I have wanted to do a "___ of the week" type of thing for a while...I always like cutecarrie's, but I wanted to do something different...
...and I am not a very sexual person, really, but I do try to post something at least somewhat having to do with sexuality....
...and I do have a couple of books that have to do with sexuality that I do think are worth reading, so I thought I would post a book of the week kind of deal...
as I implied, this first one does has something to do with sexuality, though most of my book picks probably won't....but I will try...
...anyway, sorry for all the blabbering...I set things up too much... :)
My book of the week is "Survival of the Prettiest" by Nancy Etcoff.
It is sort of a look at what we find attractive though an evolutionary biology or evolutionary psychology lense type of thing.
...it makes you consider that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is not really true....there are things that as humans we find attractive, and it has basically to do with advantagous reproduction...
...and the woman who wrote it has a lot of credentials, (she teachers at Harvard Medical, I think) so it is not like it is written by some goofball like me... :)
...anway, it really is interesting and suprisingly entertaining...and, I think it can help get you laid!! :)
So check it out if you get a chance...:)
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read more blogs!
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wtxman
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Dec 23 @ 10:23PM
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I don't put to much stock in harvard or yale credentials. Isn't the president and the last person he ran against(kerry) harvard/yale people. I rest my case.
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wtxman
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Dec 23 @ 10:28PM
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Oh I forgot that old saying "those that can-Do, those that can't-Teach"
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Looking4ever
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Dec 23 @ 10:52PM
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Always nice to hear of interesting books to read. I think I'll check it out...thanks!
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bentan
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Dec 23 @ 11:06PM
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Oh I forgot that old saying "those that can-Do, those that can't-Teach"
I have never had a high regard for this saying because it is used by people who have little to no understanding about teaching, academia and research to knock people who choose such professions. Fact is: you always need people who are thinkers to advance the frontier of human knowledge. Much of it may appear useless to the so-called "doers" but think about how much of this knowledge has filtered into practical applications that affect our everyday lives. For example, the internet we have come to depend on today started out as an academic research project. And many people who teach also "do" at the same time. For example, the particular person mentioned by the OP is both a teacher at Harvard as well as a practising psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. So I say: throw such statements into the trash and use an open mind to evaluate things.
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LadyMaura
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Dec 23 @ 11:34PM
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My nephew is 3, he only flirts with beautiful women. I think it has to do with primal urges, survival of the fittest and the like.. as if he was already programmed to go after what looks the most appealing.. there are men out there who are able to "reprogram" themselves and they find what is on the inside of someone else much more attractive than any eye candy ever offered.
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wtxman
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Dec 23 @ 11:42PM
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Sorry to offend, most of my comments are meant to be "tongue in cheek" humor. I have A high respect for knowledge, but on a more serious note can't help to reflect upon and wonder about the human condition after approximately 10,000 years of existance. With all of our learning and knowledge we should be able to show more advancement as a species than just having the internet.Anyway I thought Al Gore invented the internet( more humor). What I mean to say is for eveystep forward we seem to take two steps backwards. Take war for example. The only evolution I see is that we have figured out better and more effective ways to kill. I could go on and on about disease and poverty. As far as the sexual nature of man, there have been hundreds of books, maybe thousands, written about the subject, and yet we are no closer to knowing what it is all about. We know we like sex(most of us anyway), we know we want it, so why with all of our great thinkers out there,are we still having a problem with it. This site is an example of microcosm at work. I'm sure that there are many levels of education of the members of this site, and yet at times there is still the same bs,as in the real world, because we are the real world. Another old saying" same music,different words ".
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bentan
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Dec 24 @ 12:05AM
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None taken my friend  . I agree very much with your observation. Knowledge in and of itself is not the panacea for all ills. I would say it is not even a question of how well that knowledge is being transmitted. The problem lies on the receiving end with human nature: the stubborness, pride, arrogance, deceitfulness and belligerence that keeps perpetuating all the bad stuff you mentioned. I find the following saying very apt for summarizing this sad state of affairs:
You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
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wtxman
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Dec 24 @ 12:20AM
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Bentan,It is refreshing to be able to have a dialogue without rancor. A free exchange of ideas with mutual respect of each others ideas. If the horse did drink the water it would probably be polluted and the horse would die. On another note I don't think that reading a book will get you laid.Most but not all men would say or do anything to get laid, and there are a lot of bitter woman out there because of the way they were treated by these same men, I know because i was one of those men.
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bentan
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Dec 24 @ 12:38AM
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True, reading a book won't get anyone laid. Knowledge is ultimately useless without thoughtful application. Nobody is infallible; it is never too late to try again with the benefit of experience.
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minderbinder02
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Dec 24 @ 8:08AM
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I was actually kidding about the "helping you get laid" part....I just put that in because the rest of my blog was so dry, I thought I would put something in that seemed more appropriate to this site... :)
...and with mentioning the Harvard thing, I didn't mean to imply that everyone associated with an Ivy League school is a genius, or that everything they say is correct. I just meant that credentials never hurt.
...and to be more clear, as long as there does seem to be some interest, I don't think she makes the claim that we are completely ruled by our "id," and that we have no free will. Without a doubt, I believe, what we find attractive is both social and personal, not at all strictly biological (I don't get the Lindsy Lohan thing... :) )
...but, the book can't focus on everything. I don't think she claims it explains everything. But, I do believe it is useful to examine everything through different lenses. And, if you believe in evolution, it seems to make sense that we humans operate on the same principles to some degree as other animals.
So, basically, I don't think the point of the book is to say that huumans are only ruled by base instincts. Just that there is a part of that, and, suprisingly some of the things we find attractive seem to be fairly universal....
...what Lady Maura said is a perfect example. As I recall, for example, in studies, babies tend to look at faces that are generally considered "attractive" more than they do faces that are generally considered less attractive.
....anway, glad for all the interest...I do think it is worth the read...
...oh, and looking4now, you are very welcome. Please let me know of any books you have found interesting lately... :)
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wtxman
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Dec 24 @ 8:28AM
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I'm sorry that you felt you had to defend your blog, and I apologize to you for making you feel that way. I was just trying to have a little fun with my sometimes obtuse
sense of humor and things got out of hand. Very sorry to have hijacked your blog;that wasn't my intention. With that said I just have to ask if you are related to Lt. Milo Minderbinder?
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