. That does not preclude that some powerful men might do it for "kicks," or to see if they can get away with it. Virtually all studies of rape show that it is powerless and disenfranchised young men who rape.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: What's needed to feel powerful: is social status enough? Or money, too? Fame?

Van der Dennen: Power is omnivorous, as it were. Power tends to correlate with wealth and fame and success and with sexual access to more, and more varied, partners. The only thing that is really needed for you to feel powerful is my submission, and vice versa.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-765316.html



Do you feel men attempt to gain status and resources to get women? Is it about passing your genes on in the end and reproducing?

[UK2K]

Yes. I'd live in a studio apartment with no furniture if I could get laid in that.

But I can't so I buy things that women find attractive. That's how men work.

Dave can put it better than I can:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW8vZEF4UA0

[Heilige]

Yes. I'd live in a studio apartment with no furniture if I could get laid in that.

But I can't so I buy things that women find attractive. That's how men work.

Dave can put it better than I can:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW8vZEF4UA0

What about people like Steph Curry, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Donald Trump,etc?

Once they have money/success they keep pushing, working hard, etc. They already could have tons of women and fulfill their reproductive goals yet they keep pushing? If it's about access to women in the end, why do they keep going forward?

[UK2K]

What about people like Steph Curry, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Donald Trump,etc?

Once they have money/success they keep pushing, working hard, etc. They already could have tons of women and fulfill their reproductive goals yet they keep pushing? If it's about access to women in the end, why do they keep going forward?

Because our instincts (some of us anyway) have developed over millions of years. At the beginning of man, the BEST hunter, the biggest hunter, the fastest runner, the whatever, always got first choice when it came to making babies.

That drive to succeed, to be the best, is because our ancestors 100 generations ago were doing the same thing to try and get laid. It's in our blood.

[~primetime~]

Single men...'most' of what they do probably is in an effort to attract women.

I have a wife w/2 kids...I'm done trying to attract females...these days I want nice things because I legitimately like nice things. If suddenly every female on the planet vanished, I would still prefer to live in a nice home and drive nice cars.

When you're younger you care less about that...I would have slept on the floor of a buddy's apartment no problem...When your older you realize living like a bum isn't preferable.

[Heilige]

Because our instincts (some of us anyway) have developed over millions of years. At the beginning of man, the BEST hunter, the biggest hunter, the fastest runner, the whatever, always got first choice when it came to making babies.

That drive to succeed, to be the best, is because our ancestors 100 generations ago were doing the same thing to try and get laid. It's in our blood.

Why do people try to deny this information though? It's like men are ashamed to admit that their drive to have success is in part about getting tons of *****.

[Tarik One]

I'm too much in love with myself...

[Heilige]

Single men...'most' of what they do probably is in an effort to attract women.

I have a wife w/2 kids...I'm done trying to attract females...these days I want nice things because I legitimately like nice things. If suddenly every female on the planet vanished, I would still prefer to live in a nice home and drive nice cars.

When you're younger you care less about that...I would have slept on the floor of a buddy's apartment no problem...When your older you realize living like a bum isn't preferable.

When you were single was most of what you did in an effort to attract lots of women?

[StephHamann]

There were many great man who died as virgins.

Friedrich Nietzsche is the first example that comes to my mind.

[falc39]

What about people like Steph Curry, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Donald Trump,etc?

Once they have money/success they keep pushing, working hard, etc. They already could have tons of women and fulfill their reproductive goals yet they keep pushing? If it's about access to women in the end, why do they keep going forward?

All those people are extremely competitive. I believe competition between others does have roots from mating with the opposite sex and in survival. Sure, they may not desire it directly now that they are rich but our evolution has been shaped by these factors which has led for us to develop that competitive desire.

[UK2K]

All those people are extremely competitive. I believe competition between others does have roots from mating with the opposite sex and in survival. Sure, they may not desire it directly but our evolution has been shaped by these factors which has led for us to develop that competitive desire.

This.

We may not realize it, but that's where the drive ultimately comes from.

[DCL]

it's pretty true when you're young or single

[~primetime~]

When you were single was most of what you did in an effort to attract lots of women?

'most' is probably accurate I would say...yes

Women were (and still are) on my mind every hour of every day. Ultimately I wanted to fck every decent looking woman on the planet. And I think that is true with most men.

NOW, that I have a wife and two sons, my motives for everything are rooted in keeping them alive, healthy, and happy, making sure they will be equipped in life without me, etc. (which all makes sense from a survival standpoint as well)

Everything changes once you have kids, what you want in life, how you view things, what fears you have, everything, it's all different.

[UK2K]

'most' is probably accurate I would say...yes

Women were (and still are) on my mind every hour of every day. Ultimately I wanted to fck every decent looking woman on the planet. And I think that is true with most men.

NOW, that I have a wife and two sons, my motives for everything are rooted in keeping them alive, healthy, and happy, making sure they will be equipped in life without me, etc. (which all makes sense from a survival standpoint as well)

Everything changes once you have kids, what you want in life, how you view things, what fears you have, everything, it's all different.

But you still wonder what that chick in marketing looks like naked.

Try working where I do, where the average age is 28-30.

[~primetime~]

But you still wonder what that chick in marketing looks like naked.

Try working where I do, where the average age is 28-30.

Yes, a lust for hot women does not go away with kids.

It just slooooooowly diminishes with age