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I don't find such predictions at all utopian, and I'm surprised this thread of argument has persisted in culture so long. Sex is associated with pain and suffe
by scythe 9y ago
I don't find such predictions at all utopian, and I'm surprised this thread of argument has persisted in culture so long.
Sex is associated with pain and suffering, and that's why taboos exist. Whether it's unwanted children, unwanted contact, diseases, or unfulfillable desires, there's plenty of downside to sexual behavior. Violence is easier to understand correctly than sex: violence is always bad unless it's necessary, while the conditions which make sex good or bad are more complicated, and thus, less comprehensible to children. Every four-year-old knows you shouldn't actually drop anvils on people. Inappropriateness is an ingredient of slapstick comedy which is (partially) why characters in children's shows do bad things to each other. Note that Pepe le Pew nonetheless appears in children's shows; his attempts at romance are also obviously wrong and thus funny.
On the other hand I do notice a positive correlation between people thinking the solutions to social problems are easy and people becoming angry about politics. This makes sense because it's natural to feel aggrieved when someone fails to solve an easy problem. But in reality the solutions to social problems are not so easy.
- Razengan 9y agoI edited the post a little to clarify the point I was trying to go for: If culture and upbringing can condition us to reject and feel awkward about our most basic instincts, then culture and upbringing can make us reject violence or causing grief to each other as well. By the way, the books I mentioned weren't "utopian predictions", in fact they have a dark side to them. For example, in that world even children are encouraged to take calming narcotics when they feel upset or agitated, which stifles them in different ways. Highly recommended reading in any case.