Homosexuality in giraffes and other non-human animals • Hacker News Board

Re: Homosexuality in giraffes and other non-human animals

#161

Post by Razengan » Wed, Mar 27, 2019, 6:04 AM UTC

solidsnack9000 wrote: post #151

qwerty456127 wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't say monogamy is a natural rule everybody should follow but it also is not unnatural "bullshit" invented by humans. As far as I know many wild species are monogamous. Many bird species in particular. I don't mind anybody being polyamory (and even some sort of adore them for breaking a taboo) yet many people are happy in monogamy and they are not necessarily constraining themselves artificially. Also shame can…

Monogamy is pretty much limited to birds. It's uncommon in mammals and in primates in particular. It's interesting that humans arrived at it.

Did we ever arrive at it? Even though most of us may desire lifelong partners, sexual monogamy is mostly socially-induced, not a natural instinct; indeed, social/sexual monogamy usually goes against our natural instincts.

Throughout our history, it's also mostly practiced out of necessity/pressure by the underclasses/commoners* of human society, not the rulers/leaders/wealthy.

* (not counting prostitution)

Re: Homosexuality in giraffes and other non-human animals

#162

Post by Razengan » Wed, Mar 27, 2019, 6:08 AM UTC

ndnxhs wrote: post #131

qwerty456127 wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't say monogamy is a natural rule everybody should follow but it also is not unnatural "bullshit" invented by humans. As far as I know many wild species are monogamous. Many bird species in particular. I don't mind anybody being polyamory (and even some sort of adore them for breaking a taboo) yet many people are happy in monogamy and they are not necessarily constraining themselves artificially. Also shame can…

Shame and peer pressure are also good things often. They help us collaborate and prevent us from acting selfishly. We shame those who do things like litter or steal which prevents this behaviour. If you steal from your friends you will be excluded from their social circle which is enough reason to not do it.

I wouldn't say often. Shame and peer pressure are usually used against someone that a larger group already dislikes.

"Acting selfishly" is also a common victim-blame.

Not sharing your lunch money with povert bullies, or loving someone you love instead of whomever other people want you to love.

Re: Homosexuality in giraffes and other non-human animals

#163

Post by d0mine » Wed, Mar 27, 2019, 5:01 PM UTC

majewsky wrote: post #144

d0mine wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "science open to revision" It doesn't mean that you can't make statements that are always true (today, tomorrow, in a hundred years, etc). Once something is discovered and we understand the limits of the model, it is true forever e.g., Newton's laws under appropriate assumptions (not too fast, not much mass).

Yeah, but most social sciences are nowhere near the standards that physics imposes on what it holds to be true. That's not a flack. It's inherent to the nature of the social sciences. Since every individual is part of a complex social system, it's incredibly hard to make repeatable experiments to test assumptions in the same way that physicists do every day for breakfast.

It doesn't matter how complex a studied phenomenon; if proper methods are not used, it is not science.

Both astrology and astronomy can study the same stars -- the difference is in methods they use (and only one is science).