Question

[PenguinsRcool]

Out of all animals in this world, why are humans so sexually complicated? On so many things, we tend to have many aspects of sexuality that is not present in majority of other animals. And whats up of “mating season” not existing in the human world but instead all year. Just wondering why, are we this sexual?

[Latha]

Hi PenguinsRcool,

That is an interesting question! To answer it, I guess I'm wondering what it means for us or any being to be sexually complicated. What aspects of sexuality have you noticed among humans that are not shared by other animals?

[PenguinsRcool]

Well the main function and reason of sex is for living breathing things to reproduce. Now with humans, why do we like to use it as pleasure, spiritually, understanding, and other things….

And why do kinks come up here with humans? Also with being creative with the act. I know masturbation exists outside humans with other mammals, although it’s quite a few along with other types of sex that is not the main one, I want to know why humans have such variations and unique characteristics to this?

Edit: I guess my high sexual drive being mixed with my curiosity for learning sparked me to ask all this. Im still exploring what I like and who Im sexually am, I believe I may have a kink or two but without experiencing anything with Someone, but these thoughts have been there since I was 13. Just asking…

[char]

Like Latha said, interesting question you got here PenguinsRcool! Perhaps you've come across this during your own research, but there are fields of study that try to answer this very question. There isn't one strict answer. From an evolutionary lens, for example, sex having a lot of different looks may have something to do with making the act of procreation enjoyable for everyone involved. From a psychological lens, people express their sexuality in ways that are influenced by their mood, personality, and past experiences related to sex. There are many other perspectives out there, but I hope those two could give you a simple picture of why human sexuality is very varied.

That said, it's also important to remember that other animals, not just mammals, also have sex for purposes other than procreation. As you mentioned above, some animals seem to masturbate or engage in other sexual acts that aren't necessarily for creating more of their kind. But with research on other creatures like animals and plants, there's no way we can know for sure. Comparing/approximating their characteristics and behaviors to that of humans can only go so far, too. Also, the idea that sex is "mainly" for procreation has more cultural basis (i.e. the patriarchy) than it is biological. This idea is what many institutions in power (e.g. governments and religions) use to control people they "rule" over. The same goes to "kinks"; what's considered "kinky" will look different not just between individuals, but also between communities, as well as over time.

Do these answer your questions?

[Heather]

I also want to add, like Char did, that even the idea that sex is mainly or centrally for procreation, including for other species, is based much, much more in the aims, goals and limited views of patriarchy and heterosexuality than it is an accurate description of human sexuality as well as many, many kinds of animal sexuality. This -- that sex is mainly for procreation -- is what a lot of children are taught when they're young, but it's more of an oversimplification of sexuality meant for children or people who just don't really see sex and sexuality as the giant spectrum they are across all species -- and one that also suggests queer people and our sexuality basically don't exist -- than it is how things actually are or ever have been.

In reality, sexuality -- which is not and has never been the same as "mating" -- is complex and multi-faceted for many beings, not just human beings. <3

[PenguinsRcool]

Well I wasn’t trying to say sexuality only exists due to what people mostly say that is for procreation, because it is the beginning of when life first started, but later as animals started to become more varied and complicated, and humans who are one of the most advanced and complex will also have more differentiated sexual aspects. I think my simple summary of what sex first was for made things blank on accident like sexual orientation which Im sorry if that made you think of this.

And can you explain more about this patriarchy and heterosexuality? I was using general logical view of sex in living things rather than subconsciously say these things that were made by humans themselves. You know maybe the more complicated the creature it is it will probably have a more expanded sexual experience…

[Heather]

I'm sorry, but we don't understand most of this post. Can you rephrase what you're saying here? For example, we don't know what you mean by "general logical view of sex in living things rather than subconsciously say these things that were made by humans themselves." In the event you're using any kind of AI to write or research -- I can't tell for sure, but some of this wording just feels kind of garbled to me in an AI kind of way -- please don't do that here.

(I am getting that you think that because human life began with reproduction, sex must have first been for procreation only way back when, but that doesn't square with what we know about how human life evolved from a scientific point of view, which supports that we evolved from primates, and most primates absolutely are not only sexual for reproduction. The idea the earliest homo sapiens also intended sex to be for reproduction is equally questionable: again, that's not a thing anyone can know for sure, but it seems pretty unlikely our oldest ancestors even were able to understand that sex was the cause of reproduction.)

[PenguinsRcool]

Im sorry if my post seemed to be written by AI I guess thats just another example of me suspecting Im autistic (I know this is unrelated) so that was extremely surprising and unexpected of me getting that reaction from you (not trying to heat things up here).

About my original intention I am highly aware that procreation was NOT the only thing that first existed, I was trying to say that it’s more what likely created all of these events and characteristics of sex.

I think it’s good we just end here I don’t want to argue with anyone.