Women go through menopause because men have consistently preferred younger women in recent evolutionary history, according to a study published June 13 in the journal PLOS Computational Biology. Thus, menopause is not evolutionarily advantageous and may be the result of a series of random, harmful mutations that accumulated in women but weren't acted on by evolution because the women had already reproduced by the time the mutations affected them.It may be because it might possibly perhaps have been... science! Color me dubious. Steve Sailer may need to expand his Law of Female Journalism to include scientific studies.
The most heartfelt articles by female journalists tend to be demands that social values be overturned in order that, Come the Revolution, the journalist herself will be considered hotter-looking.
23 comments:
Why do you hate science?
Having lived through my mother's menopause and seeing some of the early signs in my wife, women do not need yet another excuse for irrational behavior. My mother's menopause appeared to be one long fitness test and rather than play, my father took his toys and went elsewhere for female company and appreciation. This made it worse when he was there for us and him, but he had an way to deal with her crap.
My wife is taking supplements and hormone replacement therapy in an effort to control the symptoms (something my mother refused to do). It helps unless she forgets to take them and then all hell breaks lose. The key is to maintain frame and basically ignore it, but the kids haven't figured that out yet.
I'm trying to read Mating Mind by Geoffrey Miller, but his constant apologizing to feminism is getting tiresome to dig through.
It's not surprising to think that evolution doesn't work as smoothly on people past reproductive age.
A mutation that kills people in childhood will be quickly eliminated. One that kills people in their 50s is unfortunate, but if it produces no visible consequences at 20-30, then these people will generally reproduce successfully.
Perhaps some evolutionary scientists should consider a career in SF/F. They are awfully good at stories...
So Rama Singh produced a model. Then he/she updated the model to show a gradual preference for younger women. Wow, science is neat. Allows you to ignore the fact that for thousands of years the life expectancy was under 40. When women just happen to be ending their fertility window. Yeah, this was the kind of science used to create "models" showing global warming. Don't bother with using real data, just create what the model needs to work. Priceless.
It's annoying how the word "theory" is so often misused in the media. What Singh has proposed is a hypothesis. Anyway, Kristen Hawkes has a much more plausible hypothesis, which is that modern women experience menopause because their lifespan has been extended far beyond the reproductive years. Considering that a lot of women don't want to be thought of as brood mares, you'd think this would be good news.
But, really, what it amounts to is the efforts of men in building the kind of civilization that allows life to be greatly extended beyond the female reproductive years = it's all men's fault that women go through menopause. Gee, what thanks you guys get. Just goes to show, there's no good deed that won't be twisted into something horrible.
Growing old must be tough for women, especially beautiful women - to go from the belle of the ball and the center of attention to pretty much invisible to men within a span of about 15-20 years or so. For most of us men, getting older isn't as bad because most of us are used to being invisible to the majority of the opposite sex anyway. Those rare moments when a woman thinks we're cute or whatever just become a little more rare. Besides, there are plenty of ways for physically average or unattractive men to work around their looks and find girlfriends and wives anyway (money/status, charisma, interesting hobbies and life experiences, etc).
Funny, though, that none of these older women had any problem whatsoever with soaking up all the attention of older men when they were young and hot, but now that they're older and no longer hot they think it's evil when older men pay attention to women younger and prettier than themselves.
Growing old must be tough for women, especially beautiful women - to go from the belle of the ball and the center of attention to pretty much invisible to men within a span of about 15-20 years or so.
P. J. O'Rourke called it the lonely hell of the formerly cute. It is tough, but only if your appearance is the only thing of value you have to offer anyone.
There is an insurance policy against invisibility in middle age. I've come to realize, through VD's commentary and talking to older men I respect, that if a woman treats her man with respect, love, sweetness, and kindness, she will not be invisible to him even when she's 80. She may not be appealing to other men after a certain age, but who cares? The love of one good man is all any woman should ever need.
One of the most beautiful scenes in modern cinema is in the movie Highlander, when the immortal Connor's wife is dying of old age. She'd been a sweet, loyal, obedient wife, and she wonders aloud on her deathbed why he stayed with her even though she'd aged and he hadn't:
My beautiful man. My husband. I've never really known...
What?
Why you stayed.
Because I love you as much now as the first day we met.
And I love you. I don't want to die. I want to stay with you forever.
I want that too.
Will you do something for me, Connor?
What, lass?
In the years to come, will you light a candle and remember me on my birthday?
Aye, love. I will.
... Where are we?
We're in the highlands. Where else? Running down a mountainside. The sun is shining. It's not cold. You've got your sheepskins on and the boots I made for you. ... Good night, my bonny Heather.
To be loved like this by one good man is infinitely more worthwhile than to be regarded as "hot" by thousands of men.
Most men feel no sympathy for once beautiful women who age and become invisible, since most men have dealt with being invisible to these same women most their lives.
Germaine Greer, one of the Ur-feminists of the 60s wrote some wonderful essays on becoming invisible to me. She was a fornicating little tramp (and brilliant) in her twenty-something youth, but aged poorly, God bless her. The essays were probably in the Guardian, but they were written twenty years ago or so. Don't know if they are still around.
REview of Greer's book:
Greer ( The Female Eunuch , LJ 4/14/71; Daddy, We Hardly Knew You , LJ 1/90) turns the clear light of her ferocious intelligence on what she calls ``the undescribed experience,'' the female climacteric--menopause. She has read everything : medical treatises, herbaries, historical letters, the few literary works that treat this universal aspect of female experience. At last, she says, women get to decide: Whether they wish to spend the second half of their lives in a ghastly re-creation of culturally approved youth, or whether menopause ``marks the end of apologizing'' and the beginning of a search for deep joy for and in oneself. She notes that the pitifully small amount of research done does not yet indicate the real causes for menopausal distress such as hot flashes, nor does it untangle the symptoms of plain aging from the cessation of monthly periods. She decries the lack of role models for the aging woman but does find us a few: the courtesan Ninon de Lenclos, whose intelligence charmed male and female alike into her advanced age; Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), who wielded her old woman's power into lapidary prose; Jane Digby El Mezrab, who at 47 enchanted a sheik, who rode by her side for 30 more years. Not the least of models is Greer herself, whose fine and hard-edged voice makes life after the cessation of childbearing sound, if difficult and harrowing, also joyful and rich in reward. Far superior to Gail Sheehy's The Silent Passage ( LJ 4/1/92), this is highly recommended for all collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/92.-- GraceAnne A. DeCandido, ``School Library Journal''
Germaine Greer, one of the Ur-feminists of the 60s wrote some wonderful essays on becoming invisible to me. She was a fornicating little tramp (and brilliant) in her twenty-something youth, but aged poorly, God bless her. The essays were probably in the Guardian, but they were written twenty years ago or so. Don't know if they are still around.
Burkas have their advantages.
Dressing (or lack thereof) like a slut doesn't work if the revelation is apocalyptic.
And in related news, Markus, the Gamma proprietor of Plenty of Fish, has determined in his female-imperative-addled judgement that fourteen years is the maximum age difference he will allow for profile browsing and communications on his site.
Pathetic little turd. How are we supposed to drive women into menopause now?
Greg: "It's not surprising to think that evolution doesn't work as smoothly on people past reproductive age."
Not only that, before men invented the discipline of gynecology, many women, both old an young just died in Childbirth. But it being what is is, Childbirth was very likely to kill off more older women than those young and fit.
Retrenched said...
Funny, though, that none of these older women had any problem whatsoever with soaking up all the attention of older men when they were young and hot, but now that they're older and no longer hot they think it's evil when older men pay attention to women younger and prettier than themselves.
This. When I was younger, every single attractive girl I knew would say something about how "gross" it was for a girl to date a man 20 years older, and then, sometimes in the same sentence, admit to doing so herself. But somehow with her it was "different". And, of course, the guy was rich. That always seemed to make it OK.
Doesn't this "study" basically amount to "wet walkways cause rain"?
rycamor: When I was younger, I knew young women who excoriate some guys, they were just the worst type of man.
Turns out they were all fucking them.
JohnR
That doesn't make any sense, and seems dumb. It's not like old women can't get laid at all.
I dried up a couple of them myself. I think I've got the touch. I'm honored they are finally giving me my damned due! Couldn't get some of the younger ones to turn, but hell if I didn't try. *grins*
"P. J. O'Rourke called it the lonely hell of the formerly cute. It is tough, but only if your appearance is the only thing of value you have to offer anyone."
Indeed. It makes no sense to indulge self-satisfaction because of natural beauty, as it's not an achievement due to their efforts and diligence. It's a random chance happening based on your gene pool. Winning the lottery is dumb luck. Building a successful business that generates a lottery for your family is praiseworthy and impressive. Big, big difference.
The beautiful women I have known who are not bothered by growing older are the ones who grounded their sense of accomplishment and self-worth in their happy husband, their good parenting, their service to others and their witness for Christ.
It has also been my observation that even the prettiest of little girls benefit from having fathers who don't praise their looks, but their character, their work ethic, their compassion and generosity. A father is a very powerful force in this regard.
The most heartfelt articles by female journalists tend to be demands that social values be overturned in order that, Come the Revolution, the journalist herself will be considered hotter-looking.
Change the wording a bit and you can apply this to gamma men as well....
The most heartfelt articles by gamma male writers tend to be demands that social values be overturned in order that, Come the Revolution, the writer himself will be considered a 'real man'.
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