The Tangled Wing

Anthropology, Biology, and Human Nature

Mel Konner MD, PhD

Misogyny, Chauvinism, Sexism, or What?

Men don't hate women; they just oppress them. Some love.

Is Misogyny Maladaptive?

For most of human history men have tried to control women for their own reproductive aims. Despite worrying recent voices, this must soon come to an end.

Is Xenophobia Now Maladaptive?

During our evolution, group loyalty to the point of hatred may have promoted cooperation and altruism within groups, but has this become maladaptive at last?

Crybaby Boomers

My generation has officially entered the older phase of life, and our whining threatens everybody else with a Boomer Bust. We need to get over it.  

Teen Suicide: Can It Always Be Stopped?

We should do all we can to prevent it, but we will not always succeed, and when we fail we should learn the facts before we start to blame grieving survivors, who are often also victims.

Triumph of the (Teenage) Human Spirit

The Pendulum Swings Back

Depressed or anxious about the election results and the upcoming change of government? Over the long haul they mean much less than you think. 

Psychological States as Ancient Adaptations

Can psychological symptoms once have offered adaptive protection? Can they now? And are positive moods also an ancient legacy?

The Happiness Summit: The Good Life According to Four Religious Leaders

If you think that happiness is a good mood or a rush of pleasure, a bishop, an Islamic scholar, a rabbi, and the Dalai Lama beg to differ.

The Social Network, 10,000 BP

Facebook and Twitter may seem new, but they reflect basic human needs that have been with us in other forms since the beginning.

Male Circumcision, the Wisdom of Whores, and The Girl Effect

Behavioral science is, and should be, at the heart of global health and the fight against disease, and one key behavioral weapon is to educate and empower girls.

Is ADHD a Disease of Civilization?

Like many other chronic health problems, attention deficit and hyperactivity were not much of a problem for our ancestors.

Wife-Wooing*

Seducing your wife is not a game and it's not therapy. Remember why you married her? It's love.

Epidemic Obesity: Adaptation Gone Wild

We evolved to stay active and store fat whenever possible. But how do we handle it now, when it's always possible?

Human Nature in High Places

Human nature is real and in many ways unchanging, and leaders in high places act on their own ideas about it. Psychologists and social scientists should try to describe and understand it, not pretend it doesn't exist.

Sex Differences in...Sex

Darwin's theory predicts a big divergence between men and women in every aspect of sexuality. But what do the data say?