7 Comments
User's avatar
Aaron Reifler's avatar

Wendy, one of your best exposés. I hope Kushner ends up in a very uncomfortable prison cell for a very long time.

Connie Nichols's avatar

I am very suspicious of Jared Kushner. They say women marry a man like their father subconsciously. Jared is playing all sides of 2 perpendicular fences. He is definitely out to make money like his father-in-law. I did not like that Jared & Steve talked with Putin in private. He needs to be disqualified as a "volunteer" cause he has too much conflict of interest.

RICHMOND DOCTOR's avatar

In the news, we are talking about pedophilia.

Yet, we know very little about pedophilia. Pedophilia does not necessarily involve sexual abuse of children. Some men are attracted to children and merely acknowledge their attraction without acting on it. Scientists and medical researchers have not reached a consensus about the causes of this condition. The traditional debate about causation follows the nature versus nurture discussion. Some researchers are investigating genetic factors, while others are exploring social causes, such as family issues or past sexual assault.

As a psychologist, I tend to seek a broader perspective, and I try to understand all sexual identities and how we develop our personal identity, including our sexual orientation. I believe it is a mistake to focus on just one orientation and ignore others, especially when considering the scientist who suggested that genetics determines all our behavior, implying that nothing else matters in shaping who we are. This idea is difficult for me to accept because people are vastly different, and genes are specifically directed. I haven't found any studies that document a social orientation supporting the development of a particular sexual orientation.

Two observations by well-known scientists are particularly important to me: one concerns the reading readiness period in child development, and the other is Carlo Rovelli’s discussion of time as a theoretical physicist. Children aged 4 to 7 can easily learn languages and social skills, often acquiring two languages during this period. After this window closes, learning a second language typically requires more detailed instruction. The development of social skills during this time exceeds our understanding, as a child transitions from a blank slate to possessing remarkable abilities. I see this period as the intersection of two sources of development: one inherited through genes, and the other shaped by society. Consider a mother who was pregnant and moved to a different location, such as South America or Iceland, realizing her child would be different from what it would have been if she stayed in the original place. I think about the overwhelming number of factors influencing this child. Carlo Rovelli points out that time is not constant; it can be expansive or compressed, and it can flow faster or slower. For instance, in space travel, time moves more slowly than it does on Earth. Einstein articulated this idea through his theories of relativity.

Why are these two facts important to understanding sexual identity? What if there's a period in a child's development when time feels expansive, allowing the child to absorb large amounts of social stimulation or information? What if, during this time, sexual orientation is formed? I mean all types of orientation: male-female, male-male, female-female, male-child, or male-boy. Why do we try to identify the cause of a pedophile as being different from other sexual orientations? Are we thinking that our genetic coding, and nothing else, solely determines all behaviors? Can we consider that during this period, all sexual orientations develop? Until adolescence, we shape our personality based on our environment, family, neighborhood, and immediate friends—those connected by where we live and who we are. I ask people to reflect on their closest friends during adolescence and consider how these relationships impacted their personality development. Often, these relationships are like yin-yang—complementary parts of a whole—and they help shape each person's identity.

The discussion of a person's sexual identity must respect the complicated process of formation of each of us in our world, and with our genetic composition.

Aaron Reifler's avatar

What the f**k are you talking about? Did you even read this article? And besides that, are you arguing that pedophilia is a sexual orientation?! You’re completely deranged!

W. A. Lawrence's avatar

Your reflections on developmental windows and the interaction between biology and environment highlight the complexity of identity formation during early childhood. Any framework addressing sexual orientation requires a clear distinction between consensual adult identity and attractions involving children, which constitute harm and demand firm protective boundaries.

Mark Huseby's avatar

Trump will do anything to bury the Epstein crimes.

Katy Bolger's avatar

It is hard to find the words to describe grief and anger, both so deep and painful. My tax dollars are killing children? My tax dollars are killing children! Put a pair of boots on precious little soft Baron Twump and send him to the desert. Put a pair of bars on Jared and send him out as Baron's lieutenant. Let Daddy Twump be a fly on their helmets as they shit their pants - that way Twump can have a second breakfast and lay some eggs. More magats, more magats.