Evolution Of Sex

Our ancestors didn’t shy away from it —so why should we?

- Sandhya Mulchandani

All human behaviour is fascinating but nothing is as intriguing as things sexual. Civilisations have changed and evolved, as have human beings, but the preoccupation with sex has remained constant through millennia. Romantic or platonic, fleeting or lifelong—love and sex have the power to nurture meaningful relationships, teach us invaluable lessons and even change lives forever. What is the genesis of this desire? What makes us behave the way we do? What part do love and sex play in a man’s total being? These are questions men have been asking from the very beginning of time.

With the size of our population, it’s easy to believe that sex and sexuality have occupied an important place in our collective mindset. When wise men started to contemplate the nature of existence, they recognised that at the heart of almost every action was desire, and they personified it as Kama Deva, the Lord of Love. This concept of universal or cosmic desire then transformed into individual need and personal passion, taking the form of lust, sexual love and, of course, longing.

Humans have basically remained the same anatomically for some 100,000 years. So, it’s safe to assume that if we enjoy sex now, we enjoyed it then. But while the central act remains much the same, behaviour and attitudes towards sexuality, romance, love and lust have changed, been redefined, and adapted to the changing circumstances and needs of society.