Why are we grossed out by the thought of our family members having sex or masturbating?
For sexually reproducing species, incest is often problematic because closely related family members are likely to share genetic problems with you that are then exacerbated in the children of incestuous couples. For this reason, many species have some sort of control against incest, typically beh…
The Short Answer
For sexually reproducing species, incest is often problematic because closely related family members are likely to share genetic problems with you that are then exacerbated in the children of incestuous couples. For this reason, many species have some sort of control against incest, typically behavioral. In humans, that control is revulsion at the idea of having sex or even thinking about sex with people who we had close contact with growing up. If we were not disgusted by envisioning family members engaged in sexual acts we might instead be aroused. This would create an evolutionary pressure against the aroused group because their children and their children's children wouldn't be able to breed as well and the family arousal trait would be out-competed by the the family disgust trait.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Family, children, species
This explanation focuses on family, children, species and spans 128 words across 5 sentences. At 88% above the average General Knowledge explanation (68 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “For sexually reproducing species, incest is often problematic because closely related family members are likely to share” It then elaborates by explaining the root cause, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 5 connected points.
How This Compares in General Knowledge
Ranked #51 of 500 General Knowledge questions by answer depth (top 11%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why we grossed out by the thought of our family members having sex or masturbating?
For sexually reproducing species, incest is often problematic because closely related family members are likely to share genetic problems with you that are then exacerbated in the children of incestuous couples. For this reason, many species have…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar General Knowledge questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 128 words, ranked #51 of 500 General Knowledge questions by depth. The key concepts covered are family, children, species.
What approach does this answer take to explain we grossed out by the thought of our family members having s?
The explanation uses root cause analysis across 128 words. It is categorized under General Knowledge and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.