Males and Females

Males and females have gotten together since the beginning to create new humans. The sperm and the egg must merge. The female and male then protect and nurture the child so it can continue the species.

Even if we figure out ways to give birth without sexual intercourse, we are still sexual creatures, with all the urges the species gave us.

The sexes are drawn to each other because of the internal mechanisms inherent in all human beings -- put there by the species. They are rewarded with physical satisfaction and delight. They fit together -- and they know it is the way it should be.

In every species there are some individuals who are drawn to others of their own sex. While these unions do not fulfill the species' intention of continuing itself, we should remember that these individuals are still reacting to the same hormones as those who are attracted to members of the opposite sex. These individuals are neither good nor bad. They have merely received different instructions from the species.

Females and males are much alike. With the exception of what their bodies will not allow them to do, both can do virtually the same things.

Both have the ability to hunt, fight, heal, teach, cook, care for children, or do any other social necessity. This increases the likelihood that necessary actions for personal and species survival will occur even if one parent is missing.

Interlopers are possibly in more danger from a female if they threaten the female's child and she alone must protect it.

The differences in body structure, chemical makeup, and attitudes are there for specific reasons. They are part of the species' plan to continue itself.

Females contribute to species survival by carrying developing children, giving birth to them, and providing them with life-sustaining nourishment. Males, on the other hand, are needed to defend the group (and especially defend females when they are pregnant and lactating because they are most vulnerable to predators and other enemies during this all-important time).

Thus, the bodies of human females and males differ so that each can function better to carry out certain tasks: the female has milk-producing breasts and extra body fat for insulating the developing child; the male has larger body size and muscle mass for increased strength and speed.

And, when a body has the physical apparatus suited to carrying out a task -- like fighting enemies or giving birth -- along with it comes the attitude to see those actions through.

To have the muscle mass and speed to fight off enemies or to search for and bring down an animal the group can use for food, clothing, and other needs, the male must have the mental characteristics that promote such activity.

He has more muscle mass in his torso and legs so he can protect the group. His body is more adapted to aggressive behavior to suit this purpose. And his attitudes complement this purpose in the reproductive process.

To have the physical characteristics to keep the species alive through childbirth, females must have the mental characteristics that promote the immediate welfare of the offspring.

Her body is oriented toward carrying and nurturing children. Her body is less adapted to aggressive behavior to suit this purpose. And her attitudes complement this purpose in the reproductive process.

If one of a man's functions in life is to protect the group--especially his own mate and children--why do some men hurt them instead? And if one of a woman's functions in life is to nurture her children and her mate, why do some women hurt them instead?

We humans have very strong emotions. And when we are unhappy, we tend to allow our non-intellectual characteristics to lead the way. We use our basic strengths to lash out...and those closest to us bear the brunt of that strength.

We all have that anger inside us. It is how we learn to deal with it that makes the biggest difference. The culture in which we were brought up can teach us about our own emotions and how to deal with them. Or it can leave us ignorant...and hurting others because we don't understand why we ourselves are hurting inside.

Females look for male partners who exhibit the best tendencies for protection. It is in their genes. Males look for female partners who exhibit the best tendencies for child-bearing. It is in their genes.

This isn't the only thing men and women look for in a mate, of course. But it is very basic to our natures. For eons when men and women have looked for mates, these qualities have played a pivotal role.

"Protection" and "child-rearing" are the basic characteristics. Our imaginations and our ability to plan for the future and our ability to make symbols for real things complicate our view of these characteristics. Driving an expensive car or wearing revealing clothing can translate very easily into those looked-for traits.

Both sexes are very competitive by nature. The males compete for female attention and admiration from other males. Females compete for the best males to sire their children and for admiration and status from other females. This increases their status as individuals, which is connected to their usefulness to the group...and to the species.

This competitiveness isn't a conscious act. It is a reflex born within them. And they can carry this competitiveness further than necessary. Thus, males can look at females as weak, and thus inferior. Females can look at males as weak-minded guardians.

This is the base animal in all human beings.

Humans, however, are more than just reactionary animals. They are thinking animals as well. And their minds allow them to develop in many different ways. When the "thinking" part of humans is exercised, the partnership between the sexes is acknowledged and nurtured itself.

Males--because of their body structure, their hormones, even the way their brains are set up--tend to do certain activities differently than females. The same is true for females. But it must be remembered that this is only a question of tendencies. And, in fact, when a person with a tendency in one area cultivates or develops another area, then that person is much stronger for it.

The female can be aggressive and the male can be nurturing. Both sexes can nurture or protect. It is more a question of natural tendency and degree and circumstance.

It is the differences in attitudes that is the primary reason that one sex has difficulty understanding the other. In fact, tens of thousands of years after they first developed, men and women are still pondering the differences between them.

They have always known that it takes both of them to produce children. They know their roles as protector and child-bearer. They need to know that the differences between them are not bad, but can complement each other's strengths in all aspects of life.

The more we understand each other as individuals, and the more we understand each other by sex (or by race or culture), the better we all are. And if we understand about the attitudes each of us brings to this life, the more likely we are to properly apply those attitudes to our common good.