Survival, Society, and the Seven Year Itch,  K. Michaelian

This article is an attempt to explain scientifically marital problems faced by all conyugals
peaking at around 7 years of marriage. The problems are so common among couples that this
author believes that there must be a reason from Nature for the conflicts which often lead to
family breakdown. The thesis is that ofensive attitudes and loss of interest are programmed
with a 7 year activation period, into our hypothalamus, or hormonal or other chemical systems,
from a period in human history in which we were strongly subjected to the forces of natural
selection. During this period, it was in the interest of the human species to keep the parents
together long enough for the education leading to independence of the children (around 5 years
at that time). Having both parents around meant that the mother could provide dedicated
education and protection to her children while the father supplied the material necessities.
Once the first children had become independent, it was now in the interest of survival of the
human species to have greater genetic diversity (through sexual diversity), leading to parental
separation. With the invention of society, the educational period had to be extended (reaching
close to 20 years in modern times), while societal institutions began to take over the education
and protection of the children. Natural selection pressure on extending the harmonious period of
a couple thus also became frozen in at about 7 years after first encounters. This is claimed to
be the origin of the hypothalumus-cerebral cortex conflict affecting all couples at around
7 years of marriage.

This article is of course speculation with only circumstantial evidence to back it up. However,
the intent is to suggest a scientific investigation of a very troubling problem of human nature
affecting our modern societies.

The article is not finished but the author makes it available in the hopes that reader comments
may significantly contribute to its final form.
  If you would like a  .pdf version of the unfinished article.