this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2026
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[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (3 children)

It only bothers me when people are hung up on the genetics aspect.

People (broadly statistically) tend to grow up to be similar to thier parents in terms of values. Not so much because of DNA, but because of how they were raised.

The premise holds even if you toss away anything to do with biology. (Which you should)

Idiots tend to have idiot kids because they raised them in idiot households, and idiots tend to have more kids.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Overall people are getting smarter

"Idiots" tend to have smart kids

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Idiots tend to have idiot kids because they raised them in idiot households

Random people are usually way smarter than people give them credit. Idiots are an exception, though I have no idea how hey are distributed.

and idiots tend to have more kids

That's completely unfundamented idea that was created to support some racist movements. One would think that movie made a clear enough point to convince anybody this is bullshit...

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I'm maybe being unfair to say idiots are having more kids.

It is a growing case where people who score relatively higher in awareness of world events to choose not to have kids at all. Between the environment and, well, gestures broadly that group of people is choosing to not have kids.

Calling people idiots or not, that's overly broad. I understand that. There are material negative pressures felt by people who value understanding the state of the world, that are not felt by those who don't.

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yes, we have an anti-birth set of memes going around.

But people sharing your memes doesn't mean they are smarter.

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

I don't subscribe to the doomerism mentality and I think it's counter productive precisely because of the argument laid out in Idiocracy

But people sharing your memes doesn't mean they are smarter.

I went to great lengths in my previous point to say exactly that. Was that still unclear?

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Higher awareness of world events is not a genetic trait

That's where eugenics falls apart. It oversimplifies genetics and people and leads to genocide.

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

This is exactly why I explicitly said you should reject the explanation of genetics, even if learned behaviors have a tendency to be passed from primary caregivers to children.

[–] Sidyctism2@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

If you toss the eugenics, all thats left is an obvious spite against poor people. Because the "idiots" in the movie are just common caricatures of poor people

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's an interesting perspective.

In the "nature vs nurture" debate, I don't think I've heard anyone so emphatically proclaim: "Niether!"

[–] Sidyctism2@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Where do you see nature vs nurture in my comment?

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

The very first line. You are asserting that if you throw away a genetic argument (which in every single post I've made, you'll see that I am encouraging everyone to do) that "all that is left" is hating poor people. This dichotomy that you introduced leaves no third option of behaviors being transferred via concious or unconscious emulation of parental figures.