love

1. If it is true that we can’t change people, why would evolution waste energy engineer feelings in us that make us feel incline to try to change others? If we can’t change others, why do people come to believe they can or enter relationships with others on that premise? 2. My brother has always been very private about his relationship with his significant other, to the point that it makes our family uncomfortable.  She was a foreign exchange student when they met, failed to meet requirements for her work visa this spring, and my brother finally told us they got married this past May to keep her in the states. He also expressed as recently as one year ago he is not even sure he likes her, but does enjoy her attention and having company. I guess my question here is twofold; is it worth expressing concern to him about this being that’s it’s done? It was a particularly hard blow to my parents, who are practicing Catholics, and I don’t see how he could fail to see the hurt it would cause them. Second… from a gene standpoint, why did he do this? 3. I have a 15 year old son who did poorly in school after it moved online last spring – eventually he stopped doing any of his work and lied to my husband and I about it. He is returning to a hybrid model in a couple of weeks, and I am already dreading the acrimony that will follow. My husband is our son’s stepfather with no biological children of his own. In the past, there has been conflict between my husband and I about how to handle this – I think my husband is draconian and he thinks I’m too relaxed. How much freedom is appropriate to give kids when it comes to schoolwork? What about lying? Is there any way to protect my relationships with both my husband and my son through this? And finally, why do some step-parents (like my husband) get so invested in kids that will not be carrying their genes forward?

1. I am a 40-something male on the online/swipey app dating scene. I have had rotten luck and I am interested in whether turning off “read receipts” on WhatsApp is putting women off.  I like the freedom that turning off “read receipts” gives me. At the same time I worry I am giving into my fears of rejection, possibly ego-trapping myself. Why does it feel empowering to turn off “read receipts” on WhatsApp and is this potentially putting off women who may think I have a hidden agenda?  2. I have found that my desire for sex has significantly declined.  So, my question is: am I a freak of nature? Or is something else potentially going on that could be corrected?  3. I’ve been fixated on losing 7-10 more pounds for the last 2 years but the weight just does not come off.  Is there something I could do to actually lose this weight? Or how can I convince my mind that this is it and just be happy about it? 4. I remember in high school being taught the concept of critical thinking skills. The more I enhance my knowledge of evolutionary psychology and see certain personality types on social media promote conspiracy theories, I believe teaching these concepts are limited. It appears critical thinking skills and questioning authenticity can be finessed for those with the personality type, but I no longer think it’s a skill set that can be universally taught. Am I viewing this incorrectly as I come up-to-speed on EP? What other American school system skill sets cannot be universally taught due to our differences in personality types? 5. Why is it funny to us when we see animals doing silly things?  6. Why do people love to solo dance so much? 7. Why in the world would someone literally only want to be listened to?