Serious Evolutionary Question: No Creationists Allowed?

Question

The idea of natural selection is that animals want to pass on their genes. Animals who survive are able to reproduce their characteristics, and because they survive those characteristics are adaptive. Right?

I feel that my personal experience is inconstant with the evolutionary forces that are said to drive nature.

I have no desire to reproduce. In fact, I would hate to pass on my genes simply because I don’t want kids.
My mate selection has nothing to do with reproduction. I like who my wife is, and the fun that I have with her. (I think my wife is hot, but the concept of beauty is shaped more by one’s culture than one’s biological disposition).

I think that many people feel the same way about this area of their life.

If evolutionary principles govern life on this plant, and I am subject to them, why are my desires contrary to them? How can that be explain from a evolutionary theoretical model?

Answer 1

your initial assumptions are incorrect, thus invalidating the rest of your statements.
You say, "The idea of natural selection is that animals want to pass on their genes. Animals who survive are able to reproduce their characteristics, and because they survive those characteristics are adaptive. Right?"...well, wrong. Evolution involves the mutation of characteristics that are more beneficial to the survival of the species, NOT simply animals surviving to reproduce their characteristics. Besides this, ONE single creature is not always enough to "evolve" a species.

Answer 2

The three aspects of evolution are: 1) species have more offspring than can possibly survive, 2) each member of a species is different with unique qualities geared toward survival, and 3) these qualities are inheritable.

This means that over long periods of time those characteristics best suited for survival will be passed from one generation to the next. Your lack of desire for reproduction could be tied to some genetic trait (probably more of a social conditioning thing however) that will effectively be removed from the human gene pool should you and your wife decide to not have children.

In other words, those who have the desire to reproduce will pass these traits on and those who don't, won't.

Answer 3

Well...human beings have babies in ones, sometimes two, less rarely threes. We don't have litters, because we aren't prey animals, so the likelihood of four of our offspring surviving is higher than that of a litter of six rabbits surviving. In other words, we don't need to have that many kids, and we're evolving very slowly, so a few kids here or there is not going to affect the process much. You might not have any, someone else will have five. It is the survival of the species as a whole that is the issue, not each individual member.

You might find yourself wanting a child at some point. More likely, your wife will. "Baby fever" is a strange thing - I remember having it, going into department stores and holding the baby clothes, nearly crying when I saw someone else with a baby, the desire, the biological urge to have one was so strong, and it came on very suddenly.

Never say never...baby fever might just get you yet ;-)

Answer 4

I feel the same way and had no desire to reproduce. For humans the drive isn't as strong as it is for animals, at least for most of us. There are alot of humans, and we are not a dying species. I think when a species is dying out due to natural of humanmade causes, they tend to feel the drive to reproduce and the fittest over the weakest more. In some cases it isn't the strongest of the pack but the smartest/sneakest who gets to mate. I saw a doc on some deer and while two males were fighting for the right to mate with the female, a third one came and mated with her. He wasn't the biggest but he was the sneakest.

Answer 5

Cultural and psychological abstractions can override the urge to reproduce, especially in men. Animals are not affected by cultural or psychological changes, they simply follow their instincts. Humans are conceptual beings. Their behavior does not have to be determined by their genes.

In the industrialized countries, more than in developing countries, we see this tendency to have fewer children. It cost to support a family and have all the advantages of modern living. In agrarian societies children were a necessity for the survival of the older generations.

Answer 6

Perhaps because you should view the evolutionary theoretical model from a statistic point of view. You have to see the behaviour of a population more than that of single individuals.
It is the genes of the specie more than the genes of the individual that are "passed on".

Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Well, if you don't reproduce, and your genes have a role in that, your genes will go away.

Don't assume that you, or your species is the epitome of evolutionary perfection. I'd sooner bet on the survival of cockroaches over 10,000 years than humans.

Answer 8

We have evolved slowly into realizing the not every person on the planet needs to reproduce to keep the population going. In fact it's probably better that way. It keeps down overpopulation (another part of natural selection) and that keeps down disease and starvation and the destruction of forests for more space for more people. So if you don't want to have kids, then don't. I know plenty of people who would rather not.

Answer 9

There are many factors including the fact that you are a sentient being, so you can evaluate things. Also, due to sentient nature, you are subject to psychological and social forces. Finally, the worse may be true: You were born genetically bad. Sorry, there is just no easy way to say that.

Answer 10

between the fool creationist reported that the banana became an atheists worst nightmare and then proceeded to tutor how the human hand and the banana have been made; one for the different. Hilarious, somewhat once you have considered a banana that has no longer been subject to man made determination. Wiccans welcome. I, a Spinoza's pan-theists hob nob with many atheists, nonetheless i come across pan-theism greater intellectually stimulating.