# Could infidelity be caused by a parasite?



## lostmyreligion (Oct 18, 2013)

This is pretty interesting.

Mechanism that helps parasites manipulate their hosts may have been discovered -- ScienceDaily

Especially this bit

"some research has suggested that Toxoplasma infection could alter human behavior, and that changes could vary by gender. One study found that* infected men tend to be introverted, suspicious and rebellious, while infected women tended to be extraverted, trusting and obedient.* Others have suggested an association with schizophrenia."

Might help to explain a few of the more inexplicable cases we see on here (?)


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## WhereAreTheGoodTimes (Sep 19, 2014)

I've heard this before about getting it from cat feces but I think it's just wishful thinking. They choose to be lairs and deceitful and I think anything that minimizes that is just blame shifting.

Can the common brain parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, influence human culture?



> In addition to the associations with guilt-proneness assessed here, infected women are more intelligent, rule-conscious, dutiful, conscientious, conforming, moralistic, staid, rule-bound, warm, outgoing, attentive to others, kindly, easy-going and participating, while infected men are less intelligent and more reflective, rigid, loyal, stoic, slow-tempered, frugal, reactive emotionally, changeable, affected by feelings, emotionally less stable and easily upset.


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## Q tip (Apr 15, 2014)

PUAs are indeed parasites.

so yes. it can


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## lostmyreligion (Oct 18, 2013)

WhereAreTheGoodTimes said:


> I've heard this before about getting it from cat feces but I think it's just wishful thinking. They choose to be lairs and deceitful and I think anything that minimizes that is just blame shifting.
> 
> Can the common brain parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, influence human culture?


Thanks for that. It's a well written, comprehensive article. 

I read one years back in a Nat Geo on the general prevalence of parasites and their influence on the various hosts. Can't remember specifics, just that they occupy a large branch (more like a trunk) of the eco-tree. And that it gave me a bad case of the willies. 

I agree with you about it's use as an excuse when really there is none. Like alcohol.

I know if I was a wayward spouse, I'd have a hard time telling anyone that my actions were controlled by a microscopic bug - let alone the much bigger parasite that Qtip mentioned. Given that I'm a Darwinist, I'd be frickin' embarrassed. 

Just wondering whether there is a similar, though less obvious action at play with this infection in terms of it's effect on inhibitions.


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## 2ntnuf (Jul 14, 2012)

> Quote:
> In addition to the associations with guilt-proneness assessed here, infected women are more intelligent, rule-conscious, dutiful, conscientious, conforming, moralistic, staid, rule-bound, warm, outgoing, attentive to others, kindly, easy-going and participating, while infected men are less intelligent and more reflective, rigid, loyal, stoic, slow-tempered, frugal, reactive emotionally, changeable, affected by feelings, emotionally less stable and easily upset.



Does that read to anyone else like what happens when you want sex? Maybe I'm missing something, but wow, maybe it's hormones with no character involved when one of the partners isn't the spouse? I'm actually not trying to be sarcastic, though it does read that way.


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## michzz (Jun 6, 2008)

The parasite that screwed my wife infected her mind for sure.


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## Dogbert (Jan 10, 2015)

Sounds like the plot to David Cronenberg's movie "Shivers" where an apartment complex community become sex crazed zombies after slug like parasites invade their bodies.



Wikipedia said:


> Dr. Emil Hobbes is conducting unorthodox experiments with parasites for use in transplants, however, he believes that humanity has become over-rational and lost contact with its flesh and its instincts, so the effects of the organism he actually develops is a combination of aphrodisiac and venereal disease. Once implanted, it causes uncontrollable sexual desire in the host


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## arbitrator (Feb 13, 2012)

lostmyreligion said:


> This is pretty interesting.
> 
> Mechanism that helps parasites manipulate their hosts may have been discovered -- ScienceDaily
> 
> ...


*Damn! Then that "inexplicably" means that my rich, skanky XW must have literally fallen into a swimming pool full of that crap!*


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## arbitrator (Feb 13, 2012)

michzz said:


> The parasite that screwed my wife infected her mind for sure.


*I'll go ahead and take responsibility for it!

Truth be told, my rich, skanky XW, no doubt, screwed some poor old docile, harmless parasite, turning it vicious and setting it out on mankind!*


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## honcho (Oct 5, 2013)

So if you make your spouse clean out the litter box they can blame you for the affair later in life.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## poida (Jan 17, 2014)

michzz said:


> The parasite that screwed my wife infected her mind for sure.


:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Good one.


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## TRy (Sep 14, 2011)

The title to this thread asks the question "Could infidelity be caused by a parasite?" The answer to the is question is yes, with this parasite often called an affair partner.


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## The Middleman (Apr 30, 2012)

lostmyreligion said:


> This is pretty interesting.
> 
> 
> 
> Can Infidelity be Caused by Parasites?



Yes it can ... the parasite is called the "Wayward".


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## AriYarjan (Mar 21, 2015)

Great! Thats all we need! Yet some more parasites to get in on this infidelity act!


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## mattpf1 (Feb 25, 2015)

I believe people who cheat are parasites


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## ThePheonix (Jan 3, 2013)

michzz said:


> The parasite that screwed my wife infected her mind for sure.


The parasite is your old lady my man. Living off you, the host, and breeding in some dark location.


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