Freethought & Rationalism Archive

HaysooChreesto! · 03-11-2003, 12:42 PM

What's the standard? Is it more than one, or less than a hundred?
There are certainly different standards for men and women.
I should've made this a poll but I don't know how.

NialScorva · 03-11-2003, 12:56 PM

partners/time for a given period no less than 12 months? I don't know what the threshold is, I keep getting zeros when I plug my data in.

HaysooChreesto! · 03-11-2003, 12:59 PM

Over the course of ones lifetime. Even the ones that "don't really count because..."

Tom Sawyer · 03-11-2003, 12:59 PM

There is no standard. It's totally subjective and based on whomever is giving the label of promiscuity to a person.

If a woman has only ever slept with one man in her life, she may see a second woman who has slept with ten men as promiscuous. Another woman who has slept with a couple hundred men may see that second woman who has only slept with ten as a bit frigid.

It's basically a view of how you see a person as related to your sense of generally sexual activity by a society. If it's your belief that an "average" person sleeps with ten other people, then someone who sleeps with fifty would be seen by you as promiscuous and someone who sleeps with twelve as about average. If you think the "average" person sleeps with fifty other people, then your views on the numbers needed would change.

Also, it could be based on how quickly they sleep with other people. If a women has sex with guys on the first date, you could label her as promiscuous. If another woman has slept with a number of guys, but never has sex with any of them until after ten dates, you could see her as non-promiscuous, regardless of how many men she's actually slept with.

So, there are a number of answers to the question of what the standard is and none of them are objective. It all depends on the views of the person making the judgement.

christ-on-a-stick · 03-11-2003, 01:04 PM

An interesting question. So subjective.

To some people, a young woman (let's say 25) who has slept with, say, 5 guys in her life is a raging ho!!!

To other people, 5 men by 25 would be downright inexperienced.

Then there's the whole double-standard issue... the same people might think nothing of a 25-year-old *MAN* having had 5 partners.

I tend to think of the word "promiscuous" as more relative not to hard NUMBERS of people but frequency of "casual" sex - frequent/regular one-night-stands.

That being said, I personally don't find promiscuity to necessarily be a bad thing although it has a negative connotation.

I only find irresponsible promiscuity objectionable or worrisome (not taking health and safety precautions).

(BTW I would include "mental health" in this - i.e. a person who is extremely promiscuous for psychological reasons - a "sex addict" per se - may do well to seek assistance as with any addictive or maladaptive behavior).

beoba · 03-11-2003, 01:13 PM

You might be promiscuous if..

AquaVita · 03-11-2003, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by alphatronics
You might be promiscuous if..

Oh dear lord...I feel a 75 page thread coming on!

HaysooChreesto! · 03-11-2003, 03:09 PM

Okay, more specifically. At what point do you think someone's a tramp? A friend of my wife's is a good example. She's nice, has a pretty good job, but she really gets around. Always has.
There's been several times where we've all been out together and the next day after my wife's talked to her, I've ended up saying "she went home with that guy too ?

So what's promiscuous to you personally? At what point does a person cross over from "free spirited" to "village bike"?

Loren Pechtel · 03-11-2003, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lamma
What's the standard? Is it more than one, or less than a hundred?
There are certainly different standards for men and women.
I should've made this a poll but I don't know how.

More than the person definining it.

Personally, I don't think it's so much a matter of how many as how close one is to one's partner(s).

Loren Pechtel · 03-11-2003, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lamma
Okay, more specifically. At what point do you think someone's a tramp? A friend of my wife's is a good example. She's nice, has a pretty good job, but she really gets around. Always has.
There's been several times where we've all been out together and the next day after my wife's talked to her, I've ended up saying "she went home with that guy too ?

So what's promiscuous to you personally? At what point does a person cross over from "free spirited" to "village bike"?

As far as I'm concerned, one-night stand = promiscious.

03-11-2003, 12:42 PM	#1
HaysooChreesto! Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: SoCal USA Posts: 7,737	What counts as promiscuous? What's the standard? Is it more than one, or less than a hundred? There are certainly different standards for men and women. I should've made this a poll but I don't know how.

03-11-2003, 01:04 PM	#5
christ-on-a-stick Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Durango, Colorado Posts: 7,116	Ahhhh.... An interesting question. So subjective. To some people, a young woman (let's say 25) who has slept with, say, 5 guys in her life is a raging ho!!! To other people, 5 men by 25 would be downright inexperienced. Then there's the whole double-standard issue... the same people might think nothing of a 25-year-old MAN having had 5 partners. I tend to think of the word "promiscuous" as more relative not to hard NUMBERS of people but frequency of "casual" sex - frequent/regular one-night-stands. That being said, I personally don't find promiscuity to necessarily be a bad thing although it has a negative connotation. I only find irresponsible promiscuity objectionable or worrisome (not taking health and safety precautions). (BTW I would include "mental health" in this - i.e. a person who is extremely promiscuous for psychological reasons - a "sex addict" per se - may do well to seek assistance as with any addictive or maladaptive behavior).

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03-11-2003, 12:56 PM	#2
NialScorva Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Median strip of DC beltway Posts: 1,888	partners/time for a given period no less than 12 months? I don't know what the threshold is, I keep getting zeros when I plug my data in.

03-11-2003, 12:59 PM	#3
HaysooChreesto! Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: SoCal USA Posts: 7,737	Over the course of ones lifetime. Even the ones that "don't really count because..."

03-11-2003, 12:59 PM	#4
Tom Sawyer Talk Freethought Staff Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Toronto, eh Posts: 42,293	There is no standard. It's totally subjective and based on whomever is giving the label of promiscuity to a person. If a woman has only ever slept with one man in her life, she may see a second woman who has slept with ten men as promiscuous. Another woman who has slept with a couple hundred men may see that second woman who has only slept with ten as a bit frigid. It's basically a view of how you see a person as related to your sense of generally sexual activity by a society. If it's your belief that an "average" person sleeps with ten other people, then someone who sleeps with fifty would be seen by you as promiscuous and someone who sleeps with twelve as about average. If you think the "average" person sleeps with fifty other people, then your views on the numbers needed would change. Also, it could be based on how quickly they sleep with other people. If a women has sex with guys on the first date, you could label her as promiscuous. If another woman has slept with a number of guys, but never has sex with any of them until after ten dates, you could see her as non-promiscuous, regardless of how many men she's actually slept with. So, there are a number of answers to the question of what the standard is and none of them are objective. It all depends on the views of the person making the judgement.

03-11-2003, 01:13 PM	#6
beoba Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Boston Posts: 699	You might be promiscuous if..

03-11-2003, 03:09 PM	#8
HaysooChreesto! Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: SoCal USA Posts: 7,737	Okay, more specifically. At what point do you think someone's a tramp? A friend of my wife's is a good example. She's nice, has a pretty good job, but she really gets around. Always has. There's been several times where we've all been out together and the next day after my wife's talked to her, I've ended up saying "she went home with that guy too ? So what's promiscuous to you personally? At what point does a person cross over from "free spirited" to "village bike"?

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