Where does the desire to mate come from?

bobcat said:
Well, at some point in time desire arose, because we have it today in most species. Courting behavior doesn't happen by accident or chance. It is a deliberate act. So somewhere along the line it seems to have become necessary or preferrable to self-replication with no desire.
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I specifically referred to single-cell organisms. Ain't no courting with those.

In the wider context, I wonder if you're confusing pleasure with the need to reproduce? In reality, while we can assume many species indulge in sex for pleasure, it's not a proven thing in all but a handful of species. Still, making a deliberate decision to have sex might be pleasurable, that doesn't mean we're not also following an innate drive to reproduce. There are, after all, other ways to get pleasure.

As far as choosing to reproduce, how much of that in modern times is down to economics, rather than anything else? Our intellect can overcome our instinct when we try and rationalize our decisions. Not to mention the religious doctrines that wrap reproduction up with an official ceremony (often costing a lot!). It's almost a societal blessing for the act.

You've got to keep in mind, as far as life on earth is concerned, the human condition (species) is only a small part.
 

chic said:
I always felt hormones played a strong role.
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You're correct - they're part of the mechanism. As we age, so these hormones drop in our bodies, and we become less....... wanting. At least when it comes to humans.

The Laysan albatross can still reproduce at 64 years of age! Deep Sea sponges are reproducing after a 1000 years!
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Comes from the same place the desire to breathe, eat, heart to beat, socialize: drive to survive in the future.
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I'm amazed this isn't obvious. Sometimes I get worried when driving at the thought of who is allowed to drive and are all around me.

But then we also have crime, drug abuse, thuggery, suggestibility, etc. I guess somebody has to live on the left half of the Bell curve.
 
VaughanJB said:
I specifically referred to single-cell organisms. Ain't no courting with those.

In the wider context, I wonder if you're confusing pleasure with the need to reproduce? In reality, while we can assume many species indulge in sex for pleasure, it's not a proven thing in all but a handful of species. Still, making a deliberate decision to have sex might be pleasurable, that doesn't mean we're not also following an innate drive to reproduce. There are, after all, other ways to get pleasure.

As far as choosing to reproduce, how much of that in modern times is down to economics, rather than anything else? Our intellect can overcome our instinct when we try and rationalize our decisions. Not to mention the religious doctrines that wrap reproduction up with an official ceremony (often costing a lot!). It's almost a societal blessing for the act.

You've got to keep in mind, as far as life on earth is concerned, the human condition (species) is only a small part.
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I wonder though ...... When a whole heard of sperm cells are swimming "upstream", those little single cell buggars are looking for one thing. When they find their objective purpose, they grab on tight and wait for the invitation to come on in and set up shop. (Sorry that doesn't sound very romantic, but maybe he sits outside and strums a guitar and sings ballads ... I don't know).

Anyway, it may all happen by chance, but it just seems that even on a cellular level, there is attraction. I do think that desire to mate goes deeper than pleasure. Before the advent of neural systems, there is no pleasure center to stimulate. It seems to be more instinctive, but again, where does that drive come from. Maybe it will just remain one of life's mysteries,
 
bobcat said:
I wonder though ...... When a whole heard of sperm cells are swimming "upstream", those little single cell buggars are looking for one thing. When they find their objective purpose, they grab on tight and wait for the invitation to come on in and set up shop. (Sorry that doesn't sound very romantic, but maybe he sits outside and strums a guitar and sings ballads ... I don't know).

Anyway, it may all happen by chance, but it just seems that even on a cellular level, there is attraction. I do think that desire to mate goes deeper than pleasure. Before the advent of neural systems, there is no pleasure center to stimulate. It seems to be more instinctive, but again, where does that drive come from. Maybe it will just remain one of life's mysteries,
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The reality of sperm is that out of the millions we (as men) ejaculate, only a few hundred ever get near an egg in normal copulation. Sperm is a unique cell with one purpose, and only one. That's why I wouldn't assign intent to them. They evolved to do something, and they try and do that - the vast majority of them fail. The truth is, they don't know how to do anything else - they're just doing their thing.

It's a common thing to imbue animals, cells, all kinds of creatures to have human attributes. Largely this is because it's how we think as humans. I have a dog I speak to all the time, and he even answers back. We've had conversations. This makes me happy. But if you really want to tear it down, I know my dog is a dog. He doesn't know what I'm saying, he's not reasoning my arguments, he's not pondering my questions. He mostly reacting to the intonation of my voice.

I can be having a great discussion with my dog, but if someone hands him a slice of cheese, he's off into his space to eat it. :D
 
VaughanJB said:
The reality of sperm is that out of the millions we (as men) ejaculate, only a few hundred ever get near an egg in normal copulation. Sperm is a unique cell with one purpose, and only one. That's why I wouldn't assign intent to them. They evolved to do something, and they try and do that - the vast majority of them fail. The truth is, they don't know how to do anything else - they're just doing their thing.

It's a common thing to imbue animals, cells, all kinds of creatures to have human attributes. Largely this is because it's how we think as humans. I have a dog I speak to all the time, and he even answers back. We've had conversations. This makes me happy. But if you really want to tear it down, I know my dog is a dog. He doesn't know what I'm saying, he's not reasoning my arguments, he's not pondering my questions. He mostly reacting to the intonation of my voice.

I can be having a great discussion with my dog, but if someone hands him a slice of cheese, he's off into his space to eat it. :D
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Why do I feel I just had the birds and bees talk? :ROFLMAO:
It's probably time I found out anyway.
 
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