10>The Origin Of The Word:
The word “kiss” comes from the Old English word cyssan, which technically means “to kiss.” No one is completely positive where cyssan comes from, but people suspect that it represented the sound people make when they kiss.The Romans had several words for several different types of kissing. Kissing the hand or cheek was known as basium, closed-mouth kissing was known as osculum, and a passionate kiss was known as a saviolum. The Greeks, meanwhile, might not have had words for kissing in particular, but they did have several words for love. Philia was a loyal kind of love, the kind you have for your friends and family. There was also eros, a more passionate kind of love. However, Plato once stated that eros could also be used to describe appreciation for another person’s beauty. He also stated that true love did not have to be based on physical attraction.Finally, the Greeks used agape to describe the strongest and most beautiful love of all—the pure, unconditional love and affection shared among family and only the closest of friends.
9>10 Percent Of The World Doesn’t Kiss:
At roughly 18 million years old, Mangaia Island is the oldest island in the Pacific Ocean. Despite all the time its inhabitants have had, they’d never heard of kissing until the English introduced them to the practice in the 1700s.These days, around 90 percent of the world’s cultures kiss. The other 10 percent doesn’t do so for a variety of reasons. For example, some areas in Sudan refuse to kiss because they believe that the mouth is the window to the soul, and they fear having their soul stolen by mouth-to-mouth contact.The famous Eskimo kiss—in which people bump noses together instead of their mouths—didn’t start because they feared having their mouths frozen together as some believe. It happened because, due to the extreme cold, the Eskimos would only have their eyes and noses exposed and had to invent their own method of displaying affection. Today, it is one of the most popular non-kissing kisses in the world.
8>How Kissing Spread All Over The World:
Scientists aren’t sure how kissing got started. They don’t even know for sure if it was an instinctual or learned behavior. Those in favor of the latter believe kissing started by “kiss feeding,” where the mother would chew up food in her mouth and then pass it to their baby’s mouth like a bird.The first mention of kissing as a romantic gesture was found in poems from Sumer, the earliest known civilization in the world. Kissing has also been described in ancient Egyptian love poetry, and even the Bible’s Book of Genesis describes Jacob kissing his wife, Rachel. Historians believe that kissing probably spread when Alexander The Great invaded India, where kissing had been commonplace for centuries. It was described in Vedic scriptures as “touching with their mouths,” which is as apt a description as any. Alexander then brought the knowledge of kissing to the western world, and we haven’t stopped since.
7>Many Animals Other Than Humans Kiss:
Even though it might not be exactly how we do it, several other animals engage in affectionate behavior that’s remarkably similar to our kissing. Chimpanzees oftentimes demonstrate kiss-like behavior after a fight as a way to “kiss and make up” so to speak. Studies have shown that this type of behavior isn’t just confined to chimpanzees—many other primates “kiss” in their own way.Non-primate animals engage in kiss-like behavior as well. Meerkats, for example, will nuzzle and lick each other’s scent glands to mark one another as the alpha and the subordinate. This is especially important after a meerkat returns to their group because the alpha female kicking them out is quite often the reason they left in the first place.We can’t forget elephants, one of the most intelligent and emotional creatures on Earth. During hard times like the death of a herd member, elephants have been observed sticking their trunks in each others’ mouths as a gesture of both consolation and comfort.
6>Kissing Has Many Health Benefits:
Scientists aren’t sure how kissing got started. They don’t even know for sure if it was an instinctual or learned behavior. Those in favor of the latter believe kissing started by “kiss feeding,” where the mother would chew up food in her mouth and then pass it to their baby’s mouth like a bird.The first mention of kissing as a romantic gesture was found in poems from Sumer, the earliest known civilization in the world. Kissing has also been described in ancient Egyptian love poetry, and even the Bible’s Book of Genesis describes Jacob kissing his wife, Rachel. Historians believe that kissing probably spread when Alexander The Great invaded India, where kissing had been commonplace for centuries. It was described in Vedic scriptures as “touching with their mouths,” which is as apt a description as any. Alexander then brought the knowledge of kissing to the western world, and we haven’t stopped since.
7>Many Animals Other Than Humans Kiss:
Even though it might not be exactly how we do it, several other animals engage in affectionate behavior that’s remarkably similar to our kissing. Chimpanzees oftentimes demonstrate kiss-like behavior after a fight as a way to “kiss and make up” so to speak. Studies have shown that this type of behavior isn’t just confined to chimpanzees—many other primates “kiss” in their own way.Non-primate animals engage in kiss-like behavior as well. Meerkats, for example, will nuzzle and lick each other’s scent glands to mark one another as the alpha and the subordinate. This is especially important after a meerkat returns to their group because the alpha female kicking them out is quite often the reason they left in the first place.We can’t forget elephants, one of the most intelligent and emotional creatures on Earth. During hard times like the death of a herd member, elephants have been observed sticking their trunks in each others’ mouths as a gesture of both consolation and comfort.
6>Kissing Has Many Health Benefits:
5>The Science Of Kissing:
The study of kissing is known as philematology. Those who study it tend to not only focus on the biology of kissing and the hormones involved, but also why we kiss. Many people say that the first kiss makes a big first impression, but scientists believe it can go beyond that. They believe that kissing can provide sensory clues—such as taste, sound, and smell—that encourage additional kissing to occur. But if the kiss is no good, it might clue the other person in to the benefits of running away. Studies have shown that 59 percent of men and 66 percent of women have becomes less attracted to a person after kissing them for the first time. Another study of more than 1,000 college students revealed that women tend to be more into kissing than men, and that they’re far more likely to insist on kissing before the clothes start flying off. Science also explains why kissing feels so good physically. As it turns out, our lips are highly sensitive and more tightly packed with nerve endings than the majority of our body parts.
4>World Records For Kissing:
3>Kissing Involves Actual Chemistry:
It appears that the idea of successful relationships requiring a lot of good chemistry isn’t so corny after all. Studies have shown that kissing actually releases a chemical called dopamine. This is a powerful hormone that affects the same areas of the brain as cocaine does, and it can cause extremely powerful feelings of craving and desire. It also causes symptoms like lack of sleep, decreased appetite, and a higher level of energy.Some scientists suspect that dopamine might also have something to do with why people cheat. As the novelty of kissing your partner wears off, your body actively produces less and less dopamine. Seeking to discover that hormonal rush again, some people end up wandering behind their partner’s back in search of it. In contrast, kissing somebody you’ve been with for a long time releases oxytocin, a hormone that creates very strong feelings of peace and relaxation. Scientists emphasize the importance of couples continuing to kiss regularly, as doing so keeps the oxytocin flowing and the happiness levels high.
2>Anti-Kissing Countries:
Crazy as it may sound in 2014, there are still many countries where public affection is illegal. In Mexico, university professor Manuel Berumen was arrested for kissing his wife in public. In some countries, though, the punishments are extremely brutal. In 2010, a Saudi Arabian man was arrested for hugging and kissing a woman. He was found guilty and sentenced to three sets of 30 lashes each, plus four months in prison.To prevent an extremely awkward situation, you should always check with the United States Department of State before you travel to another country. You should also know how to contact the United States Embassy in whatever country you’re visiting just in case you suddenly need help. Nothing dampens a good mood quite like jail time.
1>Fear Of Kissing:
Everyone’s scared of their first kiss. After all, what if you mess up and turn your partner off for good? For most of us, as we get more experienced with kissing, those first-time jitters fade away over time.For others, though, this fear is much more serious and is called philemaphobia. Like most phobias, it isn’t likely to go away over time. People can develop philemaphobia for many reasons. If somebody suffers from a fear of germs, for example, an aversion to lip-to-lip contact might very well develop into philemaphobia. Others develop philemaphobia thanks to traumatic incidents like rape and physical abuse.Usually however, people with philemaphobia struggle to understand why they have it. This causes further stress and unease, as they fear others will view them as silly or ridiculous for cowering over something so many love so much.
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