Do stupid people have more children? What are the implications?

by AlmostAtheist 55 Replies latest jw friends

  • AlmostAtheist
    AlmostAtheist

    No offense to those with large families (and no compliment to those with small ones), this is a thread speaking of averages and groups, not specific people and families. Your mileage may vary. Dealer participation will affect consumer cost. Not all cars for use in all sets.

    Do you get the impression that stupid people breed more often than intelligent people? I do. It seems that the more children you see in a family, the more likely you are to find some cow-eyed woman and idiotic-looking man running the show. Little education, low-income. This is only the impression I've gotten, I don't have any facts to back it up. (Which is why I bring it up for discussion)

    What is your impression? What have you seen? And do you know of any studies supporting or destroying this idea?

    Let's assume for a minute that it's true. What are the implications of this? Let's say that two intelligent, well-educated people have two children and two idiots have six. The six will grow up raised by the idiots, they will have their mentality, views of the world, and views on having children. They will likely grow up, marry six idiots, and produce another 36 idiots. Meanwhile, our intelligent folks are going to raise two smart kids that grow up, marry two intelligent people and produce another 4 intelligent people. How long would it be before the idiots are an uncontrollable throng of doltishness that can no longer be supported by the economy?

    This is assuming idiot parents have idiot children which is clearly not always true. It is also assuming intelligent parents raise intelligent children; also false. Moreover, it classes everyone into "idiot" or "intelligent" groups, when there are all manner of grays in there. But even if you gray it all around and account for individual choice, if the idiots procreate more than the non-idiots, you'll get more idiots overall. Right?

    That sounds bad to me. Is it? Or am I just WAY off in left field somewhere?

    Dave

  • alreadygone
    alreadygone

    How many brothers and sisters do you have?

  • AlmostAtheist
    AlmostAtheist
    How many brothers and sisters do you have?

    If my theory had any merit at all, I'd have hundreds! But alas, I have none. And two kids of my own. Dave

  • Crumpet
    Crumpet

    I feel embarrassed to say this , but I do think that people who have lots of children are idiots. In this country we have a welfare system exploited by many. Only yesterday I read of a couple trying for their 16th - needless to say neither of them works.

    I have also felt that anyone who has kids, any at all, is a bit selfish and stupid, but thats probably my warped view. I feel one of my personal contributions to the earth and society is not inflicting it with more foundlings.

  • alreadygone
    alreadygone
    This is assuming idiot parents have idiot children which is clearly not always true. It is also assuming intelligent parents raise intelligent children; also false.

    I think that statement says it all. I don't think this is an accurately quantifiable scenario.

    As for intelligence in relation to birth control, you may have a more probable argument. I like to believe my husband and I are quite intelligent and we have made a conscience decision to have a large family (we have 3 children and plan to have at least one more) and I know we are not alone in this decision. My cousin and her husband have also made that same decision (they have 5 children) and they are both highly intelligent.

    Edited to add - Both my husband (Army) and I (Government) work full time. No one else is supporting our decision to have children. Thank you very much.

  • Finally-Free
    Finally-Free

    I don't have any children. I guess that makes me a genius.

    W

  • doogie
    doogie

    shameless plug...

    it's amazing how far some people take this idea...

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/92135/1.ashx

  • AlmostAtheist
    AlmostAtheist
    I like to believe my husband and I are quite intelligent and we have made a conscience decision to have a large family (we have 3 children and plan to have at least one more) and I know we are not alone in this decision. My cousin and her husband have also made that same decision (they have 5 children) and they are both highly intelligent.

    Hmmm... I would assume that you feel you have the financial means to care for a large family.

    And you also used an interesting expression "conscience decision to have a large family".

    Do the stupid people with large families that I've been exposed to have them because they decided to, or because they failed to decide not to?

    Me thinks this is a much more complicated question than the subject suggests...

    Thanks for your input so far!

    Dave

  • AlmostAtheist
    AlmostAtheist
    I guess that makes me a genius.

    I don't think that was EVER in question!

  • Crumpet
    Crumpet

    almostatheist - do u have any kids yourself? would you?

    I just think its the ultimate egotrip. You must feel desperately special to believe you are good enough to replicate yourself.

    I don't.

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