What Should We Be Worried About?

THE LOSS OF LUST

TOR NØRRETRANDERS

Science writer, consultant, lecturer, Copenhagen; author, The Generous Man: How Helping Others Is the Sexiest Thing You Can Do

We should worry about losing lust as the guiding principle for the reproduction of our species. Throughout history, human beings, guided by instincts and intense desire, have shown great wisdom in choosing partners for reproduction. Much of the aesthetic pleasure and joy we take in contemplating other members of our species is rooted in indicators for fertility, gene quality, and immune-system compatibility. Thus our lust evinces considerable prudence.

When it comes to the number of offspring, we will have collectively stabilized the world population by mid-century through decentralized decision making. This demographic transition will result not from scientific planning but from the biological cleverness of individual couples. The stabilization means that it is ever more important that the biological preferences expressed in lust dominate reproduction, since fewer babies will be born and they will live longer.

Attempts to manage reproduction through biotechnologies and screening of eggs, sperm, partners, and embryos will interfere with the lust-dominated process. That this could mean the loss of an evolved expertise in survivability is worrisome.

Moreover, the desire to reproduce leads to the advertising of good genes and general fertility through a cultural and societal display of skills and sexiness. These are major, if not dominant, sources of the unconscious drive for creating great results in science, art, and social life. Attempts to shortcut mating preferences and the matching process through clinical control could lead not only to a loss of quality in the offspring but also to a loss of cultural fertility.