Most of us treasure social monogamy, and most people—though not all—treasure sexual monogamy as part of that bonded relationship. Yet social monogamy dampens the erotic drive to have sex with that very social partner, while leaving us susceptible to seduction by another. Certain inborn differences in our brains can make us more welcoming to that novel stimulus—the pretty coworker, the handsome husband of a friend, the rich boss. Worse, the very sorts of people who most of us find attractive—the brave, bold, fun-loving, risk-taking sensation seekers—like the “cad” in chapter 2—the ones we
...more
