The Real Problem: secrets

Blogging about Jack Ryan and sex clubs, Matthew Yglesias says that The Real Problem with respect to sex and politics is "an extraordinarily silly electorate and reading public which seems to feel that a candidate for office's sex life is an important consideration in [deciding] whether or not to vote for him (or her)."

I agree with P.B. Almeida who commented that "people are definitely interested in others' sex lives; that much seems to be hardwired into the species."

Emily Colas was right when, quoting a heroin addicted friend, she wrote (in Just Checking : Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive)

"You're only as sick as your secrets."

If none of us had secrets, if none of us could have secrets, if we were all transparent, then we would see how human we all are, and we wouldn't be able to use our various ways of being human against each other.

In addition, we would all be much better off psychologically. But maybe we wouldn't be as smart.