[jseliger]

People often talk down on sex, I've noticed. Why is that so?

I think it varies by age and by forum. Old people are probably less excited about sex than younger ones. In addition, HN and similar forums have a selection bias thing going on; people who really really like sex and have it as a focal point of their lives probably don't spend a lot of time here.

If you spend time here (I think the link is SFW, but if you have a very paranoid work wait): http://www.goodlookingloser.com you'll probably get a different impression.

I've also heard sex compared to water: If you're getting all you want, it's not very important-seeming or noticeable, but if you aren't, it rapidly becomes very important.

(There are of course ways sex isn't like water; you don't need to point them out in the responses.)