Originally posted by: tmc
in terms of evolution, i would think intelligence is what 'separates' us from other species.
so why do we go for other aspects when choosing a mate - shouldn't we (both male & female) go for an intelligent mate? but i guess the opposite is true for both males and females.
any comments/ideas?
ps. this came up in "big bang theory" tv show.
for women choosing a male mate:
if there weren't any problems in the world, intelligence would mean something, however, the male is often viewed as needing to be able to defend oneself as well as his mate, which is typical in the animal kingdom. if we can defend against other male attackers, then that is an attractive quality.
also, attractiveness in a mate means better chances of attractive/healthy offspring. I say healthy, because someone who is attractive in the eyes of most usually is free of outward defects or abnormalities. this could get in the way of healthy offspring.
for men choosing a female mate:
the second paragraph above describes the typical method of searching for a mate. strength typically isn't a consideration because the male is the dominant one who is meant to defend what is supposed to become the family/household.
how much these kinds of things actually play into it, as far as conscious thoughts, who knows. but those are typically the reasons for choices of mates across most animal species, and easily applies to the mindsets of humans. of course, many other things come into play with humans, but biologically, those really are it.
biologically, i cannot see there being a reason to choose an intelligent mate. it may sound better for the evolution of our intelligence, but intelligence really isn't considered at the deepest of levels of our mind. that's introduced at more of the social level, where morals and 'life matters' come into play.
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