#282 – David Buss: Sex, Dating, Relationships, and Sex Differences

351 snips

May 4, 2022

David Buss, an evolutionary psychologist at UT Austin and a pioneer in evolutionary psychology, discusses the complexities of human relationships and mating strategies. He dives into the biological influences on attraction, jealousy, and infidelity. Buss examines how gender dynamics shape societal behavior and the myriad motivations behind female sexuality. The conversation also touches on toxic relationships, arranged marriages, and the psychological profiles of individuals affected by societal pressures, blending humor with profound insights into human nature.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Sex and Violence in Human History

Mating is essential for human existence, as all our ancestors had to successfully reproduce.
Violence, particularly intertribal warfare for resources and mates, has also shaped human evolution.

INSIGHT

Unique Human Mating System

Human uniqueness may be linked to our long-term pair-bonded mating system.
Unlike chimpanzees, humans developed long-term pair bonds and male parental care.

INSIGHT

Standards of Beauty

Humans are adapted to detect differences, which plays a key role in mate selection.
Physical appearance provides information about health, fertility, and formidability, influencing attractiveness.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

David Buss is an evolutionary psychologist at UT Austin. He is one of the founders of the field of evolutionary psychology. His current research is on sex differences in mate selection, mate attraction, infidelity, and the emotions of jealousy, lust, and love. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– Notion: https://notion.com/startups
– ExpressVPN: https://expressvpn.com/lexpod and use code LexPod
– Roka: https://roka.com/ and use code LEX
– Onnit: https://lexfridman.com/onnit
– Indeed: https://indeed.com/lex

EPISODE LINKS:
David’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/profdavidbuss
David’s Website: https://labs.la.utexas.edu/buss/
When Men Behave Badly (book): https://amzn.to/3y3bRVM
The Evolution of Desire (book): https://amzn.to/3kyBdTt
Evolutionary Psychology (textbook): https://amzn.to/3LExU9e
Derogation of Competitors (research paper): https://bit.ly/38G4LMa

PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman
YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips

SUPPORT & CONNECT:
– Check out the sponsors above, it’s the best way to support this podcast
– Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman
– Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(08:04) – Sex vs Violence
(14:48) – Mating strategies
(26:44) – Social construct of beauty
(30:38) – Evolution of mating evaluation
(34:40) – Mating selection desires
(39:52) – Difficulties of monogamy
(46:16) – Importance of male appearance
(48:52) – Importance of wealth
(52:08) – Penis and breasts
(55:59) – Fashion
(58:58) – Body objectification
(1:06:33) – Wear sunscreen
(1:13:29) – Gender
(1:30:39) – What motivates humans
(1:32:29) – Dominance and submissiveness
(1:40:33) – Johnny Depp defamation trial
(1:50:24) – Jealousy
(1:58:45) – Mate poaching
(2:02:58) – Polyamory
(2:14:13) – Female vs Male sexuality
(2:23:11) – Pornography
(2:29:46) – Sex and Violence continued
(2:38:55) – Cancel culture
(2:50:38) – Elon Musk and Twitter
(2:59:02) – Serial killers
(3:04:55) – Advice for young people
(3:16:57) – Love
(3:22:57) – Mortality
(3:27:40) – Meaning of life