There is little that need be written on this subject, not because it is
devoid of interest, but because it raises no vital sex problem.
The number of sexless people is small, though apparently increasing. It
may be questioned whether there are any really sexless people--individuals,
i.e. whose sex-nature is non-existent. Probably in most of these cases
sex, for some reason or other, is there, dormant but positive. But it is
convenient so to classify those in whom, for some reason, the sex-force
has never yet been stirred.
It must be remembered that this class is quite distinct from the religious
celibate. The celibate has all the sexual ardour for his religious or
humanitarian devotion. The sexless man or woman is cold, intellectually
aloof, and generally critical.
There are only two considerations calling for remarks on this interesting
psychological problem. The first is that we must not allow the great body
of normal opinion to label such people as unnatural, and as having no part
to play in the community. They have, on the contrary, an important role.
Their intellectual ability is in itself a great asset, particularly in
abstract and critical directions. And in all sex questions they should,
and frequently have, an impartial outlook, for the very reason that they
can view sex from a detached standpoint.
But, conversely--and this is the second consideration--they possess the
immoral tendency of regarding sex with abhorrence, especially when they
confuse sex with mere physical expression. In extreme cases the sexless
individual has been known even to faint or exhibit symptoms of nausea at
the chance touch of a woman. This is obviously to magnify the physical
side out of all clean proportion. And probably such cases show themselves
to be the result of artificial repression and consequent complex. It may
be argued from this that all deviations from the normal are the results of
repression. But, as we have seen, the difference between natural and
unnatural is comparative, and most of our nature is built up, in the first
instance, by early exterior influences.