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[Jude]

Theoretically speaking, high amounts of body hair indicate a high amount of testosterone.  As a high level of testosterone is desirable in a mate, a male with more body hair more often is chosen for his supposedly greater ability to breed.  In the words of my German Civilization teacher: "Who would the woman want?  The clean but boring scholar, or the wild hairy satyr of the forest?"  Evidently, most women throughout history would have gone for the satyr if they were looking for physical pleasure.  Body hair really only went out of fashion a few hundred years ago (if that).  Long ago, it was all about the beards and other hair (Romans and far eastern cultures excepted).

So, in sum, it's a "manly" tradition which stays with us from the good ol' days.  Standards of beauty have changed, somewhat, and body hair is now moderately obsolete (unless, of course, you're like me and are too lazy to shave ).

Also, I should point out here that everything is a matter of personal preference.  The statements made above are Theoretical only, and by no means conclusive of humans as a species.  I'm only talking about cultural trends here, not whether it will work for you as an individual.  Do as you will.

Actually, it's more likely that she'd want to pair bond with the one who seems stable and likely to dedicate his resources to raising children (maybe the clean cut one) and, during the right time of the month, want to go around and bang the hairy one for his good genes.

[woose1]

ew.....

[Kagus]

Monogamy is unnatural behaviour.  Our basic desire is essentially a one-sided relationship, where we share ourselves with as many partners as possible, and all our partners are dedicated only to us.

Has to do with meta-survival instinct.  Should really have died out at the 6,000,000,000 mark, but it's still€ in there. 

Some people try to bring up cases of monogamy in other animals, most popularly swans.  Truth is, although swans will bond with one mate for life, they'll screw around with every other bird on the block when that partner's not around.


But that's straying into dangerous territory, let's keep to body hair and its effect on a person's hypothetical sex life.

[Jude]

Monogamy is unnatural behaviour.

"Unnatural" sets off major alarm bells in my evolutionary psychology perspective

Our basic desire is essentially a one-sided relationship, where we share ourselves with as many partners as possible, and all our partners are dedicated only to us.

Not necessarily
You may have noticed that people have this emotion that makes them want to devote themselves to one person for the rest of their lives and they do it
Natural selection surely wasnt' so clumsy as to make us all a bunch of hedonists with no inhibitions - something else was apparently more effective

Has to do with meta-survival instinct.  Should really have died out at the 6,000,000,000 mark, but it's still€ in there. 

There is no generalized survival instinct; for natural selection to create such a thing would be like programming a chess-playing computer program with the instructions "make good moves" and "win the game" and nothing else

Some people try to bring up cases of monogamy in other animals, most popularly swans.  Truth is, although swans will bond with one mate for life, they'll screw around with every other bird on the block when that partner's not around.

Some animals are polygamous and others are monogamous and others are both depending on circumstances (including humans)
It all depends how their lifestyles developed and what turned out to be the most effective strategy for reproducing among them
Generalizations like that usually turn out wrong...

[Vactor]

just thought i'd throw out a few parcels of advice, If you do decide to remove hair beyond your face, I strongly reccommend investing in an electric clipper, You'll save yourself a mess with shaving cream, the only need for using a razor is in instances like your face, where the smallest of stubble is noticeable.  As far as male groin shaving goes, i'd advise to trim, not shave.  (armpits come in at this point too) one of the benefits of having hair in your groin and armpits is that the hairs act as a buffer so that your skin isn't rubbing against skin.  If you remove all of the hair your skin will cleave and chafe.

trimming however is quite comfortable.

[Jude]

As long as I don't get a hairy back I'm happy

I think I'm good on that front, genetically

[Neonivek]

In some instances Poligamy actually formed after a long period of Monogamy (or rather where Polygamy previously never existed)... Why? because Women weren't objects before.

Polygamy is often a method to ensure that a person can collect a lot of dowry and/or possibly a lot of female servants. (Ignoring perverted implications).

I don't see Polygamy being used often in my studies as a method to devote yourself entirely to multiple partners very often except as an exception within the system. It sometimes is an alternative to divorce as well in that if you suddenly don't find that you can stand your wife, marry again! then simply move your old wife's status as "Out of favor".

I am not going to point any fingers... (though no one will know what I am refering to)

Polygamy to me sounds like an invention that seems to come about upon the occurance of a sedementary lifestyle. (which is a major factor)

Of course I am HARDLY a historian... and if I was this would be my weakest area of study. So honestly... do NOT brag about this information I am saying as I am likely incorrect.

Ps. Sorry about the spelling.

How do you even shave your back? I am flexable enough to do it... but everyone else I know? Heck no.

[umiman]

I cry bullshit on Neonivek being flexible enough to shave his back. Proof or begone with thee.

Anyway, I have no clue how to use a razor. I usually use scissors or lighters. Sometimes I use construction tape because it's easier. Don't use sandpaper... it doesn't really work and you'll be in agony.

[Jude]

Polygamy (polygyny to be specific) occurs mainly in societies where there's a lot of inequality in the distribution of wealth

it's (in terms of reproductive fitness) generally a preferable solution for the men who have the resources, for obvious reasons, albeit not for the other ones

for the women, it's generally the optimal solution as well; it could well be better (in terms of reproductive fitness, again) to be the third or fourth wife of a king than the first wife of a poor peasant who can barely keep himself fed, much less a wife and kids.

When wealth is more equally distributed, people tend to pair off, although there are plenty of exceptions to this, and the rich tend to have a wife and a mistress, for example. Whether you consider this polygamy or not depends whether you define it by technical marriage or by actual sexual practices.

[woose1]

Why are we seriously discussing something totally out of the realms of what was origanally intended?

Its like we murdered and raped this thread, and then turned into a frankenstine monster for our own, deliciously evil purposes.

....Unless I skipped the brick here. 

[JoshuaFH]

Why are we seriously discussing something totally out of the realms of what was origanally intended?

Its like we murdered and raped this thread, and then turned into a frankenstine monster for our own, deliciously evil purposes.

....Unless I skipped the brick here. 

Would you prefer that a separate thread be made, named "Monogamy or Polygamy: a history of sexual practices"?

[woose1]

Yes pl0x.

[Neonivek]

Well it depends whether or not we consider Marriage the begin all and end all of sex.

Warning: Graphic language ahead

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

For example many people make the mistake of assuming that the Greek and Romans were basically all, 100%, Gay because many of them had sex with other guys (depending on how you define gay). The fact of the matter is that it was simply just sex for most of them... and some litterature, thinking of one play in particular, made it quite obvious that they didn't think of those two things as the same. I won't go in further detail.

It makes it VERY odd when I see... lets call it... fan work... where they give many Heterosexual characters (Or Bisexual depending on how you define it)... freekishly romantic subplots with what really ammounts to their sex slave (Plus other... uhhh... EEK!!!). I realise people have fallen inlove with prostitutes before... but honestly...

Then again... Many people don't really know how Roman and Greek history actually works (or many other historical society... such as the Minowan Creets) so why should I complain now? The fact that people still think Rome fell simply because they made a lot of people angry and had lead poisoning is astounding.

Writing on I realise how ambiguous the term "Homosexual" really is. Then again... It shouldn't come as a surprise for a multitude of reasons. (Because of how... lets say... contested... this information is... I won't go further... other then to say "Not to long ago it was considered Taboo for a man to be unmarried at a certain age. The man was considered to have something wrong with them" and "Read a book!")

[Nathiuz]

(Romans excepted).

Those damn barbarians trying to taint our Roman way of life!

[Frelock]

Somewhat off-topic semi-rant

(Romans excepted).

Those damn barbarians trying to taint our Roman way of life!

I was not referring to roman sexual practices or orientations, I was referring to their preference to go clean-shaven, verses the traditional barbarian beards.  Hence why I also included far-eastern peoples.  If I was making a more complete list, I would have also included African tribes, Asian-Pacific peoples, Native Americans of all types...Actually, most of the world save for Europe and the Mid-East.  Perhaps my point was not as valid as I originally thought.

"I say, Blackadder, it seems that there's a large, orange hedge moving towards us."
"Oh, that's not a hedge; that's the scots."
"Continuarte"