Social Evolution

Since I believe in evolution theory, I accept that everything has evolved for a reason. Nothing is superfluous and everything either gives an advantage to our genes, or was a side effect of something that gave an advantage to our genes. Now these types of ‘advantages’ might not always be advantageous for the species (e.g. peacock tails), but nonetheless it evolved for a reason.

Since this includes everything, this also includes social interaction and courtship, especially the underlying urges that drive our interactions. Specific actions in a social situation might well be learned and imitated, but the underlying pressures and motivation are genetic in origin.

In terms of male/ female interactions often what is happening is genetic selection. The male needs to demonstrate his prowess, which the female then uses to select the highest placed male that they can.

This bears out in numerous studies, with the interesting trend that for long term relationships men and women almost always end up with somebody of similar physical beauty (with physical beauty often having a direct correlation to physical fitness).

The elaborate process we therefore go through to find and mate is actually a highly necessary, as annoying as that may be. It is only through this process that value can be demonstrated and the appropriate partner can be selected (Generally by the female, I might add. It seems that in general men strut and women chose. This fits in nicely with the fact that men can impregnate many, while women can only be impregnated once, leading to men needing to be less choosy in whom they sleep with.)

If you look at the mating ritual as an evolutionary process, it suddenly becomes a bit easier (note the bit) to understand a large number of the actions that both sides undertake. Of course men do the approaching, as they need to make the women aware of their availability. Of course women will be choosy about who they sleep with, as bearing the children of a dunce will be a huge waste of resources.

Of course, among humans it is no longer only physical prowess that needs to be demonstrated. Human males must also demonstrate their social status (as people with high social status make better providers) and their mental competence (same as before). Of course, women must do the same in order to demonstrate their own value, though both sexes do so in notably different ways.

So next time you’re stuck in a mating dance and wondering what the hell to do, think from an evolutionary perspective ‘what would her genes want me to do?’

Now there’s a big difference between the above question and the normal question most men ask. Most men ask ‘what would she like me to do’ but that is something quite unrelated to what the genes might want. She would probably like a nice, pliable guy that brings her many gifts and is meek and easily controllable. But do her genes want that?

No! They want something completely different. They went somebody tough, bad and in some ways nasty, as somebody like that would be much better prepared to fight off possible dangers and raise the likelihood of her offspring surviving (even if she might not actually be happy with him).

Girls like nice guys, but their genes know that most likely those nice guys are a genetic dead end. So, though they will befriend the nice guys, they won’t sleep with them. Nice guys make good allies and second choices, but ultimately the rougher, tougher guys will dramatically increase the chance of a large number of offspring carrying on the lineage.