Taboo and genetics : $b A study of the biological, sociological and psychological foundation of the familyKnight, Melvin M. (Melvin Moses)
Science
Taboo and genetics : $b A study of the biological, sociological and psychological foundation of the family
Knight, Melvin M. (Melvin Moses)
Sex (Biology); Sex (Psychology); Taboo; Women
The erotic impulse may have its responses conditioned in many other ways
than the building up of erotic fetishes. Kempf has observed that the
affective reactions of the individual are largely conditioned by the
unconscious attitudes of parents, friends, enemies and teachers. For
instance, one boy is conditioned to distrust his ability and another to
have confidence in his powers by the attitude of the parents. Similarly,
the daughter whose mother is abnormally prudish about sexual functions
will surely be conditioned to react in the same manner towards her own
sexual functions, unless conditioned to react differently by the
influence of another person.[5] Through the everyday associations in the
social milieu, therefore, the erotic impulse of an individual may become
modified in almost any manner.
Just as an emotional reaction may become conditioned to almost any other
stimulus than the one which originally called it forth, so there is a
tendency for any emotion to seek a vicarious outlet whenever its natural
expression is inhibited. Were any member of the group to give free play
to his affective life he would inevitably interfere seriously with the
freedom of the other members. But the fear of arousing the disapproval
of his fellows, which is rooted in man's gregarious nature, inhibits the
tendency to self-indulgence. "A most important factor begins to exert
pressure upon the infant at birth and continues throughout its life,"
says Kempf. "It is the incessant, continuous pressure of the herd ... to
conventionalize its methods of acquiring the gratification of its
needs."[5] The emotions thus denied a natural outlet seek other channels
of activity which have received the sanction of social approval.
It is obvious that the rigid social regulations concerning sexual
activities must enforce repression of the erotic impulses more
frequently than any others. The love which is thus denied its biological
expression transmutes itself into many forms. It may reach out to
envelop all humanity, and find a suitable activity in social service. It
may be transformed into the love of God, and find an outlet in the
religious life of the individual. Or it may be expressed only in
language, in which case it may stop at the stage of erotic fantasy and
day-dream, or may result in some really great piece of poetry or prose.
This last outlet is so common that our language is full of symbolic
words and phrases which have a hidden erotic meaning attached to them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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