I wouldn't say this is necessarily the case. We don't actually know how a small number of northern tribes became warlike, hierarchical, and focused on the power of men over anyone weaker, including but not limited to women and children. However, we do know that they eventually overtook the peaceful egalitarian societies that widely existed everywhere else, and then that this type of society spread, not because it was efficient, but precisely because it was so disruptive that it caused dispersal.

"Counterintuitively, the fact that inequality was so destabilising caused these societies to spread by creating an incentive to migrate…

Riffing off of Edward Riley’s list

Edward Riley wrote about how much music has the ability to influence our mood, especially around sex and romance and he decided to come up with a list of songs that make him feel sexy in one way or another. I liked the idea so much that I came up with my own. I’m sure I could think of about 10 more songs to add to this, but just off the top of my head, here are a few that have a sexy vibe and put me in the mood.

The Pretty Reckless —…

Metamours show that jealousy isn’t the only option

Not all monogamous relationships are centered in jealousy, but for some people possessiveness is considered a sign of real love. In fact, it’s an aspect of monogamy that is often fostered, and there are countless movie plots and song lyrics about the rightness of this sort of territorial outlook. “Don’t even look at my woman — she’s mine,” — that kind of thing.

The thought of being friends with someone that your partner has feelings for or even has sex with doesn’t really compute in that outlook, and yet, for many polyamorous…

With our favorite submissions, plus, the writer of the week

Every week brings new topics, and a wide variety of submission, and this week was no different. With so many good things to choose from, we had to pare down the list a little bit, but don’t forget to check out the rest of this week’s terrific submissions here.

The writer of the week is Mr. Smith. He writes erotica and essays that are both sexy and smart. Below are links to a few of our favorites:

What happens at night when people hang out naked together all day

This is Part II of a two-part series about our visit to a clothing-optional resort. Part I is below:

After our terrific day at Desire in Cancun, Mexico, James and I were anxious to see what it was like there in the evening as well. We had a wonderful time just hanging out naked in the pool on a day-pass from a sister resort, sipping on cool drinks and talking with various friendly people we met there. …

What really happens when everyone is naked in public?

This is Part I of a two-part series, describing our day at a clothing-optional resort. Part II will be about an evening.

A couple of years ago my husband James and I went to Desire, a clothing-optional couples resort in Mexico. We were actually staying at another property owned by the same company but had the chance to spend both a day and an evening at Desire to see what it was like. We had so much fun, we were planning to go back, but then the pandemic hit, and so…

And most people are actually fine with that

Some people are mightily unhappy about the fact that America is no longer clearly a White dominant nation or that it’s getting less so by the year. White nationalist movements seem to be on the rise. The attack on the Capitol was organized and spearheaded by members of some of these groups, including the Oath Keepers, The Proud Boys, and others.

Because of how often these people are in the news, it gives the impression that there are more of them than there really are, but it turns out that they are…

Without having to figure out new words to do so

This essay is comprised almost entirely of excerpts from other ones I have written in the past about various problems that arise in our social system — one that is founded in a traditional hierarchy that has been maintained throughout our nation’s history by both laws and custom. This dominance based hierarchy is also enforced by violence, coercion, and the threat of pain.

Although the laws that ordained different things for different people no longer exist, they’ve only been off the books for around 50 years, and the stratification that…