Re: Which book sounds most compelling?

On Apr 23, 5:59 pm, James A. Donald <jam...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
David Friedman

The "inconsistency" that long ago struck me was in
male attitudes to male vs female homosexuality.
The fact that another male is homosexual benefits
me, since it reduces the competition for the
attentions of desirable women. The fact that a
female is homosexual harms me, since it reduces
the number of women whose attentions I can compete
for.

constantinop...@xxxxxxxxx

A homosexual may benefit me (a hetero male) by taking
himself out of competition for females, but he also
benefits every other heterosexual male. Why should I
expend the energy to congratulate and encourage him?
There's a free rider problem here.

In contrast, if I act in a hostile manner toward
homosexual men (which I do not, but supposing I did)
then this would disproportionately affect their
behavior toward *me* specifically, thus internalizing
the benefit and avoiding the free rider problem.

And so the encouragement/congratulations is
underprovided, while the hostility is more adequately
provided.

This explanation makes more sense than my own - you
propose that men are acting rationally.

Or possibly the behavior improves fitness - which is, of course,
closely related.

My explanation was that men are acting irrationally for
reasons similar to the irrational behavior of some women

That may be.

- which is doubtless true in some cases, but rational
behavior is more common.

On the other hand it may be easy to come up with a specious rationale
for irrational behavior.

Still, cooties is big part of it, for either
explanation.

It's what occurs to me.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: California Student Civil Rights Act
    ... Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it. ... homosexuality in public. ... meant only one thing?sex between a male and female. ... two male chinstrap penguins at New York's Central Park ...
    (misc.kids)
  • Re: Which book sounds most compelling?
    ... male attitudes to male vs female homosexuality. ... himself out of competition for females, ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Sticky Subject- postulation about the emergence of homosexuality
    ... Google on "bonobo homosexuality". ... Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it. ... two male chinstrap penguins at New York's Central Park Zoo ... while ignoring potential female mates. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Which book sounds most compelling?
    ... male attitudes to male vs female homosexuality. ... benefit me by taking himself out of competition for ... encourage male homosexuality or discourage female homosexuality. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Which book sounds most compelling?
    ... male attitudes to male vs female homosexuality. ... benefit me by taking himself out of competition for ... encourage male homosexuality or discourage female homosexuality. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
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