But when we reduce sex to a function, we also invoke the idea of dysfunction. We are no longer talking about the art of sex; rather, we are talking about the mechanics of sex. Science has replaced religion as the authority; and science is a more formidable arbiter. Medicine knows how to scare even those who scoff at religion. Compared with a diagnosis, what's a mere sin? We used to moralize; today we normalize, and performance anxiety is the secular version of our old religious guilt.

About This Quote

About Esther Perel, Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic

Esther Perel, Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic.

Themes

  • Religion — Exploring belief systems, worship, and spiritual practice
  • Science — Discovery, inquiry, and the wonders of the natural world

More quotes by Esther Perel, Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic

Related Quotes