spermatorrhea

hands off cocky

The above term was once used to refer to the results of masturbation without quite adverting to the activity itself, as if it was something that occasionally happened only inadvertantly. In those days masturbation could never be sanctioned as a pleasurable practice. Note the male bias in the term: female masturbation was probably considered as impossible as lesbianism.

In this brief history of masturbation, it's suggested that the ancient taboos against masturbation, and homosexuality and other non-reproductive forms of sex, probably derive from the need to expand the population of the group. An evolutionary trait, which now is no longer necessary. I wonder about this. A local group or tribe evolves, what, a gene that influences the consciousness [the individual or collective consciousness?] to save energy, or indeed sperm, for only reproducive purposes. 

Of course dogs, cats and buffalo don't require such an evolutionary trait because they don't masturbate or have oral or anal sex. Though bonobos do masturbate [themselves and others]. The point being that homo sapiens must have evolved, first, to realize the possibilities of non-reproductive sex. The pleasures of such activities. 

Sex is pleasurable. But this isn't a simple statement, by any means. It's safe to say sex is pleasurable for a chimp, a bonobo. But for a dog? A bird? A spider? What we're talking about here of course is sensation and its development through species. Humans have more complex sensations of everything, hence of sex. Overwhelmingly that sex sensation needs to be pleasurable, to get us to do it, to seek it, to go forth and multiply. Our sophisticated consciousness  allows us, though, to separate the pleasure, and the means of obtaining that pleasure from reproduction. Think then of the role of memory. Once you've experienced sex, you can bring it to mind, relive it, then learn how to stimulate yourself the same way, without the need of another.

The curbing of such wastefulness of sperm, of fluids, of energy, how exactly does that come about? Do we start by chiding ourselves, or others?

Masturbation is much more acceptable now but not entirely [we may feel more guilty about the sexual fantasies we indulge in while masturbating than about the masturbation itself, especially if those fantasies involve people we know, but then the guilt can add to the excitement]. Bill Clinton apparently sacked the US surgeon-general in 1994 for claiming that masturbation is something that is part of humanity and something that perhaps should be taught. Perhaps this highlights Clinton's own confused perceptions about sex. More likely it was a kowtowing to that country's many conservative wankers.