RE: Disaster Raises Happiness, Trust
This thread has been equally entertaining as informative. I never would have thought that an economic discussion would include reference to Freddy Krueger or Nightmare on Elm St. :-) Personally, I believe the argument about disaster and happiness is a bit tautological in scope. "End of Days" could result in such overwhelming disutility that risk-averse atomistic agents would tend to defer present consumption, including procreative activities. Afterall, there will be no need to properly discount the future. QED Bill Dickens (FL-based) -Original Message- From: Grey Thomas [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 12:13 PM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: RE: Disaster Raises Happiness, Trust I think the popularity of "Nightmare on Elm Street", etc., including with many young women, is fairly relevant, and supportive of "stress arousal". I'd suspect a strong second order effect in women: the men are "more than usually" aroused; which leads to "more than usual" arousal in the women. I'd suspect women who are NOT more than usually aroused with such men to be at a doubly severe evolutionary disadvantage: a) fewer children overall, and b) less likely to keep a father around to help with the kids she does have. Tom Grey -Original Message- From: William Dickens [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 4:17 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Disaster Raises Happiness, Trust I think this is a good EP explanation for men, but there is a problem with it as an explanation for women. I have to admit that I don't know if women are aroused by stress as well, but from the woman's perspective it would seem that her offspring would be most likely to succeed if she waited for the guys to come back and then picked from that bunch. They would presumably be a more fit sub-sample of the original population and would be more likely to be around to help provide for the children. - - Bill Dickens William T. Dickens The Brookings Institution 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 797-6113 FAX: (202) 797-6181 E-MAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AOL IM: wtdickens >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 10/01/01 10:19PM >>> With regard to Mr. Dickens' comment regarding whether stress should cause sexual arousal, I am tempted to think that evolutionary psychology can certainly explain this phenomenon. Early societies, according to most models of human development, used the males as hunters and warriors; females were gatherers. With this division of labor, males certainly incurred the more perilous part of the community's job. Before an important hunt or major battle, it is manifestly in the male's evolutionary favor to become sexually aroused; after all, this may be his genome's last chance to reproduce itself! Even if he dies in battle, his sex partners -- still safely at home -- will be able to bear his young.
Happiness, Trust and mate selection
I'm not a father, but those of you who think you are might want to check. Those of you who have been surprised at how wonderful your offspring are, should be doubly cautious. Mitch - Original Message - From: Jacob W Bræstrup <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wednesday, October 3, 2001 1:32 pm Subject: SV: Disaster Raises Happiness, Trust > > I remember to have both read and seen (on discovery channel) a > couple of > studies that conclude that human females do in fact use this same > strategyas the birds (nesting with the reliable male, but mating > with the high > quality). I believe this was labelled as a "superior mating > strategy" - just > as the "superior male mating strategy" is to find the right mix of > quality(staying and raising his offspring) and quantity (mating > with as many as > possible). > > That this primal urge among women was still alive and kicking was > allegedlyconfirmed by a study (conducted on british discos, I > believe) showing that > women are more prone to go out alone (with female friends - whithout > boyfriends / husbands) when they also have the biggest chance of > gettingpregnant. That - compaired with the girls NOT "pregnant- > prone" - these girls > were also more likely to be "dressed to kill". And - finally - > that girls > where more likely to be unfaithful at this time of the month. > > Also supporting this theory is a study (reported this summer in Danish > media) based on the growing number of instances where a father > volunteers to > donate an organ to one of his own children. In 15 percent of these > cases (in > Denmark) - if I remember right - the DNA test reveiled that the > two were NOT > related (of course the fathers were not told this - only that > there was no > match). Presumably these figures excluded fathers who already knew > that they > were not the father of the child. > > Although it is probably a somewhat small sample (I don't remember > the size), > it is nevertheless pretty representative of the population at > large, I would > say. > > As I said, most of this is just what I remember off hand - can anyone > confirm??? > > Jacob Wimpffen Bræstrup > Esthersvej 22, 2tv. > DK-2900 Hellerup > DENMARK > Tel: (+45) 39 400 600 / 2020 3232 > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > "Power threatens; wealth rewards: one eludes power by deceiving > it; to > obtain the favours of wealth one must serve it: the latter is > thereforebound to win" > - Constant's speech given at the Athénée Royal, 1819 > > > > > -Oprindelig meddelelse- > Fra: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]På > vegne af > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sendt: 3. oktober 2001 17:12 > Til: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Emne: Re: Disaster Raises Happiness, Trust > > > Possibly. In many species of birds, the female will mate with high > quality males who are often not around b/c high quality males have > manymating opportunities. The female then nests with a lower > quality male > who raises the young. I don't actually know if humans do this, b/c > humans don't always fit the models. > > Mitch Mitchell > > - Original Message - > From: "William Dickens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Wednesday, October 3, 2001 7:17 am > Subject: Re: Disaster Raises Happiness, Trust > > > I think this is a good EP explanation for men, but there is a > > problem with it as an explanation for women. I have to admit that > > I don't know if women are aroused by stress as well, but from the > > woman's perspective it would seem that her offspring would be most > > likely to succeed if she waited for the guys to come back and then > > picked from that bunch. They would presumably be a more fit sub- > > sample of the original population and would be more likely to be > > around to help provide for the children. - - Bill Dickens > > > > > > William T. Dickens > > The Brookings Institution > > 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW > > Washington, DC 20036 > > Phone: (202) 797-6113 > > FAX: (202) 797-6181 > > E-MAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > AOL IM: wtdickens > > > > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 10/01/01 10:19PM >>> > >With regard to Mr. Dickens' comment regarding whether stress > > should cause > > sexual arousal, I am tempted to think that evolutionary psychology > > can > > certainly explain this phenomenon. Early societies, according to > > most models > > of human development, used the males as hunters and warriors; > > females were > > gatherers. With this division of labor, males certainly incurred > > the more > > perilous part of the community's job. Before an important hunt or > > major > > battle, it is manifestly in the male's evolutionary favor to > > become sexually > > aroused; after all, this may be his genome's last chance to > > reproduce itself! > > Even if he dies in battle, his sex partners -- still safely at > > home -- will > > be able to bear his young. > > > > > >
RE: Disaster Raises Happiness, Trust
I think the popularity of "Nightmare on Elm Street", etc., including with many young women, is fairly relevant, and supportive of "stress arousal". I'd suspect a strong second order effect in women: the men are "more than usually" aroused; which leads to "more than usual" arousal in the women. I'd suspect women who are NOT more than usually aroused with such men to be at a doubly severe evolutionary disadvantage: a) fewer children overall, and b) less likely to keep a father around to help with the kids she does have. Tom Grey -Original Message- From: William Dickens [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 4:17 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Disaster Raises Happiness, Trust I think this is a good EP explanation for men, but there is a problem with it as an explanation for women. I have to admit that I don't know if women are aroused by stress as well, but from the woman's perspective it would seem that her offspring would be most likely to succeed if she waited for the guys to come back and then picked from that bunch. They would presumably be a more fit sub-sample of the original population and would be more likely to be around to help provide for the children. - - Bill Dickens William T. Dickens The Brookings Institution 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 797-6113 FAX: (202) 797-6181 E-MAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AOL IM: wtdickens >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 10/01/01 10:19PM >>> With regard to Mr. Dickens' comment regarding whether stress should cause sexual arousal, I am tempted to think that evolutionary psychology can certainly explain this phenomenon. Early societies, according to most models of human development, used the males as hunters and warriors; females were gatherers. With this division of labor, males certainly incurred the more perilous part of the community's job. Before an important hunt or major battle, it is manifestly in the male's evolutionary favor to become sexually aroused; after all, this may be his genome's last chance to reproduce itself! Even if he dies in battle, his sex partners -- still safely at home -- will be able to bear his young.
