Evolution And Paraphilias.

I don't know if you have ever read a medical manual on sexual disorders (or 'paraphilias' as they are technically known). I have. In my case, the Merck Manual. And believe it or not, it can be quite entertaining.

I am not just talking about shocking things like pedophilia. Because believe it or no, there is another disorder where the person is sexually fixated on older people. Actually, that could be quite nice--for the older person, at least. Can you imagine an older person being made love to by younger one? Seems to me they'd both win. But I can see why it would backfire too at times.

Anyways, my question, actually, is what is the evolutionary significance of paraphilias? Why do humans have them? They must've been advantageous for some reason at some time. What led to them? And why is it we have them at all?

 

if we're talking evolution, wouldn't everyone have them if they were advantageous?

 

Sexual fetishes in general don't serve evolution. It's just a quirk of human wiring. Like why does it favor the species to want sex with feet or the ass? Liking asses and feet are two very common kinks. You would think sperm needs to enter the vagina.

They say most kinks are formed in childhood. They they were made somehow taboo or there for you so you wanted them. In your example of older people maybe the person sees them as a good caretaker for kids. That serves the species but I can't think of another reason. Maybe in my example they had a very loving grandma so they seek that in sex.

 

kinks are play
play serves evolution

 

I did not think of it like that. That make sense, you are drawn to someone by a kink and then after the play there is the real sex that evolution wants.

 

oh, but also i mean... the play in itself.
whether chess, lego, model trains, sport, kinks in sex.
play is linked to creativity, which serves evolution.