The Nature Of Monogamy: Part 2By Kevin Fleming [Relationships]
|
||
There may be a biological reason behind women committing infidelity. Kevin Fleming takes a look at cheating and women.  Instinctually And Economically Speaking If you recall the last section of Part 1, we left off at the physical size differences between men and women. Many in the science world have concluded that it is because of the size differences between men and women that we have been and are mildly polygamous by nature. At the most basic of levels, women tend to prefer the tallest and biggest men (at some subconscious level) because thousands of years ago, this kind of man was better able to protect a woman and her young. Again, in past times, the bigger and taller men proved to be able to garner more than their fair share of resources. Of course, it is the safe bet to go with the man who can protect as well as provide for his partner and their children. In recent times though, brute physical strength was laid waste to by economic success. In Medieval times, very few men could be considered rich as in the case of barons and nobles, while the vast majority of men were poor. Guess which men women in those times found more desirable? In modern times, wealth is more spread out, at least to a point where many of us can live comfortably. This in turn leaves women with more choices about who to choose as a mate. This leads us to contemporary men and women. Much of the past still exists in us all in terms of instinct and, to some degree, this instinct coupled with common sense can lead women to seek a new mate who is potentially bigger, stronger and wealthier. It’s a rare combination though and from my standpoint, women tend to cheat because they are looking for more financial security, especially in a society where men still make more than women. Do not misinterpret my words though. I am not saying that all women leave their partners for richer men—hardly the case usually—but wealth is a potential attractor for women. Biologically Speaking Why do women have affairs? Is it solely because of unhappiness in a marriage or relationship or are there other factors involved? Just like men and testosterone, there may be a hormone in women that comes into play in regard to infidelities. No, it isn’t the well-known hormones like estrogen or progesterone, but oestradiol. A study released in January of 2009 conducted at the University of Texas-Austin suggests that women with high levels of this hormone are more likely to cheat on their significant other, married or not. Oestradiol is a hormone secreted by the ovaries that is linked to fertility, but researchers wanted to see if it had any correlation with women who cheat. The researchers concluded that women with higher levels of the hormone were more apt to engage in flirting, kissing and other activities with random men. Plus, women with higher levels of oestradiol tended to show more dissatisfaction with their current partner. Keep in mind that this is just one of countless biological reasons that could potentially lead to infidelity in women. I chose to discuss this finding due to the fact that it is more recent and may prove to be one of the “smoking guns” in solving the mystery of what causes infidelities to occur. |
||
| NEXTContinued on next page... | ||
|
||
|
||
