Dating people who look like your parents/family

[anne1707]

Ummm..No inbreeding isn't going to strengthen your family gene pool but instead it will weaken it. Genetic disorders will become more prevalent.

.

 

 

I agree that it is likely to lead to genetic disorders but it does mean that your gene pool will continue - in base evolutionary terms, that is the motivation. Also - who is most likely to support you - your family, not unrelated strangers. All helps survival.

[Isolde]

I agree that it is likely to lead to genetic disorders but it does mean that your gene pool will continue - in base evolutionary terms, that is the motivation. Also - who is most likely to support you - your family, not unrelated strangers. All helps survival.

 

Your gene pool will continue regardless of who you marry. And even if you get together with someone who is a lot like you, there's no guarantee your children won't skip a generation or two in their traits.

[porter218]

I agree that it is likely to lead to genetic disorders but it does mean that your gene pool will continue - in base evolutionary terms, that is the motivation. Also - who is most likely to support you - your family, not unrelated strangers. All helps survival.

But that is what having children was originally for. To secure your position with your H and his family( I am talking about hundreds of years ago..not modern society). They could broaden their power by marrying into another family far away. So with children involved you are going to be supported by you spouse and not in competition with their family.

[Isolde]

I think it could also depend upon where your family is from and if your family usually married similar phenotypes. If your family is from a small, insular island or remote region, then they are probably used to seeking out people with similar phenotypes for marriage.

 

If your family has multinational heritage and/or didn't all settle in one place, then I think it would be less likely to be attracted to someone greatly resembling your parents.

[allina]

I haven't noticed that this as a trend, but I do find it somewhat creepy. Plus, biologically speaking I though humans are drawn to those with a different genetic makeup?

 

I don't think I have ever dated anyone who resembled myself or my family much. My first love was blond with blue eyes like my father but they didn't look similar in any ways other than the color of their hair and eyes. My SO doesn't look like me or anyone is my family at all, mostly do to different backgrounds.

[You'reasian]

So it boils down to:

 

Continuing the traits of said gene pool, by starting families with people with similar traits

 

or

 

Diversifying it by starting familes with those whose traits are somewhat to completely different.

 

 

I can see strong arguments both for and against each...

[allina]

So it boils down to:

 

Continuing the traits of said gene pool, by starting families with people with similar traits

 

or

 

Diversifying it by starting familes with those whose traits are somewhat to completely different.

 

 

I can see strong arguments both for and against each...

 

I agree. Plus, today, in modern society biological and genetic urges are often overshadowed by the many factors that make us different from all other species in the Animalia kingdom.

 

Human attraction isn't fueled purely by the desire to produce the best offspring. For us things like personal preference, class, social surrounding, and a billion other factors come in to play when determining who we date.

[You'reasian]

Human attraction isn't fueled purely by the desire to produce the best offspring. For us things like personal preference, class, social surrounding, and a billion other factors come in to play when determining who we date.

 

Agreed. The drive to maintain or alter the gene pool is probably more on a subconscious level, whereas the factors you mention are more conscious/subjective.

[Isolde]

Agreed. The drive to maintain or alter the gene pool is probably more on a subconscious level' date=' whereas the factors you mention are more conscious/subjective.[/quote']

 

All I know is that my cat thinks your dog is really hot. Should I be worried??? I think that might be alittle too much diversification.

[annieo]

The father of my kids (my exh) is my opposite. Dark hair, eyes and swarthy skinned (Portuguese). I'm blue-eyed, blond and fair (German/Ukrainian). Our kids are a beautiful mix of dark and light. I used to wonder if his difference from me physically was somewhere in the back of my mind/dna when I "picked" him to be their dad.

 

I've read somewhere that women can pick a healthy father for their hopefully healthy children through sense of smell, as if we can pick up on good genetic combinations through our olfactory system.

 

My current h and I have been mistaken as brother and sister a couple of times. He's of Irish extraction, but it looks to me like the Vikings were in his village a thousand years ago, hooking up with the local girls. He looks like a Dane or something. We have no plans to have kids - getting a little late in the day for that.

[betterthandead]

Scary, thinking about dating people that look like their siblings.

 

I briefly dated a woman who, over time, I started to realize was a lot like my sister. That turned me off in a big way and I had to stop with her.

 

I've never understood the "she's just like mom" or "she's just like my sister" thing. I look for women who are nothing like my family members. Unfortunately that seems to have opened the door to emotionally unstable women, not just the tall and blonde ones.

[You'reasian]

All I know is that my cat thinks your dog is really hot. Should I be worried??? I think that might be alittle too much diversification.

 

I'm flattered that your cat likes my hot dog. Perhaps they could go out and play?

 

No worries. As long as they are staying in shape and having fun we should be happy for them

[Ross PK]

I don't think people being with other people who look similar to themselves is creepy.

 

But I do think that people being with someone who looks similar to one of their parents or siblings is.

 

I wouldn't even feel comfortable being with a girl who has the same name as my sister.

 

But I could 'never' be attracted to someone who looks like one of my parents or siblings.

 

It has been said though that most women go for guys who look like their dads and most guys go for women who look like their mums. That just seems weird, I can't understand how someone could be physically attracted to someone who looks just like their parent or sibling.