Mr. Dickens makes a convincing argument that arousal in women would likely be associated with the relief of stress rather than its onset. Perhaps there is another EP explanation for why general happiness might occur in women as a result of stress. In a primitive society operating under optimal conditions, there is a sound psychological basis for the existence of unhappiness: an unhappy person seeks to better his condition, making him happier and longer-lived (and presumably more likely to reproduce) in the long run, at the cost of unhappiness and loss of productivity in the short run. This evolutionary trade-off might not be similarly justified if the society was placed under stress. If a large number of men go off to war, for example, the remaining members of the society need to operate at full short-term productive efficiency to ensure their own survival, and unhappiness would impede such efficiency. Hence complacency under pressure might have evolutionary value.
--Brian Auriti [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << I think this is a good EP explanation for men, but there is a problem with it as an explanation for women. I have to admit that I don't know if women are aroused by stress as well, but from the woman's perspective it would seem that her offspring would be most likely to succeed if she waited for the guys to come back and then picked from that bunch. They would presumably be a more fit sub-sample of the original population and would be more likely to be around to help provide for the children. - - Bill Dickens >>
