evolution

Elvis counsels, “Before you abuse, criticize, and accuse … walk a mile in my shoes.” Dylan wishes, “For just one time, you could stand inside my shoes.” Paul McCartney asks us once again to try to see it his way. If you are The King, a Nobel laureate, or a knight—not to mention a rock star—perhaps it is reasonable to expect that everyone else should take your perspective. For the rest of us, if we hope that “we can work it out,” it seems vital for us to try harder and try smarter to understand others—especially these days.

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By Andrea Meltzer

Sex is a defining feature of romantic relationships. From an evolutionary perspective, sex is essential for reproduction. Without it, the human species would die off. But some researchers have proposed that sex has a secondary function in humans and other animals whose offspring benefit from the presence of both parents—sex facilitates pair bonding and thus functions to keep couples happily together over time.