affection and genetic memory

so i was reading Michener's The Drifters, a wonderful book i will soon enough expound upon, when i came upon a passage about a massive heap of hippos, and it occurred to me: we hug, cuddle, and huddle because we subconsciously desire to be part of a colony again. let me explain:

a good number of geneticists have toyed with the old sci-fi idea that DNA, besides being a clearinghouse of building plans, also holds something called "genetic memory", which may hold primitive memories dating back far prior to our own individual consciousnesses. that is, that if we could somehow tap into this vast resource, we might well be able to "remember" what it was like to be, say, an early modern hominid, or quite possibly something far more ancient, such as a protozoan.

the best possible evidence for this possibility is found in nature, and in fact has been known for years. it is called instinct. when a baby giraffe stands for the first time (which, i'm told, can happen within minutes of birth!), lifts its head, and tries to eat, it is doing something that it knows it must do... with or without mom & dad having taught them how to do it, or showed them the process to begin with. most animals have a well-documented set of these instincts. this is why almost all living creatures are able to survive in the wild even after having been orphaned very young. (a human baby can't do shit and is utterly helpless, but that's for another time.)

i thought about those hippos, and about all the other animals that seem to have a natural predeliction towards the group hug. why would whole herds of hairy leathery things want to pile up on top of one another and just sit around like this for hours at a time? for that matter, what do we humans do that could be considered comparable?

the answer, of course, is that humans hug each other and cuddle and huddle and share affection in these ways, and that it wouldn't make much sense from a purely logical point of view except that this is genetic memory telling us that we once were single-celled organisms, the simplest life of all, and that we succeeded because of the group hug... we got to where we are today by taking our very first evolutionary step: we combined our selves into a colony of single-celled organisms and became something radically different: a multicellular being.

so that's why we hug and get all close and stuff! we're either fumbling, trying to take the Next Step, or we're reliving the Good Old Days!

next week: kissing and hive-consciousness

(no subject)

i like it when my hair comes off of my elastic band and hangs down like this:

surprisingly accurate

from http://naucon.net/misc/tests/love_test01.htm

1. You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

2. In the process of courtship, the approach that would make you feel irresistable is creative, never let you feel bored.

3. The impression you would like to give to your lover is loyal, faithful, never change.

4. You don't like it when your partner is emotional and/or too
moody; and you don't know how to please him/her.

5. The kind of relationship you would like to build with your
partner is one that you care not only about the present but
also the future with your partner, a long-lasting relationship that you can grow with.

6. You care about the society and morality, you won't do anything wrong after marriage.

7. You are quite pessimistic, you don't think happy marriages exist anymore nowadays.

8. At this moment, you think of love as a committment for both parties.

(no subject)

from http://naucon.net/misc/tests/love_test02.htm

1. The road represents your attitude towards falling in love.

You chose the long road--you take your time and do not fall in love easily.

2. The number of red roses represents how much you give in a
relationship, while the number of white represents what you
expect in return.

You give 65% and expect 35% in return.

3. This question represents your attitude towards handling
relationship problems.

You like to get the person yourself--you are a more direct
person and like to work out problems immediately.

4. The placement of the roses determines how much you like to see your boy/girlfriend.

You want to place the roses on the bed--you like to see him/her a lot.

5. This represents your attitude towards his/her personality.

You prefer the person to be asleep--you love the person as the way s/he is.

6. The road to home tells how long you stay in love with someone.

You chose the longer road--you will tend to stay in love for a long time.

That's all folks. Best wishes to those who are in love.

(no subject)

awwwie... Melissa called me about an hour ago, right after waking up! that's really neat, although i don't know why exactly. she's such a super sweetheart though.

i <3 Melissa!