--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is the essence of human sexuality…" description: "\"“What is the essence of human sexuality and how did it get to be that way? In the following pages, we’ll explain how seismic cultural shifts that began..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56c/christopher-ryan-4309_nature-of-man_what-is-the-essence-of-human-sexuality-a_986606.jpg" --- # What is the essence of human sexuality and how did it get… ![“What is the essence of human sexuality and how did it get to be that way? In the following pages, we’ll explain how seismic cultural shifts that began about ten thousand years ago rendered the true story of human sexuality so subversive and threatening that for centuries it has been silenced by…” quote by Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56c/christopher-ryan-4309_nature-of-man_what-is-the-essence-of-human-sexuality-a_986606.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56c/christopher-ryan-4309_nature-of-man_what-is-the-essence-of-human-sexuality-a_986606.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56c/christopher-ryan-4309_nature-of-man_what-is-the-essence-of-human-sexuality-a_986606.jpg) > ““What is the essence of human sexuality and how did it get to be that way? In the following pages, we’ll explain how seismic cultural shifts that began about ten thousand years ago rendered the true story of human sexuality so subversive and threatening that for centuries it has been silenced by religious authorities, pathologized by physicians, studiously ignored by scientists, and covered up by moralizing therapists.”” [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human sexuality is shaped by deep cultural changes over millennia, making its true nature controversial and often suppressed by institutions. **In simple terms:** Sexuality is culturally constructed and often hidden. Key Takeaway Question how culture shapes sexual norms. Themes culture history sexuality power silence Mood curious critical thoughtful Type analytical controversial When to use this quote - anthropology - gender studies - public policy - therapy - religion Key Concepts cultural evolution social constructionism normativity Questions to Reflect On - How have modern shifts altered sexual norms? - What forces keep sexual topics taboo? A Different Perspective Cultural narratives can be resistant to change despite evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cultural Shifts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-shifts-1721305/) [Human Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-sexuality-487442/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) [Sexuality Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality-did-1993569/) [Sexuality Subversive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality-subversive-1993568/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [True story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-story/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [“In the following pages, we’ll explain how seismic cultural shifts that began about ten thousand years ago rendered the true story of human sexuality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ryan/in-the-following-pages-we-ll-explain-how-seismic-cultural-shifts-that/) [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) > [The sort of public sex aspects of gay male sexuality did not appeal to me. 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You are constantly monitoring cultural shifts, current events, shifts in mores, things that reflect society, and, at times, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-reilly/we-re-in-the-culture-business-you-are-constantly-monitoring-cultural/) [Kevin Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-reilly/) > [I suspect that many of the great cultural shifts that prepare the way for political change are largely aesthetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-suspect-that-many-of-the-great-cultural-shifts-that-prepare-the-way-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's common for cultural shifts to start with young, urban adopters before going mainstream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-jurich/it-s-common-for-cultural-shifts-to-start-with-young-urban-adopters/) [Lynn Jurich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-jurich/) > [There's an assault on human sexuality, as Judge Scalia said, they've taken sides in the culture war and on top of that if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/there-s-an-assault-on-human-sexuality-as-judge-scalia-said-they-ve/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [“Dallas Willard notes, “The two main errors in the area of human sexuality are these: (1) assuming that all sexual desire is good, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryan-smith/dallas-willard-notes-the-two-main-errors-in-the-area-of-human/) [James Bryan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryan-smith/) > [“... I was shock aplenty by what the internet reveals about human sexuality...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-stephens-davidowitz/i-was-shock-aplenty-by-what-the-internet-reveals-about-human-sexuality/) [Seth Stephens-Davidowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-stephens-davidowitz/) > [Human sexuality makes farcical our most serious intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/human-sexuality-makes-farcical-our-most-serious-intentions/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ \[On masturbation:\] I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/on-masturbation-i-think-that-it-is-part-of-human-sexuality-and/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [“Readers acquainted with the recent literature on human sexuality will be familiar with what we call the standard narrative of human sexual evolution, hereafter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cacilda-jeth/readers-acquainted-with-the-recent-literature-on-human-sexuality-will/) [Cacilda Jethá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cacilda-jeth/) > [There are so many aspects of human sexuality that we're afraid to talk about, because people still don't understand it. It's not just black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-grey/there-are-so-many-aspects-of-human-sexuality-that-we-re-afraid-to/) [Sasha Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-grey/) ## More by Christopher Ryan > [“Marriage," "mating," and "love" are socially constructed phenomena that have little or no transferable meaning outside any given culture. The examples we've noted of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ryan/marriage-mating-and-love-are-socially-constructed-phenomena-that-have/) [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) > [“What constitutes misuse of the universe? This question can be answered in one word: greed…. Greed constitutes the most grievous wrong. 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Instead, make sure they have equal access to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ryan/if-you-re-unhappy-at-the-amount-of-sexual-opportunity-in-your-life/) [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) > [“A fire is never sated by any amount of logs, nor the ocean by rivers that flow into it; death cannot be sated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ryan/a-fire-is-never-sated-by-any-amount-of-logs-nor-the-ocean-by-rivers/) [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) > [“When you can’t block people’s access to food and shelter, and you can’t stop them from leaving, how can you control them? 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Where the females save it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ryan/if-a-species-has-cojones-grandes-you-can-bet-that-males-have-frequent/) [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) [Explore all 113 Christopher Ryan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) ## More Nature of man quotes > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Probably it goes without saying, but time machine guys don't get a lot of action. 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