Evolutionary fitness and falling in love
As I suffered through the pangs of Raphael's imminent departure from Panama and from my life, my body racked with uncontrollable, violent tears that burst forth every night as I wandered around my room in sleepless agony, I dreaded the next day when I had a load of interviews and data to collect-- and put up a pretence of normalcy to get through all the chores and duties necessary for living. And I thought- for what are we living thus! What quirk of evolution could possibly have selected for genes that allowed such powerful and destructive emotions to surge through your body and mind? That leaves you debilitated, with no more yearning for life. That actually reduces your reproductive fitness as you think of either ending it all or never seeking a relationship again!
There obviously is cultural selection in the form of poetry, films, novels, etc. But people in such a state of being are obviously a drag on society - unable to work efficiently, depressive, and capable of inciting emotional instability in other healthy people through their speech, behaviour, writings, etc. Why then do most societies around the world attempt to preserve this kind of behaviour, or take care of people in such a state to at least a minimal extent?
I can think of only one explanation for it. Ardent lovers, poets, artists, etc. - people most susceptible to emotions, people stirred deep within their souls by beautiful things, peole who chase an ephemeral idea all through their lives for a fleeting and tantalizing glimpse of intoxicating happiness, people who would lay waste their entire life for this evanescent moment of utter bliss with the thing they love - these people function as the mega-dams, the lactating glands of our society. For the rest of humanity- the stable, pragmatic, down-to-earth work force- these emotionally charged and crazed minority function as a store-house of emotions. This dam of emotions can now be milked at safe rates so as not to destroy themselves, but rather, enhance their reproductive fitness through aspiring for an ideal mate or caring for a beloved child, etc. Thus, these ultra-emotional people (myself among them), may reduce their own reproductive fitness and life expectancy. But they raise the group fitness as a whole. And cultures across the world probably sub-conciously realize this. Hence they strive to maintain these people even at a temporary reduction in efficiency and an increase in social chaos.
These are people who are moved by the sight of a weeping aspen in a ferocious storm and must perforce go out and drench themselved in the storm to feel what the weeping aspen must feel. And knowing that they are now a ready target - a conducting vessel for the lightening that discharges itself with great frequency on the grey, dark and desolate landscape - desolate except for the lone weeping aspen - makes no difference to them. Their soul must needs be drenched in the sights and sounds and ferocity of the storm to quench themselves of the yearning for their loved one.
Let me call these people the weeping aspens of our society.
Chekov was probably thinking of these weeping Aspens in the character of the monk Ieronim in his story "Easter Eve" (http://chekhov2.tripod.com/058.htm ). Much like Ieronim, I seek softness and tenderness in all the people I meet. And I am ecstatic when I find it - be it man or woman, young or old. I refuse to believe that there are different kinds of love. There is only LOVE. One decides to interact with the different people one loves based on societal norms and obligations we have and on the preferences expressed by the one we love. The expression of love may be different, but love is the same.
There obviously is cultural selection in the form of poetry, films, novels, etc. But people in such a state of being are obviously a drag on society - unable to work efficiently, depressive, and capable of inciting emotional instability in other healthy people through their speech, behaviour, writings, etc. Why then do most societies around the world attempt to preserve this kind of behaviour, or take care of people in such a state to at least a minimal extent?
I can think of only one explanation for it. Ardent lovers, poets, artists, etc. - people most susceptible to emotions, people stirred deep within their souls by beautiful things, peole who chase an ephemeral idea all through their lives for a fleeting and tantalizing glimpse of intoxicating happiness, people who would lay waste their entire life for this evanescent moment of utter bliss with the thing they love - these people function as the mega-dams, the lactating glands of our society. For the rest of humanity- the stable, pragmatic, down-to-earth work force- these emotionally charged and crazed minority function as a store-house of emotions. This dam of emotions can now be milked at safe rates so as not to destroy themselves, but rather, enhance their reproductive fitness through aspiring for an ideal mate or caring for a beloved child, etc. Thus, these ultra-emotional people (myself among them), may reduce their own reproductive fitness and life expectancy. But they raise the group fitness as a whole. And cultures across the world probably sub-conciously realize this. Hence they strive to maintain these people even at a temporary reduction in efficiency and an increase in social chaos.
These are people who are moved by the sight of a weeping aspen in a ferocious storm and must perforce go out and drench themselved in the storm to feel what the weeping aspen must feel. And knowing that they are now a ready target - a conducting vessel for the lightening that discharges itself with great frequency on the grey, dark and desolate landscape - desolate except for the lone weeping aspen - makes no difference to them. Their soul must needs be drenched in the sights and sounds and ferocity of the storm to quench themselves of the yearning for their loved one.
Let me call these people the weeping aspens of our society.
Chekov was probably thinking of these weeping Aspens in the character of the monk Ieronim in his story "Easter Eve" (http://chekhov2.tripod.com/058.htm ). Much like Ieronim, I seek softness and tenderness in all the people I meet. And I am ecstatic when I find it - be it man or woman, young or old. I refuse to believe that there are different kinds of love. There is only LOVE. One decides to interact with the different people one loves based on societal norms and obligations we have and on the preferences expressed by the one we love. The expression of love may be different, but love is the same.
posted by Gayatri | 2:01 PM
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