The Big Bang Theory: "An open letter to Penny"
The Big Bang Theory
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An open letter to Penny
Pairing: Leonard/Penny
Genre: Friendship, Romance, Humor
Word count: 550
Rating: T
Penny,
I know that you didn't believe him last night when Sheldon said that while men cheat on women, women cheat on men as well - And I'm sorry to hear that Justin guy was a pig. I hope you find someone better next time.
As much as I hate to say it, Sheldon was right.
From an anthropological standpoint, the male as well as female human are both polygamous. This may come as a surprise to some, who generally see the man as the one wanting to get some strange on.
I'll explain why it's really not all that black and white. And don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Justin here. I am a scientist, so I feel the need to set the record straight.
The man is programmed to spread his genes as widely as possible to ensure his line's survival. Nothing sinister going on there. It just sucks when you find that man in bed with another woman. Again, I'm sorry you had to go through that. Your own bed nonetheless.
The woman, biologically speaking, doesn't need more than one partner. So you'll say: "Hah, I told you women in general don't cheat."
Anthropologically speaking, however, she'll be wired to select the most fit man (read: 'best adapted to his environment') to procreate with, and possibly a second man, one with father instincts (a provider, if you will), to take care of her family with her.
In today's society the suitable male to impregnate her is not necessarily the strongest. A wealthier, more powerful, or even simply plain smarter man may be more desirable.
In the end "survival of the fittest" is a mechanism that still works to this day, and if a smarter man is more suited to succeed in the environment in which she raises her children, he's a better fit than a possibly stronger one who could snap the geek's neck like a twig.
If then that same geek is a good provider as well, his neck hasn't been snapped like a twig, and the man and woman match up well in their personalities, a stable, loving home can have the biological father be the same man as the guy who cuts the meat on Sunday, so to speak.
The woman has then satisfied her biological imperatives while remaining faithful to the same man.
Which leaves the man. What does he do with his genes? Won't he still feel compelled to 'get some strange on', as it were?
If he's a geek, he'll know that spreading his genes around is not necessarily the best way to ensure fit offspring. Not this day and age.
Again, in today's society, if he has fewer children with a better suited female, those fewer children have a better chance at surviving (or realizing their potential as humans), than if he were to have more children with more or less randomly picked partners, then to abandon their rearing and care to those women.
Perhaps this can also be summed up as: Love, the catalyst that helps turn a polygamous animal like the human into a monogamous one.
(Now available from a geek near you).
That was a joke. Or I hope it was, I wanted to lighten the mood some after I failed to console you last night.
Yours truly,
Leonard
p.s. Penny, next time you find a guy, feel free to let me vet him. I'll tell you how well suited he is to you.