--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why are we so obsessed with monogamous…" description: "\"Why are we so obsessed with monogamous fidelity?\" — Richard Dawkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/richard-dawkins-115_fidelity_why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-f_1125618.jpg" --- # Why are we so obsessed with monogamous fidelity? ![“Why are we so obsessed with monogamous fidelity?” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/richard-dawkins-115_fidelity_why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-f_1125618.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/richard-dawkins-115_fidelity_why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-f_1125618.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/richard-dawkins-115_fidelity_why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-f_1125618.jpg) > “Why are we so obsessed with monogamous fidelity?” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It questions why societies prioritize monogamy, implying cultural or evolutionary roots for this focus. **In simple terms:** Why is monogamy emphasized? Key Takeaway Examine cultural norms. Themes relationships culture evolution Mood curious critical Type sociological philosophical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - sexual education - anthropology research Key Concepts monogamy social contracts human behavior Questions to Reflect On - What benefits does monogamy claim? - How do alternative structures affect societies? A Different Perspective Ignores diverse relationship models. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fidelity/) [Monogamous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monogamous/) [Monogamous Fidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monogamous-fidelity-3067812/) [Monogamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monogamy/) [Obsessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessed/) [Obsessed Monogamous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessed-monogamous-3067813/) [Why](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why/) ## Related quotes > [The fidelity question is difficult for me. Society has made us believe we're supposed to be monogamous when we're not killer whales, or whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hunter/the-fidelity-question-is-difficult-for-me-society-has-made-us-believe/) [Rachel Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hunter/) > [“The fact that the person who you are sleeping with is also sleeping with another person or other people does not necessarily mean that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/the-fact-that-the-person-who-you-are-sleeping-with-is-also-sleeping/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [For example, most mammals are either monogamous or polygamous. But as every poet or divorce attorney will tell you, humans are confused - After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/for-example-most-mammals-are-either-monogamous-or-polygamous-but-as/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [In fact, do monogamous men exist at all?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahima-chaudhry/in-fact-do-monogamous-men-exist-at-all/) [Mahima Chaudhry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahima-chaudhry/) > [I'd be staring at you and thinking, I should ask, I should ask, I should ask; do you want to be in a stable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachin-kundalkar/i-d-be-staring-at-you-and-thinking-i-should-ask-i-should-ask-i-should/) [Sachin Kundalkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachin-kundalkar/) > [A monogamous marriage and family is what some women want - but not all of us. We are mostly doing serial monogamy anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-dodson/a-monogamous-marriage-and-family-is-what-some-women-want-but-not-all/) [Betty Dodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-dodson/) > [I'm in a serious monogamous relationship, and I don't want to keep having different boyfriends, and I have this instead - with men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-heti/i-m-in-a-serious-monogamous-relationship-and-i-don-t-want-to-keep/) [Sheila Heti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-heti/) > [I don't think our system, where we have one romantic partner, where we get married and we're only supposed to have sex with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-brown/i-don-t-think-our-system-where-we-have-one-romantic-partner-where-we/) [Chester Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-brown/) > [When I'm in a relationship I'm monogamous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-revel-horwood/when-i-m-in-a-relationship-i-m-monogamous/) [Craig Revel Horwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-revel-horwood/) > [I do think on some basic level we are animals and by instinct we kind of breed accordingly. But, as much as I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-do-think-on-some-basic-level-we-are-animals-and-by-instinct-we-kind/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) > [“A DOZEN PHALLACIES WOMEN BUY Phallacy 1. If he loves me, he'll be faithful forever. Truth His loving you has nothing to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/a-dozen-phallacies-women-buy-phallacy-1-if-he-loves-me-he-ll-be/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [The highest level of sexual excitement is in a monogamous relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-beatty/the-highest-level-of-sexual-excitement-is-in-a-monogamous-relationship/) [Warren Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-beatty/) > [I'm monogamous from time to time, but I prefer polygamy and polyandry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bruni/i-m-monogamous-from-time-to-time-but-i-prefer-polygamy-and-polyandry/) [Carla Bruni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bruni/) > [Do I think human beings are meant to be in 40-year-long monogamous, faithful, relationships? No, No, No. Whoever said they were? Only the Bible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/do-i-think-human-beings-are-meant-to-be-in-40-year-long-monogamous/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [“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/) ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. The true scientist, however passionately he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-fundamentalist-kurt-wise-proclaims-that-all-the-evidence-in-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Religions do make claims about the universe--the same kinds of claims that scientists make, except they're usually false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/religions-do-make-claims-about-the-universe-the-same-kinds-of-claims/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/much-of-the-bible-is-not-systematically-evil-but-just-plain-weird-as/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The Roman Catholic Church is an institution for whose gains the phrase "ill-gotten" might have been specially invented. And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Fidelity quotes > [Your idea of fidelity is not having more than one man in bed at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-raphael/your-idea-of-fidelity-is-not-having-more-than-one-man-in-bed-at-the/) [Frederic Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-raphael/) > [“I would know you from the heart of the sun. I would know you even if I were mad. I will know you always,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-a-lynn/i-would-know-you-from-the-heart-of-the-sun-i-would-know-you-even-if-i/) [Elizabeth A. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-a-lynn/) > [We must not imitate the externals of nature with so much fidelity that the picture fails to evoke that wonderful teasing recurrence of emotion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-carlson/we-must-not-imitate-the-externals-of-nature-with-so-much-fidelity/) [John F. Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-carlson/) > [Atheism can benefit no class of people; neither the unfortunate, whom it bereaves of hope, nor the prosperous, whose joys it renders insipid, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-ren-de-chateaubriand/atheism-can-benefit-no-class-of-people-neither-the-unfortunate-whom/) [François-René de Chateaubriand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-ren-de-chateaubriand/) > [Jesus’ example of fidelity to prayer challenges us to examine the time and effort we devote to our own prayer. While prayer is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/jesus-example-of-fidelity-to-prayer-challenges-us-to-examine-the-time/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [I am a pathetic and gushing Nick Hornby fan, and I wanted to be in High Fidelity, and I wanted to be in About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-williams/i-am-a-pathetic-and-gushing-nick-hornby-fan-and-i-wanted-to-be-in/) [Olivia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-williams/) > [Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice-2/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“Fidelity to the truth is the obligation of all those who claim to love it. It is the unseen halo that accompanies those that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonny-k-brown/fidelity-to-the-truth-is-the-obligation-of-all-those-who-claim-to/) [Tonny K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tonny-k-brown/) > [If you spot a market where the only choices are at either one end or the other - high fidelity or high convenience -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/if-you-spot-a-market-where-the-only-choices-are-at-either-one-end-or/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [The successful conduct of an industrial enterprise requires two quite distinct qualifications: fidelity and zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-successful-conduct-of-an-industrial-enterprise-requires-two-quite/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“Hope is not a sin, neither is fidelity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomi-eve/hope-is-not-a-sin-neither-is-fidelity/) [Nomi Eve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomi-eve/) > [In all social systems there must be a class to do the menial duties, to perform the drudgery of life. That is, a class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-henry-hammond/in-all-social-systems-there-must-be-a-class-to-do-the-menial-duties/) [James Henry Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-henry-hammond/) > [A woman can give a man a million reasons to be faithful, and he will find one reason to cheat. A man can give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-woman-can-give-a-man-a-million-reasons-to-be-faithful-and-he-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The tendency in our spiritual life but also our more general attitude toward love is that our feelings are all that is going on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kolodiejchuk/the-tendency-in-our-spiritual-life-but-also-our-more-general-attitude/) [Brian Kolodiejchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kolodiejchuk/) > [One's sentiments -- call them that -- one's fidelities are so instinctive that one hardly knows they exist: only when they are betrayed or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/one-s-sentiments-call-them-that-one-s-fidelities-are-so-instinctive/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) [Browse all 412 Fidelity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fidelity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why are we so obsessed with monogamous fidelity?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-fidelity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fidelity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-fidelity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/richard-dawkins-115_fidelity_why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-f_1125618.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/richard-dawkins-115_fidelity_why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-f_1125618.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/richard-dawkins-115_fidelity_why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-f_1125618.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why are we so obsessed with monogamous fidelity?” — Richard Dawkins", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Richard Dawkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why are we so obsessed with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-fidelity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-monogamous-fidelity/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```