Still want to have a baby?
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A very nice video. But the reason I may not have children is more to do with the fact. I can't help but feel the world is not getting better. And Idealism counts for so little anymore. I can't fathom bringing someone into the hell that is this life. And its issues like the video your post that add to that.
Free Mind
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Indeed, I could think of many many reasons not to have a child...For my own benefit, theirs, other peoples and the planet.
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From what I've seen study wise (I can't find the study at the moment) yes that is exactly what has happened the average IQ has dropped over the years.
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I think that's a possibility. But I think it's more a problem that 'intelligent' people don't run for office. Even if the more intelligent people had children- they'd still have to put up with their children being raised in a dumbed down school system mired in "the blame game" mentality.
So - while I'd agree with you at first glance - I think it's more complicated than that.
Why don't educated people run for office?
Free Mind
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Almost everyone who runs for office is quite educated. Most people who do run for office are quite intelligent individuals and are well educated. Almost all of them start off as more or less regular people with high lofty ambitions on what they want to do. It's just very hard to work within the system and make an impact that most people in society will feel and apprechiate as benificial and useful.
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Most everyone, short of mental disabilities, has the same chance to be "intelligent." Some people excel naturally at certain things, but in general we all have the same tools and abilities at birth. It all depends on education and environment, in my opinion. Given the opportunities, a lot of these 'less intelligent' children could excel and be 'intelligent.'
I don't exactly understand why if one group of people started having few babies, another group of people would pick up the figurative slack. If one group of people stopped having babies, wouldn't we have fewer babies, but a greater ratio of the second group that continued to have babies?
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I remember when the population reached 6 billion. It feels rather surreal that we've seen one-seventh of all-time world population growth happen in little more than a decade.
On another note, I find it irritating that NG is putting emphasis on how small a space the world's population could fit into, without bothering to explain how irrelevant that is. They're touting a mere fun fact as if it should be taken to mean something about our use of land and resources. Stats like that are fun to know, but they are also abused by anti-environmentalist groups who insist that we should "go forth and multiply" and quit worrying about preserving ecosystems. There's a lot of land area out there, but not a lot of it is suitable for agriculture and human occupation.
On another note, I find it irritating that NG is putting emphasis on how small a space the world's population could fit into, without bothering to explain how irrelevant that is. They're touting a mere fun fact as if it should be taken to mean something about our use of land and resources. Stats like that are fun to know, but they are also abused by anti-environmentalist groups who insist that we should "go forth and multiply" and quit worrying about preserving ecosystems. There's a lot of land area out there, but not a lot of it is suitable for agriculture and human occupation.
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Could you define run for office a bit?
EDIT: And thanks for the reply.
Run for a governmental office position - as in the US system of Representatives, Senators, Governors, Mayors, School Board trustees, etc.
I think the current method of getting voted into office requires a person that is likeable, and desires power.
Most intelligent people don't desire power, and are not liked by the masses very much. Hence they would have trouble getting elected (in this country) even if they had the desire to run.
I also agree with [MENTION=630]Blind Bandit[/MENTION] in that I didn't want to bring a child into a world that was going to be very difficult to thrive and prosper in. That was a consideration in my not having any children.
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Yes - you are right about them being well educated. But don't you think that's not necessarily equal to "intelligent"?
And you're also right in that they seem to want to be of benefit to the country. But dang -it I've been here a long time and it hasn't gotten any better....
Just worse.
So - I see no correlation between well educated and beneficial for this country.
Nixie
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In any military based revolution/coup the intellectuals get killed first, so throughout the ages, intelligent people have been killed off in various societies. You would have to study the after effects of such an event to determine if your theory that less intelligent people would be the result.
Also the theory that intelligence is strictly a breeding trait is highly doubtful. While it would be easier if a child had educated parents for them to receive a quality education--it isn't the only factor in determining intelligence. If you are speaking of genius level kind of intelligence, I think that is based more on their inborn ability to process information into useable data at a faster rate than those rated at normal intelligence. Other children have the capacity to learn this process with just as much accuracy if determined to develop the skills or pushed to do so by their parents.
Of course, this doesn't take into account that intelligence isn't really a determining factor in effecting change within any society. Many other characteristics play a much more important role in becoming a polarizing influence like charisma. Ceasar Chavez comes to mind.
As for politicians. In any political organization based upon democracy the ideal is to do what is best for the group as a whole with a group consensus approach which takes time and becomes difficult to navigate, requiring a lot of compromise (which also takes time).
Also the theory that intelligence is strictly a breeding trait is highly doubtful. While it would be easier if a child had educated parents for them to receive a quality education--it isn't the only factor in determining intelligence. If you are speaking of genius level kind of intelligence, I think that is based more on their inborn ability to process information into useable data at a faster rate than those rated at normal intelligence. Other children have the capacity to learn this process with just as much accuracy if determined to develop the skills or pushed to do so by their parents.
Of course, this doesn't take into account that intelligence isn't really a determining factor in effecting change within any society. Many other characteristics play a much more important role in becoming a polarizing influence like charisma. Ceasar Chavez comes to mind.
As for politicians. In any political organization based upon democracy the ideal is to do what is best for the group as a whole with a group consensus approach which takes time and becomes difficult to navigate, requiring a lot of compromise (which also takes time).
DrShephard
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Strange - that chart in the film made it look like we're starting to hit our maximum capacity, ending in an asymptote. I didn't think we were anywhere near that point. Interesting!
I don't want children. A lot of people say that in their youth though... perhaps it will change! Perhaps not, however.
This video is also pertinent to the subject:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_RaPOOVX1Y"]YouTube - How is Babby Formed?[/ame]
I don't want children. A lot of people say that in their youth though... perhaps it will change! Perhaps not, however.
This video is also pertinent to the subject:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_RaPOOVX1Y"]YouTube - How is Babby Formed?[/ame]
Free Mind
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@DrShephard What the heck was that video... 
Yeah people do say they don't want kids in their youth, and it takes some drive to really mean what they say and follow through on it. I for 1, can be pretty much 100% sure I don't want a kid.
Yeah people do say they don't want kids in their youth, and it takes some drive to really mean what they say and follow through on it. I for 1, can be pretty much 100% sure I don't want a kid.
DrShephard
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I'll tell you what it was: It was better than watching a birth on film like I had to do in middle school. 
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I don't believe that kids are born smart or dumb. Contrasting abilities, yes, but your upbringing does a lot to influence your use of abilities. A kid born into a poor family with little education isn't stupid by nature. Given the proper opportunities they could make use of the tools and abilities inherent in all of us.
These "less intelligent" people generally come from poor backgrounds with little effective education.