Mating For Life
We've all heard the statement "Penguins mate for life", but how true is that statement? According to tuxxie.org and wikipedia, penguins form monogamous pairs that last through the breeding season. However, the rate at which those pairs recouple varies drastically. The statement that penguins mate for life is exaggerated.
As a matter of fact very few animals even form monogamous pairs. Softpedia claims that a mere 3-5% of mammals are monogamous and even then that monogamy is subjective. Mammals that have been known to form lifelong pairs are: Beavers, Otters, Jackals, Foxes, and some Bats, Deer and Antelope. Also, there are some species of bird that are monogamous, including the penguin...to a degree.
There are many people that use the philosophy that animals aren't even monogamous to explain away why people shouldn't be, or in some minds can't be. My problem with this is that humans are supposed to be far more advanced emotionally, physically, and intellectually than animals. Why then do we use animals and their basic levels of commitment as an example for how we should live our lives? I mean, shouldn't we be aspiring to be more advanced creatures? If we truly were more advanced than the animals we claim to top on the food chain, we should be able to form decent monogamous relationships and stick with them. It does happen, I've known many people that have been with the same person the whole of their adult life and they are the happiest people I know. This is not to say that married people don't have arguments and problems, because well they are human, but I look at it this way, those people that are married and have stayed that way for many years are far more advanced than their "player" counterparts. These people have managed to share their lives with another person, happy, sad, dramatic, boring, and everything else. These people put the feelings and emotions of another person before their own, they put away selfishness and embrace unity. Those people are by far the more advanced species of human, in my humble opinion of course.
As a matter of fact very few animals even form monogamous pairs. Softpedia claims that a mere 3-5% of mammals are monogamous and even then that monogamy is subjective. Mammals that have been known to form lifelong pairs are: Beavers, Otters, Jackals, Foxes, and some Bats, Deer and Antelope. Also, there are some species of bird that are monogamous, including the penguin...to a degree.
There are many people that use the philosophy that animals aren't even monogamous to explain away why people shouldn't be, or in some minds can't be. My problem with this is that humans are supposed to be far more advanced emotionally, physically, and intellectually than animals. Why then do we use animals and their basic levels of commitment as an example for how we should live our lives? I mean, shouldn't we be aspiring to be more advanced creatures? If we truly were more advanced than the animals we claim to top on the food chain, we should be able to form decent monogamous relationships and stick with them. It does happen, I've known many people that have been with the same person the whole of their adult life and they are the happiest people I know. This is not to say that married people don't have arguments and problems, because well they are human, but I look at it this way, those people that are married and have stayed that way for many years are far more advanced than their "player" counterparts. These people have managed to share their lives with another person, happy, sad, dramatic, boring, and everything else. These people put the feelings and emotions of another person before their own, they put away selfishness and embrace unity. Those people are by far the more advanced species of human, in my humble opinion of course.
1 Share The Love:
LOVE IT!! I agree
Post a Comment