Don't you think humans have it mixed up when it comes to gender roles ?

Question

1. Males weren't meant to be monogamous

Look at the animal kingdom and the shape of the male human anatomy. The general pattern throughout nature (of course, there are a few exceptions), is that the male spreads his genes to as many females as possible. The females on the other hand, only accepts from the most beautiful male. So she is much more likely to develop" nesting instincts," and want to settle down in a sheltered place to rear up the young.

2. Males are supposed to display their peacock feathers, NOT females

In general, the males are bigger, more colorful, more beautiful, more conspicuous etc. They do this to attract attention of the female, and to signal to her that his genes are superior to the smaller, less colorful, uglier male. Yet, humans seem to have this backwards, where women are the ones who display the peacock feathers and focus on appearance. Why is this so ???

Answer 1

sigh.

yes, most animals are polygamous. in each case, the men fight and kill each other or risk their lives, because the winner gets ALL the girls. but humans don't fight with talons, teeth, horns, and beaks. humans fight with car bombs.

every human polygamous society has ways of getting rid of the "extra" men and of putting 13yr old girls health and life in danger by marrying them to 70yr old men.

the polygamists that were recently raided in texas used to throw out most of their men for anything from watching a movie to short sleaves, while women were not thrown out. after being brain-washed by them, the men thought living in the larger society is same as going to h**l.

now, imagine if there was NO larger society for them to go out in?

with the birth rate being 51% men and 49% women, how exactly do you create polygamy? think about it. you have to get rid of the extra men.

in biblical Solomn days they had eunuch slaves tending to the king's 100 wives. do you really think YOU would be the polygamous man -- do you honestly think you'd be alive and reproducing?

no. you'd be the eunuch, while your BOSS would be the polygamists.

i'm very scared of polygamy because it is happening today, with men leaving a string of single-women-wtih-children as they jump from young-woman to young-woman. in practice that is polygamy. maybe that's the real reason the forced-lonliness guy can't get a date!

those few animals that are NOT polygamous also have more equality in the sexes. like swans, geese, and a few mamals.

Answer 2

1)  Human children take a LOT of resources to raise, which is often seen as one reason for human monogamy.  There are numerous animal species that have monogamous relationships as an adaptation.  Simply because some species don't - heck, even if most species didn't - if it's an adaptation that works well for humans, then we'll have adapted to it!

2)  I've pondered this point too.  I'm not really sure why it appears reversed in humans.  Although, to be fair, men are still quite attractive to us women.  Sure, they may not have "peacock plumage" but they certainly hold MY attention!

Edit: Jordanna, human beings ARE animals.  We belong to the kingdom Animalia!

Answer 3

That is why we are called humans and they are called animals.

Answer 4

This is an interesting point. Some people argue that humans have a greater capacity to overcome their nature due to a more evolved and sophisticated brain structure. This is true - up to a point. Some people have taken it as an article of faith that humans *should* overcome their nature, and this has led us to all sorts of social difficulties. I think the modern attitude is one of hubris, and mother nature may take a different attitude.

Answer 5

Because we are not animals.  Humans have developed different ways of relating to each other.  The average human is rather more complex in nature than the average peacock.  If human beings are going to model their behaviour on that of peacocks, then we'll all have to start sleeping in trees, which is what peacocks do.

Answer 6

1. We are not animals.....we are humans with the ability to reason. Have you any idea what the state of the world would be like if all men just went out and 'planted' their seed in as many women as possible? Do you think you could financially support all those women AND all their kids?  Or were you thinking of just 'bang and run'?

What would happen to these kids?

Animals also pee against a tree and l**k their bottoms ..... perhaps you think humans should do this too!

Answer 7

By your logic, then humans also have it messed up with size-- in the case of red-tailed hawks, females are larger than males. Also, men should be the ones who nurse and raise young children because that's the case with seahorses.

We are not peacocks, and we are not red-tailed hawks. We are not birds and we are not fish. We are homo sapiens sapiens and we are a distinctive species.

Our society is not a "natural environment," it's an artificial construct. That's why nowadays a lot of men see pubic hair as a turn-off and anorexia as a turn-on. That's why our population is growing exponentially rather than plateauing or going down.

Answer 8

I agree, men should try harder to impress me if they want to have s*x. Get to the gym! Now!

Just kidding. I think.

Answer 9

Humans are different from animals, like some nimals such as swans most people crave on soulmate, their companion to go through life with them.

Animals don't build structures, or use money but humans do.

Answer 10

1) Actually gibbons, cardinals, doves, cardinals and some other warm blooded mammals mate for life. And not all female humans enjoy monogamy (witness the 50% divorce rate). A lot of it has to do with the well-being of their children

2) Human babies take up to 10 times longer to survive on their own than other animal babies do.

3) Consider the human male attraction to p*nis symbols - fast sports cars, big muscles, full head of hair, big bank accounts, etc,

Answer 11

just take care of your own business. as many women abandon their kids as men do but it's the single MOTHERS who get called heroes while no one gives a c**p about single FATHERS or fathers who just tcb every day in silence.there's no use arguing with women.

Answer 12

Regina George, that answer doesn't even make sense. Feminizais are not responsible for women dressing provocatively.

Humans are radically different from every other animal in our food preparation, homebuilding, languages, and the wearing of clothing, so it doesn't surprise me that we have different cultural norms. Though you are incorrect - BOTH genders display their "plumage" to attract the other. Think of men in armani suits, etc.

Answer 13

wouldn't that be sweet if all women had to do was sit back and watched while the men tried to impress? haha awesome

Answer 14

Beauty is rather opinionated.

Males were biologically designed with quantity in mind, hence all the sperm. Makes monogamy illogical from a biological standpoint.

Also, supposedly women used to select mates by the size of their genitals, hence why humans have such large genitalia compared to other great apes. So your peacock analogy was once the case.