Let's play a short game. I will mention a word and you will say the first word that comes to your mind. Ready? Sex. Your answer? I would be willing to bet that your first thought was “pleasure”. If not, it was more than likely something very similar. I would also be willing to bet that the term “conflict resolution” was not in the top five. Maybe it is time that we, as humans, re-evaluate our ideologies on the matter of sex and begin utilizing its benefits for the betterment of mankind.
We would serve well to sit back, relax and take note of the uninhibited lifestyle of the Bonobo, also known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee. Why the Bonobo you ask? Humans and the Bonobo apes share slightly over ninety-eight percent of the same DNA; no other two species come closer. But the extraordinary likeness of the DNA is not the main stimulus we should focus on. The everyday life of these Congo inhabitants is much more fascinating.
This species, discovered in 1929 by Ernst Schwarz, a German anatomist, substitutes sex for conflict. They welcome the opportunity to gather for a quick rendezvous in the trees, and the gender of the companion is of no special concern. They do, however, prefer members that are not of immediate family status. Aside from us humans, the Bonobos are the only animals which partake in sexual liaisons for enjoyment; all other life forms are interested only with procreating. Sex, in the Bonobo community, is used to maintain peace and harmony by defusing social tensions which may arise throughout the day. Instead of harboring feelings of animosity towards one another, which only creates a negative surrounding, they prefer a “quickie” which quickly alleviates any disagreement and, somehow, solves problems.
The next time you are patiently waiting in a long grocery store line and some creep just walks up in front of you, don't get mad-commence to having sex and you will be amazed at how quickly your anger will be subdued. Of course, I would recommend purchasing a handful or more, depending on how many lines you wait in, of condoms; we wouldn't want to create a problem whilst we are trying to solve one.
Imagine for a moment, if you will, what the current situation in Iraq would be if only George Bush, Jr. and Osama Bin Laden had taken some lessons from our closest animal family, the fabulous Bonobos! For thousands upon thousands of years we have been going through the process of obtaining world peace all wrong. I suggest we all try something different. Who knows? A quickie here, there and everywhere just might make all the difference in the world! If for some reason my idea doesn't work, just think of all the fun we had trying. Not to mention all the trillions of dollars and precious lives saved by not going off to war.
