Kissing

[Bozo Erectus]

Heres a good one for Valenslimes Day. The pressing of lips against lips, or lips against cheeks (facial cheeks wiseguys). Why do humans display affection or attraction that way? Why not pressing elbows together, or some other body parts? Any theories?

 

[nonconformist]

[sexist pig]Cos it shuts the damn wimmin up[/sexist pig]

 

[Bozo Erectus]

[sexist pig]Cos it shuts the damn wimmin up[/sexist pig]

Probably the most practical theory we'll see in the whole thread!

 

[Lozzy_Ozzy]

It could be because that part of the body is less likely to be touched accidently, is used for making contact far less often, and is very sensitive? I don't know though.

 

[The Last Conformist]

Heres a good one for Valenslimes Day. The pressing of lips against lips, or lips against cheeks (facial cheeks wiseguys). Why do humans display affection or attraction that way? Why not pressing elbows together, or some other body parts? Any theories?

Good question. The only theory I've heard relates it to the old bilaterian habit of trying out new stuff by the mouth.

 

[Rambuchan]

I've read it's something to do with some subconscious desire to eat, both as a test of things and as a show of affection. This is also seen in mothers when they say to their babies 'oh you're so cute I could just gobble you up'. Scary but it makes a certain sense.

 

[thetrooper]

Yeah, lips are far more sensitive than... elbows.

 

[Hornblower]

For pre 18th century Polynesians and Inuits nose rubbing was the traditional sign of affection/greeting. Kissing was confined to caucasians. It seems that the western notion of kissing has now spread worldwide to all cultures. Who knows why? I just find it interesting that the habits of one culture can be picked up by another and surplant it entirely.

 

[Rambuchan]

I think Polynesians and Inuits are an aberration to a general rule, rather than cultures importing kissing from caucasians.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

As a person who's had cats for most of his life, Ive observed how they greet each other by sniffing each others snouts. Almost like theyre saying "Eat anything interesting lately?" Maybe thats how it started among humans?

 

[nonconformist]

Looking in Desmond Morris's Manwatching, he suggests it's a relic from the baby's sucking of his mother's nipple, and searching for it with his tongue.
He also explains about it being a relic from times where a mother would chew the food for her baby, before transferring it to his mouth.
He also suggests that in a hygene concius society like ours, mouth-to-mouth, being pretty unhygneic, is reserved only for a lot of passion.

Also, he mentions later on that kissing on lips is a sigh of equality, rather than, say, kissing feet, which is submissive, or the forehead, which is dominating.

 

[Hornblower]

I think Polynesians and Inuits are an aberration to a general rule, rather than cultures importing kissing from caucasians.

Why? They were spread across a massive section of surface area of the globe and had done so for thousands of years before white contact. That Hawaiians, Tahitians, Maoris and Inuits all had similar traditions but distinctly complex and separate governments/religions etc.
They were separate cultures. Inhabited separate physical locations.
Joseph Banks who was obsessed with having sex with all the native women on his voyage with Cook reported that the Australian Aboriginals didn't kiss and in fact were quite remote when conducting intercourse. This was unlike the Polynesians that he was quite fond of.
Additionally I think that many African tribes pre-white contact didn't kiss either but I can't proof of that. Just a dim factoid somewhere in the back of my mind.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Early homonid mommas feeding babies by chewing the food first then depositing it in the young one's mouth, perhaps.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Lips are very sensitive, lots of nerve endings there. Did that evolve as a form of protection, so we would be less likely to ingest sharp prickly things, or did it evolve as part of the sexual package?

'Manwatching' looks great, it goes on the list

 

[Erik Mesoy]

I've read it's something to do with some subconscious desire to eat, both as a test of things and as a show of affection. This is also seen in mothers when they say to their babies 'oh you're so cute I could just gobble you up'. Scary but it makes a certain sense.

You may very well be right there. After all, I
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[CartesianFart]

Maybe it started out as BirdJaquar said;

Early homonid mommas feeding babies by chewing the food first then depositing it in the young one's mouth, perhaps.

and then it evolved into what Ramubuchan have said;

something to do with some subconscious desire to eat, both as a test of things and as a show of affection. This is also seen in mothers when they say to their babies 'oh you're so cute I could just gobble you up'. Scary but it makes a certain sense.

or we can only speculate and thats it.

 

[The Last Conformist]

Lips are very sensitive, lots of nerve endings there. Did that evolve as a form of protection, so we would be less likely to ingest sharp prickly things, or did it evolve as part of the sexual package?

Neither. It dates to a time when our ancestors did not have eyes to see their food, nor hands to feel it - the mouth had to be sensitive in order to identify food.

 

[punkbass2000]

Why not pressing elbows together, or some other body parts?

Whatcha mean? My girlfriend and I press other body parts together quite frequently.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Neither. It dates to a time when our ancestors did not have eyes to see their food, nor hands to feel it - the mouth had to be sensitive in order to identify food.

Interesting, that goes waaay back though. You mean we've had something like lips since we were worms?

Whatcha mean? My girlfriend and I press other body parts together quite frequently.

Youre naughty

 

[The Last Conformist]

Interesting, that goes waaay back though. You mean we've had something like lips since we were worms?

Depends a bit on exactly what you mean by "lips" and "worms", but we've definitely had a lot of sensory nerve endings around the mouth since we were simple, wormlike animals.