I reasonated with the example of the mother gorilla extending the nursing time with her young. I noticed that with nursing my kids. They began eating food on their own at 6 months but I felt a stong urge to continue nursing. It was relaxing for me and avoided sexual advances- unconscious motivations?
I see a book in the making! Very concise. This is how an evolutionary perspective can be raised from bleak determinism into an affirmation of the possibility of increased positive agency.
I think we can see things too dualistically, but really we exist as something that functions as one unified totality, even if all is not transparent and there is inner conflict.
I also think that consciousness can provide experiences that, even if they can (maybe) be related to evolutionary strategies, achieve value in and of themselves. Take the example of the sanctity of life referred to. Lets call it preciousness more neutrally. These are actual experiences that people have and that come in many forms, and the very sense that this moment, this new life, this friendship, this esthetic experience, etc. are precious is self justifying and unselfish. It makes it so. And of course life sucks as long as you are in that place.
Without wanting to weigh in morally or politically here, in empathy I would add this as an experiential reason or intuition for a pro-life stance, different than a religious belief genuinely held, and that has its own implications for sexual behavior.
Great article. I am curious about your use of 'silly'. I don't think I've ever used that word in my life (except now). When you write: "It’s silly to stigmatize signaling. Or use it as a pejorative" I think: I might not dismiss or mock the person who labelled behavior as signalling but rather I surmise that they find the behvaior annoying. And why is so called 'signalling' so annoying? I'm hoping you can shed light. Thanks Rob.
I reasonated with the example of the mother gorilla extending the nursing time with her young. I noticed that with nursing my kids. They began eating food on their own at 6 months but I felt a stong urge to continue nursing. It was relaxing for me and avoided sexual advances- unconscious motivations?
So that's why I've been drifting through life in a daze!😂
I see a book in the making! Very concise. This is how an evolutionary perspective can be raised from bleak determinism into an affirmation of the possibility of increased positive agency.
I think we can see things too dualistically, but really we exist as something that functions as one unified totality, even if all is not transparent and there is inner conflict.
I also think that consciousness can provide experiences that, even if they can (maybe) be related to evolutionary strategies, achieve value in and of themselves. Take the example of the sanctity of life referred to. Lets call it preciousness more neutrally. These are actual experiences that people have and that come in many forms, and the very sense that this moment, this new life, this friendship, this esthetic experience, etc. are precious is self justifying and unselfish. It makes it so. And of course life sucks as long as you are in that place.
Without wanting to weigh in morally or politically here, in empathy I would add this as an experiential reason or intuition for a pro-life stance, different than a religious belief genuinely held, and that has its own implications for sexual behavior.
Great article. I am curious about your use of 'silly'. I don't think I've ever used that word in my life (except now). When you write: "It’s silly to stigmatize signaling. Or use it as a pejorative" I think: I might not dismiss or mock the person who labelled behavior as signalling but rather I surmise that they find the behvaior annoying. And why is so called 'signalling' so annoying? I'm hoping you can shed light. Thanks Rob.