# Would you prefer a life of loveless sex or a life of sexless love? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 27, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040 "2009-03-27T21:52:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/1 "2009-03-27T21:52:26Z")
Driving down the freeway one day, you find yourself being followed by a hot, vaguely Mediterranean brunette driving a Ferrari. She follows you to your exit, corners you, and informs you that she is, in fact, Aphrodite, goddess of love & sex, establishing her bona fides by turning two teenagers nearby into a ion & lioness. Aphrodite is feeling he’s mischievous that day, and consequently made a bet with her Nordic counterpart Frigga as to which of two alternatives you’ll choose. Here’s what she’s offering: Say the word, and she’ll enchant you so that you’ll have a true, deep abiding love with whomever you name. If you’re not in a relationship with someone you love, you’ll meet your soulmate later that day; if you are already in such a relationship, your emotional bond with your lover will grow so deep and strong that nothing short of death will break you apart. But you’ll never, ever, ever have sex with this person; or, for that matter, with anyone else. You may, if you wish, give your soulmate permission to make the two-backed beast with others, but for you it’s a lifetime of touchie-no-lookie. Alternatively, Aphrodite can make you sexually irresistable. Any mortal you see and desire will be passionately drawn to you and unable to resist your advances; and sex with these people will be extraordinary. But their passion for you will be purely physical. They’ll never cuddle, never offer a sympathetic ear, never rub your feet. On the day of your funeral, they’ll be mourning the orgasms you two shared together, not you. Oh, and NOT choosing one of these options is not allowed. Unless you make a choice, Aphrodite will turn you into a gazelle with a broken leg and teleport you into the path of those two lions she created a few minutes ago. If you’re already in love, she’ll do the same to the person you’re in love with. Which do you choose? ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/2 "2009-03-27T22:17:59Z")
I’d go the gazelle route. I’d tell her the kiss my nether regions and let her do her worst. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/3 "2009-03-27T22:32:39Z")
Sexless love forever. Sex isn’t really that important. Yeah, I know. But really, it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/4 "2009-03-27T22:38:21Z")
I have a lot of love in my life. But no sex. So I’ll have the sex please! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/5 "2009-03-27T23:45:51Z")
That’s a tough choice, because I have sex with a man I love more every day. But if I were _forced_ to choose, I’d choose abiding love with no sex. Especially now that I’m menopausal. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/6 "2009-03-28T00:43:59Z")
Aphrodite turned the guy into an ion? That’s gotta hurt. But maybe it made him more attractive. I’ll stop now. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/7 "2009-03-28T00:49:41Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Sexless love forever. Sex isn’t really that important. Yeah, I know. But really, it’s not. Couldn’t have put it any better. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/8 "2009-03-28T00:52:30Z")
[Thread from December 2005](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=351192) on the same topic (thread title is strikingly similar 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/9 "2009-03-28T01:22:11Z")
I’m leaning towards preferring “loveless sex”, but I think part of that reason is because it feels as if there’s a “close enough” in friendship. At what point does friendship pass into love (which I can no longer have)? Physical sex, OTOH, seems relatively easy to demarcate. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/10 "2009-03-28T01:31:47Z")
Loveless sex. I’m simply not personally interested in love and never have been. Nor do I put it on the pedestal that most people in our culture seem to; I’m sure it’s nice and all, but it’s not the Ultimate Absolute Good so many people seem to think it is. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/11 "2009-03-28T01:37:49Z")
“Sex without love is an empty experience, but as empty experiences go, it’s a pretty good empty experience.” – Woody Allen ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/12 "2009-03-28T01:44:42Z")
Dang! Stupid website I got that quote from had it wrong. It’s actually: “Sex without love is an empty experience, but as empty experiences go, it’s one of the best.” ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/13 "2009-03-28T01:50:05Z")
I’ll take the sexless love. No brainer for me. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/14 "2009-03-28T02:13:25Z")
Sexless love. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/15 "2009-03-28T02:28:29Z")
Wait - what about masturbation? Although I’d still take sexless love. I need my companionship. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/16 "2009-03-28T03:29:43Z")
I’d miss it, but I could survive without my wife’s body. I’d do anything to not lose her love. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/17 "2009-03-28T04:22:55Z")
Sex, please. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/18 "2009-03-28T04:32:06Z")
I would choose the loveless sex, I think. Then I would shoot out the tires on Aphrodite’s Ferrari so she would be stranded on the side of the freeway, because she’s a cunt. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/19 "2009-03-28T13:27:20Z")
I did my time in bars getting loveless sex. It was fun for a while, but not sustainable. During that period, I would have gone with loveless sex, but now I’d have to chose the other. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040/20 "2009-03-28T13:37:31Z")
Based on experience : sexless love beats loveless sex any day of the week, with one arm behind its back and its eyes closed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-prefer-a-life-of-loveless-sex-or-a-life-of-sexless-love/491040.md?page=2)