If the whole adult population was asexual, how different would the world be?

[BinaryFission]

Just curious, what do you think the world would be like if every adult in this world was asexual? I think overpopulation would definitely not become a problem anymore. 

[JDP]

You're assuming the non-adults wouldn't propagate.

[Guest]

humans would go extinct quite fast, so there's that.

[BobRossRules]

If adults were asexual, then it would be sex-crazed teenagers' responsibility to carry on human existence.  None of this wait till you're married business.  

[JDP]

Asexuals would still want children.

[Confusion 0]

No more adverts using sexual appeal to sell products. Significantly less STDs. Overpopulation would no longer be a major issue. People would have more free time, and more sleep. This needs to happen.

[Guest]

People wouldn't try to cross personal boundaries. In that regard, anyway.

[BinaryFission]

23 minutes ago, asexjoe said:

You're assuming the non-adults wouldn't propagate.

I guess I was.

[BinaryFission]

16 minutes ago, asexjoe said:

Asexuals would still want children.

Yes, but that doesn't mean they won't be allowed to. It would be more of a personal choice rather than a biological need (well, it would be more of a biological need if humans are about to become extinct, but in this case humans aren't going extinct).

[JDP]

Agreed. Maybe by then all the aces will want to do IVF anyway.

[binary suns]

well, it would mean about 5.5 billion people would have cease existing on this world for some reason.

[Guest]

@Teagan1 Sounds pretty awesome to me.

[Salted Karamel]

40 minutes ago, asexjoe said:

Agreed. Maybe by then all the aces will want to do IVF anyway.

Not that aces can't make babies the old fashioned way, but it would probably mean there's more focus on IVF and more money put into making it more effective, reducing risks, etc. It would be a huge priority of society. And there would be little need for other reproductive-related medical concerns like contraceptives, abortions, and sexual dysfunction treatments since people would probably only be having sex when they want to conceive anyhow. Viagara would probably still be a thing, but for much different reasons.

 

I'm tempted to say that sexism would be less of a thing. Without centuries of keeping women "barefoot and pregnant" and excessively subjected to childbirth-related casualties, it would have been harder for the patriarchy to keep women down. Maybe without a sex drive, men wouldn't even have been motivated to subjugate women. I'm convinced it was about keeping tabs on baby daddies, but then, maybe it's just human nature that if you can physically overpower someone into submission, you will.

 

All of our literature and religions would be different. There would probably be a lot less focus on spending money to look better, too. Not that aces don't like pretty things and pretty people, but without the widespread motivation to look better than one's neighbor in order to be more adept at attracting sexual partners, capitalist society would prey on other base desires—probably the desire to have friends and be accepted by one's peers. Actually, the acceptance of peers might become even more important and coveted overall, since, on the whole, you'd likely have more people who don't settle into a nuclear family unit and therefore need to rely fully on friends for social needs throughout more of their lifespan.

 

Fashion would be different. Instead of striving to accentuate our primary and secondary sexual characteristics, we'd probably dress ourselves more decoratively, like the people of the Capital in the Hunger Games. It would look far less strange to have bright blue hair or paint your face gold because how is that any stranger than outlining your eyes in black chalk or painting your fingernails red? The latter serves the purpose of accentuating secondary sexual characteristics and that's why it's become widely fashionable; without most of society concerned with looking sexually attractive, I think many more things would become fashionable that don't necessary make a person more attractive. And it wouldn't look strange to us at all because it would be what we're used to.

[JDP]

Why would we have to wear clothes at all? Other than protection from the elements.

[NerotheReaper]

If everyone was asexual the population would come to a stand still, it would also take time to decrease but eventually humans would go extinct. But the thing with having sex it does serve a purpose with genes and passing them on. Humans have been having sex for a long time now (no surprise), but here is a common example talked about in anthropology is a female will want to be with the best male possible for her. This means them being able to provide for her and future offspring, but also the healthiest. Being healthy or having a good immune system will be passed onto the offspring, so the offspring thrives. The idea is for two semi healthy adults have a child, then that child grows up and finds some to be with and pass on the best genes that was passed onto them. Of course bad genes can still be passed on. 

 

So yes, the population would come to a halt and humans would go extinct from numbers, but also no improved genes would be passed on. 

[Guest]

I think everyone should just go au naturel, personally.

 

We are pretty much monkeys and we don't look that much less ridiculous than monkeys do in clothing and with makeup.

[RoseGoesToYale]

I'm not so sure that humans would go extinct, but our procreating rituals would probably change. Ideally, while the population shrinks, humans would use this time to figure out reproductive roles and cultural guidelines. Sex neutral and sex favorable aces would likely take on a major role in keeping the population up, but even then if sex was completely off the table, there would be IVF and surrogacy available. Marriage and partnerships would be for different reasons besides sex.

 

Las Vegas' economy would suffer (no more love chapels?). And the porn industry would collapse, and red light districts would disintegrate. So would contraception companies, for the most part. There's probably more worry of an economic crisis than a population one. Unless we create a burgeoning multinational cake conglomerate...

[Arctangent]

It wouldn't solve all the world's problems, I know that much. If someone is asexual, that doesn't mean they're inherently a better person than a sexual. People can be petty and superficial regardless of sexuality.

[Skycaptain]

Big companies will develop baby factories, where they clone infants, and educate them to fill whatever role would be expected of them. 

[CaptainYesterday]

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[CaptainYesterday]

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[Pramana]

18 hours ago, asexjoe said:

Why would we have to wear clothes at all? Other than protection from the elements.

I think humans pretty much have to wear clothing as protection from the elements (whether it's cold, snow, rain, or heat). Besides that, people would still want to look good and convey social status through clothing choices.

[JDP]

Take away sex and you take away social status.

[Mychemicalqpr]

17 hours ago, katydidd said:

It would look far less strange to have bright blue hair or paint your face gold because how is that any stranger than outlining your eyes in black chalk or painting your fingernails red? The latter serves the purpose of accentuating secondary sexual characteristics and that's why it's become widely fashionable;

Possible ace moment--are eyes and fingers secondary sexual characteristics? I've never heard of them being such before. 

[Pramana]

40 minutes ago, asexjoe said:

Take away sex and you take away social status.

I highly doubt that. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of asexuals who care about social status.

[Somebodysomeone]

People would have A LOT less affairs. And relationships would be far more stable, I know a lot of couples breaking up Because of having sex with a third.

 

All prostitutes and porn actors would become unemployed and have to find a reasonable Job  

 

The social hiarchy would change drasticlly. Sex is no longer an indicator of succes and power. 

 

World would become a lot friendlier no more rapes or affair related crimes. 

 

Tv series would see an enourmess growth in intellect  no more dump braindead ads showing sex to stimulate ppl to buy crap. 

 

Oooh I would love the world soo much 

[BinaryFission]

1 hour ago, CaptainYesterday said:

Do you mean if humans were always asexual, or if every person suddely became asexual one day?

Like they were always asexual.

[BinaryFission]

19 minutes ago, Somebodysomeone said:

People would have A LOT less affairs. And relationships would be far more stable, I know a lot of couples breaking up Because of having sex with a third.

 

All prostitutes and porn actors would become unemployed and have to find a reasonable Job  

 

The social hiarchy would change drasticlly. Sex is no longer an indicator of succes and power. 

 

World would become a lot friendlier no more rapes or affair related crimes. 

 

Tv series would see an enourmess growth in intellect  no more dump braindead ads showing sex to stimulate ppl to buy crap. 

 

Oooh I would love the world soo much 

I think there might be rapes in such a society as well, but not for the use of a biological need but more to just be plain mean and cruel to that person.

 

I think tv shows would not have really any sex drama, because tv shows and movies right now profit from those. So there might be more different types of tv shows. 

[AndanteCantabile]

That would solve a lot of problems in this world. 

[CaptainYesterday]

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