I think you're trying to complicate a fairly simple issue.

No one would compare the hurt feelings or loneliness of a loveless one-night-stand to the pain of a rancorous divorce.

Neither did I say casual sex was a bad thing. I've written at least 5 articles here about dating, and I always make a point of acknowledging that sex is fun, and that people don't have to be in a LTR to enjoy it.

The problem is, when one person wants a bit of human warmth--to feel less lonely for a little while--and the other only wants to scratch an itch, the lonely one is likely to wind up with bruised feelings.

And an increasing number of (mostly) women are writing about their disappointment in repeated brief encounters. The stories generally involve a partner who acted friendly and affectionate early but turned cold as soon as the sex was over.

So if you want sex with zero emotion, be up front about it. If that doesn't get you laid, well, that ought to tell you something, don't you think?