Dating

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by Flinch

I guess I might be one of the odd ones here if I think there's nothing wrong with dating one's cousin. If two people genuinely love each other, who's place is it to tell them it's inherently wrong? Guess I'm just really open-minded about these things.

I'm in agreement with this, so I guess I'm an odd one too.

[DonQuigleone]

Historically, cousin marriages are very common.

Heck, if you go back far enough we're all related anyway.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

What's everyone's standpoint on dating your cousin given that they were third degree or below? (i.e. legal)

The level of blood between you would be so ridiculously small. If I'm reading this chart correctly, the first blood relative that you both have the same relation to would be your great-great-grandparents.

The only way I'd really see this as weird is if your families only gave birth to males up until now, allowing you both to maintain the same last name. That'd just feel a little wacky to me. Otherwise, I don't think it'd be much different from a family friend's child.

[blissfullyunaware]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

What's everyone's standpoint on dating your cousin given that they were third degree or below? (i.e. legal)

Although I could never bring myself to do it, I would never stop anyone else from dating whomever they wanted.

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by GDB

The level of blood between you would be so ridiculously small. If I'm reading this chart correctly, the first blood relative that you both have the same relation to would be your great-great-grandparents.

The only way I'd really see this as weird is if your families only gave birth to males up until now, allowing you both to maintain the same last name. That'd just feel a little wacky to me. Otherwise, I don't think it'd be much different from a family friend's child.

Did you know that Eleanor Roosevelt was a Roosevelt before she married FDR? And she didn't happen to have that second name out of coincidence...

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Flinch

I guess I might be one of the odd ones here if I think there's nothing wrong with dating one's cousin. If two people genuinely love each other, who's place is it to tell them it's inherently wrong? Guess I'm just really open-minded about these things.

Genetics does. First cousins still have a pretty high probability of triggering recessive traits that could lead to health issues. But if you start talking about second and third-degree cousins it starts mattering a lot less.

[Malkuth]

dating != breeding

[RadiantBeam]

Hey, if you're willing to take the risk, then you have to be willing to face the consequences. That aside, though, if you really want to be with your cousin like that and all is well on both sides of the family, then by all means go for it. By the time you reach third cousins, anyway, there should be enough genetic difference that recessive genes aren't as much as a problem as they would be in first cousins, like Dextro said.

[synaesthetic]

Cousins aren't going to cause a problem; the DNA isn't similar enough. There's a strong stigma against it especially in America, yeah, but it's not equal to fucking your sister or brother.

[Ricky Controversy]

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

Cousins aren't going to cause a problem; the DNA isn't similar enough. There's a strong stigma against it especially in America, yeah, but it's not equal to fucking your sister or brother.

But...but "onii-chan" means "yes!"

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

Cousins aren't going to cause a problem; the DNA isn't similar enough. There's a strong stigma against it especially in America, yeah, but it's not equal to fucking your sister or brother.

You'd be forced to see your in-laws far more often since they're already family, though. I doubt most people would want that.

And technically, cousin breeding still creates a restrictive gene pool and will lead to a weaker lineage over time. It has been shown on levels of genetic stability, olfactoric attraction and longevity that the best breeding is done with people that have DNA compositions that are on a medium difference to yours. Inter-breeding is a necessity but shouldn't be excessive as it can cause other genetic flaws to enter a new gene pool in large enough numbers to cause long-term damage.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Dextro

Genetics does. First cousins still have a pretty high probability of triggering recessive traits that could lead to health issues. But if you start talking about second and third-degree cousins it starts mattering a lot less.

Yeah, please, first cousin is like a brother or sister. No way I'll go for that

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

Hey, if you're willing to take the risk, then you have to be willing to face the consequences. That aside, though, if you really want to be with your cousin like that and all is well on both sides of the family, then by all means go for it. By the time you reach third cousins, anyway, there should be enough genetic difference that recessive genes aren't as much as a problem as they would be in first cousins, like Dextro said.

Thing is, it never actually crossed my mind till my mom called me up the other day to tell me it's a good idea. But indeed, getting together with a first cousin is almost no different than getting together with your brother or sister, not to mention that first cousins are much more likely to live close together than second or third cousins. Truth be told, I'm not against the idea, but at the same time, I don't think it's something I want to pursue. If there's any hesitation on my part to date my cousin, it's more to do with the fact that we've known each other since we were practically babies, and the fact that our respective families have known each other for much longer than that (speaking as if they were separate families when they inherently aren't), which is the other thing that makes me uncomfortable. If things go awry between us, I can already imagine the implications so all in all, I'd rather date someone else, even if I haven't got my eye on anyone.

Originally Posted by Ricky Controversy

But...but "onii-chan" means "yes!"

She's actually older than me, even if by a few months

[Kotohono]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

She's actually older than me, even if by a few months

That's fine too since "nee-san" or "onee-sama" both also mean "yes!" .

[Flinch]

Originally Posted by Konakaga

That's fine too since "nee-san" or "onee-sama" both also mean "yes!" .

Isn't that just common knowledge? ^_^

[Khu]

You're forgetting otouto-kun there.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Konakaga

That's fine too since "nee-san" or "onee-sama" both also mean "yes!" .

This isn't Aki Sora.

[Malkuth]

Originally Posted by Konakaga

That's fine too since "nee-san" or "onee-sama" both also mean "yes!" .

Which reminds me I have to find a new nee-chan

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

Yeah, please, first cousin is like a brother or sister. No way I'll go for that


Thing is, it never actually crossed my mind till my mom called me up the other day to tell me it's a good idea. But indeed, getting together with a first cousin is almost no different than getting together with your brother or sister, not to mention that first cousins are much more likely to live close together than second or third cousins. Truth be told, I'm not against the idea, but at the same time, I don't think it's something I want to pursue. If there's any hesitation on my part to date my cousin, it's more to do with the fact that we've known each other since we were practically babies, and the fact that our respective families have known each other for much longer than that (speaking as if they were separate families when they inherently aren't), which is the other thing that makes me uncomfortable. If things go awry between us, I can already imagine the implications so all in all, I'd rather date someone else, even if I haven't got my eye on anyone.

Yeah, but a fair amount of the time you don't live right next to your cousins. For instance most of my caousins live quite far away, and occasionally I find one of them attractive. However I could see why you wouldn't want to date a cousin you grew up with, that's all kinds of messed up.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

Yeah, but a fair amount of the time you don't live right next to your cousins. For instance most of my caousins live quite far away, and occasionally I find one of them attractive. However I could see why you wouldn't want to date a cousin you grew up with, that's all kinds of messed up.

To be fair, it's not as if I actually grew up right next to them, we live quite far away from each other actually, and that's coupled with the fact I've been oversead most of my life. It's just that we've known each other for so long (like I said, ever since we were babies) as part of the same family that at least on my end, it's not something I'd be particularly keen on.

[HasuMasu]

hhmm, this interests, and confuses me somewhat

what exactly do you mean by "first, second, third..." cousin?

as for dating, i'm not sure, i mean, very few of them even live in the same country i do, and practically none of them even look remotely similar to me

still, knowing that you're related to them is...yeah

although,

i've always wanted an "onee-chan" if you know what i mean

and i certainly wouldn't say no to "...nii-san"