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mindbodyproblem t1_it6d6se wrote

Reply to comment by YashaAstora in Is building dams a learned behaviour for beavers? by Snoo-82132

I mean, I get aroused by pictures of naked ladies and masturbate. That doesn’t really make much “sense” if sex is for procreation. Not really much different than building a dam where there’s no water.

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[deleted] t1_it6rvyk wrote

Yeah but you’re capable of fully understanding the mechanisms that cause that response and even know specifically why you’re doing it in the moment. You’re also capable of reflecting back and feeling shame/pride whatever. Most animals can’t even recognize their own reflection

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megatheriumDinner t1_it6x23g wrote

That understanding is a superficial product of our intellect. We’re still operating on the same sort of basic genetic logic.

Put 100 people in a small room and yell fire. Announce pandemic and suggest the toilet paper might run out.

Et cetera.

The comfort our intellect provides us allows us to separate ourselves from the obvious programming that we operate on. Remove that comfort and we return to the base program.

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boxingdude t1_it76pra wrote

I mean, there's been many times when I've masturbated and had no idea why.

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lostkavi t1_it7aoxo wrote

Except it does. Sex is for pleasure. Knowledge of procreation isn't intuitive, we and most other higher order animals do it because it feels good with the reproduction as a side-effect. This is why you see homosexuality and masturbation in a whole slew of animal families where if it was purely for reproductive purposes, you wouldn't.

Granted, this doesn't disprove your argument at all. :P Just a fun point of order.

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