General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Study: Men of All Ages Want Women in Their Mid-20s [View all]Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)and just needed to re-familiarize myself with the discussion.
I think I see what you're objecting. The story of Evolution is being used as an excuse to excuse basically misogynist and dominant behaviors.
I agree it is often used to justify continued exploitation of women.
But the thing is even if certain behavioral traits are reinforced by evolution, it's not the final story.
Judgement can still be made on behaviors developed through evolution.
So it's not a huge capitulation to me as it may be to you to admit some of our evolutionary instincts can hurt us as a society but they are still behaviors coded within us we can override with conscious attention.
I'm sure the ancient fear coded into us of the ancestor of the dog hurt our relations with them for awhile. But it wasn't written in stone. It was overcome.
A male lion will literally kill the cubs of a rival male. Pretty much always, if they are given the chance (the females will try to prevent this).. That's an example of an existing but really shitty evolutionary behavior. Only the lion is just not intelligent enough to override that behavior pattern.
We, of course, are and have brought under control a great many behaviors.