As Trinis we are very accustomed to the concept (and practice) of hornin’! It is the fodder for soca and kaiso annually, the cause of heated debate at work, the explanation for why your little sister’s hair has a markedly different texture to yours etc. etc
.
With celebrity couples dropping like flies in 2014, see Nick and Mariah, Jason Derulo and Jordin Sparks, Wiz and Amber & yuh neighbour horning her husband breathless daily, SCORCH has decided to explore infidelity and we came up with some little known factoids. Enjoy:
1. There are benefits to hornin’ and evolutionary scientists agree. Now we not talkin’ bout getting your cake,cake,cake and eating it too eh palos. Evolutionary scientists have suggested that there were numerous benefits to infidelity back in Captain Caveman’s day.
Firstly, genetic variety was ensured when a prehistoric woman butt she man, a huge benefit for humanity’s survival.
Secondly, a woman would reap economic benefits (there was no money then so they probably mean animal carcasses and colourful beads.
Ironically, women with horner men still get the same gifts today (who say Carnival costume!!!) In pre-history, the over-sexed males who had numerous partners propagated the most, resulting in that hornin gene being passed on. Makes sense…
2. There is in fact a hornin’ gene in men!!!! Actually there is a gene that when present in a man’s physiology indicates the individual will be unable to form a strong attachment to their significant other. Less attachment emotionally means horn sharing like wind!!!
3. Hornin’ is a reality across cultures. It was rampant with the classical Greeks and Romans (they also enjoyed same sex relations), pre-industrial Europeans, historical Japanese, Chinese and Hindus. So it cannot be said of Trinis that we are the root cause and sole providers of as the Jamaicans term it, “bu’n”. We didn’t start the hornin’, it was always burning since the world’s been turning…
4. Coupling up is a hallmark of human society. UN studies have shown that across different societies, close to 90% of men and women get married by the time they are 50. So horn or no horn, people getting married, and that’s a good thing….right?
5. Hornin’ doesn’t mean a relationship is doomed or unhappy. Despite the conventional wisdom that says if you hornin’ yuh not happy, one study shows that 56% of lolo-sharing men said their relationship was happy or very happy and conversely 34% of cheating women said the same. Go figure!
6. Eating a next man food or mate poaching as it is also called is no longer taboo, it is actually a trend. Recent studies now show that Cassie echoes nuff horner man and woman sentiments in the 21st Century, as more and more individuals are now trying to steal individuals who are already in committed relationships, and make them their significant others. Good luck peeps, but as the ole people say, “ How you get dem, yuh lose dem!”
7. Hornin’ is everywhere!! Though not on the zombie levels of say “The Walking Dead” or “World War Z”, hornin gone clear dread! A 2010 study right here in T&T showed 40% of married men interviewed have cheated on their spouses with 30% of married women doing the same. Personally I feel the women lied to cover their arses, and the men too! Look at those numbers, and that is pre Instagram people!Imagine the level of forkries hornin’ has surpassed in 2014….Lawd Fadda!
9. Our own damn brains contribute to hornin’. Now this one shocked me, as me and a female co-worker discussed this some time ago as she was describing her being caught between two cockys, I mean men. She maintained she loved the horner man, who she was with prior to her current salami, I mean beau. But attached to her boyfriend, who was actually better in bed than said horner helper…Dafuq!!!! Experts now say that 3 parts of our brain deal with sex drive, emotional love and lastly partner attachment. Sometimes they work in combination, other times separately with no co-relation, resulting in one actually getting bazodee by the different impulses and messages shooting through your cranium. Isn’t science marvelous?! No wonder Bill Nye horn he wife…
10. This one everyone knew already but we can re-iterate: Hornin’ is caused by a variety of psychological, cultural and economic variables but one thing is clear—Hornin’ is global! It is an international phenomenon that happens with remarkable regularity despite the near universal disapproval of this behaviour. It’s like stealing and office bjs, you know it’s wrong but it’s still gonna happen anyway….
