Too frequently the man regards himself as a Grand Seigneur with a
paramount "Jus Primis Noctis." True, the majority of men are abashed in
the presence of innocence and deal gently with it,--but others follow in
a repellent way their instinct of possession. Any neurologist of
experience has cases where sexual frigidity and neurasthenia in a woman
can be traced back to the shock of that all-important first night.
There are savage races in which preparation for marriage is an
elementary part of education. We need not follow them into absurdity,
but more than the last silly whispered words to bride and groom at the
ceremony is necessary. A formal antenuptial enlightenment, frank and
expert, is needed by our civilization.
The sex appetite varies as widely as any other human character.
Generally speaking, it is believed that sexual passion in women is more
episodic than in men, often relating to the menstrual period. In many
cases it does not develop as a conscious factor in the woman's life
until after marriage, and sometimes not until the first child is born.
Certainly desire in the girl is a more generalized, less local, less
conscious excitement than it is in the boy who cannot misunderstand his
feelings. I think it may safely be said that allowing for the freedom of
boys and men, there is native to the male a more urgent passion than to
the female. This would be biologically necessary, since upon him
devolves not only courtship but the fundamental activity in the sexual
act. A passionless woman may have sexual relation, a passionless man
cannot.
The disparity in sex desire between a husband and wife may be slight or
great. No statistics on the subject will ever be gathered, from the very
nature of the facts, but it is safe to say that much more disparity
exists than is suspected. And likewise it causes more trouble than is
suspected. Where the virility of the mate is inadequate there breeds a
subtle dissatisfaction that may corrode domestic happiness and bring
about conflict on subjects quite remote from the real issue.
Contrariwise, to have relations forced or coaxed on one where desire is
lacking brings about disgust, nervous reactions, fatigue of marked
nature.
A woman sexually well mated often clings beyond reason to an unworthy
mate. Many an inexplicable marriage, many a fantastic loyalty of a good
woman to a bad man has its origin where it is least expected, in the sex
attachment. Demureness of appearance, refinement of manner, noble
ideals are not at all inconsistent with powerful sex feeling. There is
no reason why strong, well-controlled passion should be considered
anything but a virtue, why the pleasure of the sexual field should,
under the social restriction, be regarded as impure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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