Abstract
This article addresses a much misunderstood and perhaps underestimated polemic. For some of the “post-war babies” and “children of the 1960s,” the popular norms for sexual expression have taken on an increasingly multidimensional perspective. Currently many are tending to embrace an enlightened, goal directed eroticism, while others idealize sexual abstinence. This latter group has chosen celibacy as a response to our culturally widespread sexual performance pressures. We have concluded that secular celibacy is related to sexual performance expectations. These expectations may result in a withdrawal from sexual activity, a condition we have labeled sexual burnout. As such, we see celibacy as a rational, even therapeutic choice for individuals experiencing burnout.