17. Human Sexual Behavior III & Aggression I

(May 10, 2010) Robert Sapolsky completes his talk on sexual behavior in humans as well as other species, focusing on characteristics that create attractiveness. He then switches subject and talks about human aggression and how this has evolved and developed in different cultures.
Stanford University:
www.stanford.edu/
Stanford Department of Biology:
biology.stanford.edu/
Stanford University Channel on KZbin:
/ stanford

[@sydneyarmstrong1010]

I like how I have watched exactly ZERO of the lectures for my actual school and ALL of these completely unrelated hours of footage. And not only that but TAKEN NOTES on it

[@devora4386]

Same! I have a paper due as well. But I’ll do it after another Sapolsky lecture or two :)

[@davidpinontoan3429]

We’re in Stanford

[@dougary856]

I am an engineer, got a stable well paying job, and biology is obviously not my field at all. No incentive to listen to Sapolsky, but the guy is just so damn interesting I just can't have enough

[@supertonicwater]

I love that the Professor keeps reminding his young students about kindness.

[@Tele999zzz]

🥺

[@piratep]

I'm gonna need a supercut of every time he says "WOAH."

[@hiphiphoogray]

“both sexes had an equal preference for the #1 thing on the list, which is winding up with somebody who’s nice to them.”

[@latinaalma1947]

YEs BUT also those sexual preferences a nice guy 5ft 4in my height, a pretty face like a girl...small jaw, pretty eyes, not a low voice, slight body build...if hes nice to me great, I have just met a friend..not about to mate with him. Same for guys you hear all the time when you offer to introduce a guy to your best female friend and then say...she has a great personality or she's really nice and the guy says oh yeah....ugly huh? Thank goodness I had a waist 10 inches smaller than chest and hips , was short 5ft 4in, cause working against me was higher IQ, more higher education, not overtly highly agreeable ie popular bec. shy, introvert, high in conscientiousness. Based on my shyness, bookishness, introversion, unwillingness to go to parties, bars, sports games, so without the looks I NEVER would have found a mate. Thanks to my hip waist ratio blessed forebears!

[@latinaalma1947]

I married someone when I was young who was a different religion HUGE problems with his mother over it. DIfferent national backgrounds WASP vs 2nd gen Italian..his mother was so upset I wasn't Italian, totally different expectations of what each genders role should be in the family...SHE drove us to divorce...he wasn't about to leave Mama...had to.live close to her and she was pure hell for me. He chose Mama..I chose freedom. Later at 32 I met my current mate of 40,yrs...exact same social class, income level of family of origin, same expectations and yes we were nice to each other AND highly attracted to each other phsyically...same hobbies sailing, reading etc etc...by first husband had never been on a sailboat on his life, immigrant class and values. Current mate several degrees, same as me, first one no college and when I went to college his mother said only fancy people go to college, huh? My family traveled as do we now abroad, his family never traveled more than 20 miles from home EVER in their lives and had no desire to do SO! WE believed in delayed gratification saving for the future...his family believed spend it while you have it, ALL of it. Totally a recipe for future poverty. FIrst marriage totally mismatched...current, perfectly matched and HAPPY!

[@fionafiona1146]

@@latinaalma1947 OP didn't say the list stopped being important from then on, not being subject to compounded social challenges needn't be in first place to be impact full

[@a_diamond]

@@latinaalma1947 your IQ seems fine to me. Most people aren't that good at looking at themselves quite that bluntly. They may have had a higher education, but maybe you should have had a similar access to such an education.

[@a_diamond]

*defied several of these social rules, and married a good person.* Thank God for being on the spectrum XD

[@theundergradanalysis]

This guy is a ridiculously good lecturer

[@SUSUGAM]

You sound scared.

[@jackthompson1382]

Ghryst VanGhod I’m gonna suggest getting help, maybe start here?

[@MrGoranPa]

@@Ghryst He is in humanities.

[@slavemonkey5063]

@@Ghryst The guy teaches at Stanford. I can't abide his politics either, but the man's got the decency to keep his political ruminations to a minimum, unlike many lecturers these days who take any excuse to shoe-horn their nonsense into every topic. I can respect this guy, he seems like a bleeding heart but he doesn't SEEM the type to be ramming it down your throat. Not to mention, it's clear he is at least highly knowledgeable on the subject material.

[@slavemonkey5063]

@@MrGoranPa Biology is not typically put under the umbrella of the "humanities" which consist of disciplines such as history, philosophy, ethnography, literature & artistic studies. Biology is considered as a science, rather than an art. As far as I'm aware, this is a course offered by the Biology Department.

[@ericanderson7059]

Dr. Sapolsky's facial hair is a secondary characteristic which is a marker for his genius . What a boss !

[@Alsatiagent]

Not too long ago that beard would have been a sign of robust health.

[@palominox64]

If you listened- facial hair being a secondary sex characteristic, it means whatever his professor salary is, it’s sufficient to let him eat enough to divert a bunch of calories into survival-superfluous sexual dimorphic biology, and the grey says his immune system is robust enough that he can do this even past prime immediate post-adolescent years. Now we just gotta see how well he dances. No offense, Dr. Sapolsky.

[@55bigcheese]

fascinating. I am so glad Robert Sapolsky's lectures are on KZbin so everyone can benefit from his expertise. All his lectures are brilliant you can learn about the brain, about the limbic system, the hypothalamus, all about neuroscience and why we are the way we are and how we work. Thanks Dr Sapolsky for sharing this with the world. You are a legend

[@luxesmith77]

55bigcheese I would love to have them all.

[@Galifamackus]

@@luxesmith77 looks like I need some sleep, I swore you had wrote “I would love to hang them all.”

[@Artur_Papryka]

I've been seeing those lectures on the right-hand side of my screen for over a year. Finally, after being too bored I checked what prof. Sapolsky has to say and God forgive me, these are the best lectures I've ever heard. I mean, they are not only well presented and intelligently entertaining but also contain a magnitude of useful information. Thank you, sir.

[@elinannestad5320]

me too - maybe not for a year but for quite some time there he has been, waiting....

[@JoseMonteverde]

Aggression starts @ 52:20

[@Optimistas777]

Human Sexual Behavior ends @ 52:20

[@ln.5214]

Optimistas777 LEGEND

[@yomamafatoshi]

Thank you!

[@evanm4682]

You da real mvp.

[@danielt.4330]

@teflontelefon Derp!

[@MrRobertX70]

This is my favorite lecturer by far. I have watched close to 8 hours of his lectures and each one leaves me fascinated.

[@adielwilson8749]

Yeah I watched 5 hours of his content until 4:30 in the morning and I had to wake up at 9:30 for work just amazing content

[@shirleydrake1602]

He reminds me of my anatomy and physiology teacher in college. Two full quarters, six months of lectures. He never missed a beat, never cracked a book, he just went by some outline in his brain, which he transferred to the board. One thing for sure, every word he said would show up on his WEEKLY test.

[@Under_Growth]

The opposite of love is indifference. Never forget

[@capoeirastronaut]

"This remains deeply controversial, for the three and a half people that care about it.." Harsh! Lol

[@Vojife]

@@srubberalittle Umm... good job?

[@adielwilson8749]

@@srubberalittle how did you debunk this data?

[@kyliestanfill7938]

Bro people on college lectures do not care 😭😭😭💀💀💀 we’re too tired.

[@a_diamond]

@masa musa I'm in my 40s and (voluntarily) slept with two people in my life. I love both, and married one of them. Not sure what you think is so great about sleeping with as many people as possible but I really like being able to have breakfast together in the morning... Just sayin'

[@KevinUchihaOG]

@mary the sun nobody cares

[@driziiD]

what is stopping other teachers from being as brilliant as this man....this is literally more entertaining than anything on netflix at the moment

[@thewhitefalcon8539]

I had a linear algebra teacher who was this good. Don't even remember his name though. I think you'll find lots of teachers like him, and lots not like him.

[@hanksCorner7011]

They arent that smart or that good at lecturing. Most people are just average at whatever job they have.

[@mangos2888]

This professor came from extremely intelligent parents, with a wealthy upbringing and private education, and has more post-secondary education than 97% of Americans over 25 at the time of this lecture. He was also recognized as gifted at an early age. He’s literally been given every advantage in life to reach his full potential. And “we” the viewers get the benefits of that upbringing. So if we could convince the rest of American with this level of opportunity to turn around choose to teach, we’d have better teachers all over.

[@emmawatson9180]

@Krystal K: wow true...

[@andrewhazenberg3398]

This man is a human encyclopedia. He is absolutely brilliant!

[@gooddogtrainingservices5351]

Hes a phd professor. Kinda his job. Lol. I love his insights and humor through.

[@M.u18]

Cant stress enough how amazing it is to have free access to these lectures

[@AnitaTaddeo-fp4en]

I have watched all of his lectures and can’t get enough of him. He is tops in lectures, his talent for lectures and fluid style holds your attention. He is the best.

[@Suburp212]

That "favor someone who is NICE to them" was fantastic and superbly delivered.

[@solitudessilentgroove]

Dude is hilarious!!! Loving the dry humor. :)

[@jackjones1056]

High value upload. Thanks to both, the lecturer and the guys making it available on youtube.

[@vanzeller3837]

I'm in law school.... In Brazil and i can't stop watching this. I have a notebook and it's field with.... Biology.

[@MuffinologyTrainer]

I really want more of these lectures, Robert is an absolute legend at sharing knowledge, we need more people like him.

[@SaveriusTianhui]

19:00 conspicuous consumption, resource expenditure as health and virility signaling 38:50 female preselection signaling trumps initial impressions 50:00 culturally universal homo sapien attractive criterions

[@skrifefeil3634]

I’m a family therapist and this is a very relevant and interesting lecture! So great!

[@martin670125]

These lectures are like 100 interesting facts u didnt know about human behavioral biology. Im facinated. I shoud've started taking notes from the begining

[@jenatsky]

Wow! Rarely in life do you have opportunity to listen to such a talented speaker and lecturer.

[@ezrabelli1350]

Keep calm and love sapolsky's lectures

[@helenrothberg9182]

I do not tire of listening to these lectures. Thought provoking and I truly inspiring .

[@dianeapparcel1825]

Great lecture. Love Dr. Sapolsky -- his ability to explain very complex ideas in a way that regular "Joe / Jane" can grasp and relate to. YOU ROCK!!

[@kokomanation]

I like that he speaks about psychology in a strictly neurological way of analysis the best psychology lectures ever

Chris Kokolios I wish I had had him sooner

[@learningmode1833]

I love how he gets super shy when passing compliments to his TAs.

[@staywithme1221]

thank you professor for your lecture series. i am a PhD student in molecular biology and you stimulate me to step out of my boredom of Biology. the problem with my current institution is it is too much research oriented and has limited courses offered. these lecture series are my fav along with professor Sugrue keke

[@shirleydrake1602]

I don’t know if this guy gets our comments, or not, but, I sincerely hope he does , I love this series. I plan to watch it several times, until I am sure I have it down pat. This should be required for every person. One great thing about YouTUBE, there’s no limit to the number of times you can view a video, or listen to a lecture. I have learned so many things from YouTUBE presenters. This may be the most useful things ever in learning to deal with any one else, provided they also have a brain!

[@NonieDeLong]

Amazing professor. I miss uni so much and this ignites a fire in me to learn more independently. Thanks for uploading!

[@milenajelich276]

Professor Robert Sapolsky is amazing!! The lectures are fascinating, his style is captivating and engaging !! We love you Professor Sapolsky!!!! Warmest regards from Toronto!! ❤️🌸❤️

[@halporter9]

Amydalectomies: I’m 75 and moved to New York in 8/70. I followed this type of stuff following college, graduated that year. Shocked that I have never heard of these, though all sorts of other psychic surgery. My wife, who taught a lot of this stuff (social work never mentioned), amazing.

[@emtheplatypus337]

I love Dr. Sapolsky. I don’t think there’s any other academic I’d rather meet some day.

[@marytaylor2702]

A phenomenally gifted and accomplished scholar and lecturer. Not once did I hear him say "um" or "ah." Fascinating and inspiring. Thank you sir

[@scottsears5545]

He is a phenomenal speaker and very very knowledgeable

[@quadq6598]

Very fine, thank you. I wish my behavioral biology lectures had been this engaging

[@teeI0ck]

showing an accurate and deep understanding; great perceptive. 💡 Muito obrigado for all the insightful information. 🤝

[@nb5757]

Now I know why his beard is shaped like a big dominant jaw ;)

[@squaretriangle9208]

Exactly, he cannot escape the findings😂😂😂

[@user-ez8mn5ig8m]

haha, my thought exactly

[@shnoogums1]

Lol it’s be funny if he’s totally chinless and you’re right

[@SERGE_Tech]

Lmao!

[@evilzombies192]

Old but gold

[@smokeandmirrors6167]

I'm hooked on listening to this man!

[@DaClean]

Amazing lectures. sad I'm almost done with this series. Please make more.

[@nuzeee_k]

Wow I can listen to his voice forever

[@TheMightyPika]

Synopsis: Wise Beard Man allows listeners to soak in a spa of wisdom for 1:36:41

[@martisole6249]

[@TheMightyPika]

@@martisole6249 lol that's a 7 year old comment thank you

[@carissafisher7514]

The exaggerated facial hair of a male, with exaggerated female hair on the head.

[@r7ndom]

I absolutely love that he references a commercial from Ikea made like 20 years ago showing a lamp being thrown out and playing on human empathy to feel sad for it. Such a great commercial.

[@tierracosta4444]

Thank you Mr. Sapolsky and thank you Stanford. Listening and understanding from Tijuana, Mexico. Gracias!

[@temeryn3312]

at 17:25 SP wonders how a woman's face could become "more symmetrical" during ovulation and the answer is quite simple really - women swell up when ovulating, get plumper, which would round out features in the face that are otherwise more angular when the woman is not ovulating. You're welcome =)

[@adielwilson8749]

Now I understand

[@DCBfanboy]

Ooh, okay, thank you I just told someone that women had more symmetrical faces when they ovulate and I kind of sounded ridiculous.

[@johnnyjetson1713]

now that's exactly the kind of answer that would get you an A with this guy! that's not only 'thinking outside the box' and it seems an idea that has yet to be suggested as a potential reason for this 'effect'! You could write a paper on it! esp as it's a new, novel idea 😏 It's Also completely logical and quite easily proven with Science! Very Nice 👍👍 A+

[@squaretriangle9208]

Women also get swelling lips, breasts etc. during ovulation

[@a_diamond]

Yep, makes women look younger that way too..

[@mikebowman9844]

Robert Sapolsky is an excellent lecturer

[@noproofs]

I could listen to him all day long!

[@Vojife]

I do!

[@fionafiona1146]

Binging

[@jellebean545]

These lectures are so good omg

[@Hythloday71]

this guy just talks and talks and talks. Pouring out top quality knowledge ;o) Impressive.

[@fionafiona1146]

Seeing your nose 6 months into Covid scared me for a moment, good name

[@heddaskarblokhin9447]

Its the best mout diarrea i have ever heard

[@greentea6394]

Crazy...

[@observer7418]

from personal experience, people who see that someone can hurt you without consequences love to get in on the action

[@ANGEL-eh6pd]

Thank you so very much for the education. I just love to learn. Great to know.

[@gigglesnz9]

Activate and evoke amygdala... bigger in ptsd... more aggressive... provoking of amygdala stimulation, makes them look harder for it... thank you for all parts of this series of lectures... thank you 🙏🏽

[@GreenOilBike]

These lectures are so interesting - Thank you Stanford for having them up here for free :-) Fascinating whilst doing graphic design work for a lube label here in London, England! SN

[@mangos2888]

Okay now that’s funny 😂😂😂😂

[@omkar0lb7]

This guy is simply awesome!

[@viverepensare]

What a wonderful time to be alive when classes such as these are available to everyone totally for free 🙏

[@sumitjoshi8605]

I'm a marine engineer n this guy makes psychology understandable to me 🙌🏻 , read his book ' behave ' great research

[@Eunicee_]

This is my most fave lecture yet

[@ataraxia7439]

What’s your icon pic

[@kek-vy1fu]

I love this guy his talks are really interesting

[@derekbeucher8513]

Oddly I think I binge watched about 16 hours straight lol. Oddly made sense. Glued to the lectures. 😮 but what to watch and read and learn next hahahaha. Love it

[@tylerdonaldson2804]

"What's that about?"

[@martisole6249]

With a "That's kinda interesting" on the back

[@genevievemuree]

always makes me chuckle

[@nikolajvsevolodovic]

it probably costs a gazillion dollars.

[@estherloidanc]

Yes truly a excellent teacher 👏

[@zsteinkamp]

Using the phrase "differentially mate" to describe an exchange of money for personality product earns Dr. Sapolsky the Nobel and the Pulitzer in my book.

[@flowerpixel]

these are amazing, thank you

[@user-qx2kh7fp4p]

damn... he gives amazing lectures..it's so fluid.. .wow

[@IDraganM]

Dancing symmetry is upside down. Symmetrical faces get more opportunity to dance with more partners and are most likely preferred by "good" dancers, so advance faster and further. Thank you for excellent lectures!

[@clairelesaffre249]

Really helps to hear this lecture

[@kxkxkxkx]

Averaging more faces makes the result smoother, as well as more symmetrical - this works for anything too, as it is a mathematical property of averages. 16:55 Ovulating women retain water, which makes their faces puff up rounder/smoother/more symmetrical.

[@latinaalma1947]

Fascinating observation that the water retention with ovulation puffs up the face making it softer and younger looking thanks ...Sybil.Francis PhD CLINICAL.PSYCH prof

[@pilotactor777]

Im a quizz champion for a reason......i watch lectures like this. .

[@TheOldManRip]

The ultimate strangeness of empathy is when we feel "sorry" for something like a car engine being abused.

[@bradfordlangston836]

Reminds me of Seinfeld

[@finkiller6710]

You meet alot of interesting people when going to school!

[@JAYDUBYAH29]

sapolsky is one of the premiere intellectuals/acadmeics on the planet - thanks so much for posting these...

[@mussersbowsboatsandscience6610]

That is awesome the TAs graded your work! As a Professor I will hand grade over 100 Freshman and they will complain it took a week.

[@user-ez8mn5ig8m]

damn, no wonder they all lost the track of time. I could listen to him talk forever.

[@echomckay1377]

25:35 "breathless with admiration"

[@peterAustralia333]

very good lecture,,, i learnt a lot

[@PoxHaunted]

Amazing! nom nom nom knowledge :)

[@malachykinney1598]

I truly enjoy this series. I watch this like Seinfeld.

[@Promotech2000]

Thank you

[@FroggyJumps747]

Note to self 10:40 Attractiveness in overlapping pictures of faces 16:52 Female face symmetry during ovulation 20:48 Female preference for male secondary characteristics as a function of general quality of life 33:38 Female response to round-faced males 41:00 Homogamy 49:28 Large cross-cultural study of important traits in a partner

[@herp_derpingson]

IKEA Lamp made a sequel in 2018. The lamp gets adopted.

[@maguar5027]

This explains so much about male-female interaction...darwin

[@ewaszulgit6716]

Empathy and aggression is nature's way seeking for balance I think. Nature is all about balance is what I've learned from all these examples in lectures. All this was once singular and undisturbed, then it split made the world we know, dichotomies. Dichotomies describe best what's going on nowadays, and the moments of clash demand balance.

Ewa Szulgit good point. Empathy is one extreme, and the other is agression. Balance between two is what makes us survive.

[@brandonpleasant8215]

very good saying " I will not let a man spoil my soul by causing me to hate him" Beautiful! (1:25:47)

[@Vsirin]

Thanks!

[@kskssxoxskskss2189]

Good teaching rocks!

[@DanielBrownsan]

When you hear that phrase about, "Humans only use 10% of their brain", this is the dude they're comparing you to. #spoton

[@galebh9715]

we use 100% haha

[@carissafisher7514]

The data that we only use 10% is outdated

[@arthursulit]

Homosexual gene theories 9:00 what we look for in a mate Frances Gaulton: criminal face, averaging, symmetrical faces more attractive 42:00 Scandanavia: marry your 3rd cousins....totally! 52:00 Aggression

[@mikkalthered]

epic lecturer

[@drfutato]

Man this lecture is full of points that will trigger people. But, you can’t argue with the science.

[@rektifyr...]

Well, you can, actually. That's the whole point of science; it makes falsifiable claims.

[@raypreseau2047]

My favorite lectuter

[@HoneyHush3425]

You don't get any better than this man.

[@coralaguilar1044]

This is the best!!!

[@ninification1]

That guy in 19th century was Lombroso, I guess... 10:50

[@nataliaromero9932]

Yes! 😏

[@petemiller9404]

phrenology

[@petitio_principii]

There's at least one study that found out that there's no significant correlation between ovulation and preference for masculine facial traits when you use pictures of real men rather than the digital face that women were able to morph as more or less masculine by moving a slider. It could be that it's still happening to some degree, but being obfuscated by other variables, but I think it could also be that the original finding may be a combination of biased experiment design and maybe even W.E.I.R.D. people. Curiously, coincidentally today I found out that there's a "boy band" in China whose singers/dancers are all actually girls, not even that tomboyish, but sort of trying to be androgynous.

[@capoeirastronaut]

Intetesting

[@fredericmoresmau4303]

Life destroyeddd Dsocial looooser

[@mangos2888]

This is the part that I’m interested in that I wish were in the comments…what is new or changed with the science since then?

[@pamlemm903]

Interesting, thanks! What are W.E.I.R D. people?

[@petitio_principii]

@@pamlemm903 people from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic societies.

[@robinkilgorr1878]

Think. Your. Great. Robert

[@helenemasour9256]

Genius!!!! Absolute genius

[@shiny_yassle4019]

Agression starts at about 52:00 btw