From The Naked Ape (Morris)

It could be said that the advance of civilization has not so much moulded modern sexual behavior, as that sexual behavior has moulded the shape of civilization.

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Writing...and verbalized vocal communication have, of course, been developed as our major means of transmitting and recording information, but they have also been utilized as vehicles for aesthetic exploration on an enormous scale. The intricate elaboration of our ancestral grunts and squeaks into complex symbolic speech has enabled us to sit and "play" with thoughts in our heads, and to manipulate our (primarily instructional) word sequences to new ends as aesthetic, experimental playthings.

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Our climb to the top has been a get-rich-quick story, and, like all nouveaux riches, we are very sensitive about our background.

Desmond Morris, from The Naked Ape