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Wonderful explanation from experience using tools as a method. Have taught folks to do various tasks, some complex some simple, seems there is a incoming mind set of some that inhibits the absorption of information. If they can wipe the chalkboard clean for this particular task they learn (most of them). Its the ones with some sort of internal struggle to be contrary, why this is set like cement, have not figured that out yet. You could teach me to trade anytime' Always wanted to know that

Enjoy your thought process' Most of the time I also think too much and from experience keep most to myself. From doing this,I tend to compile, formulating into the most concise use of words. Take there 'tailgaters' when there are 25 or more cars in front of you, yet this driver is tailgating, causing themselves a panic situation, self induced tension. They pass only to tailgate the next person. Assessing the variables have compiled to 'Selfish-Impatient-Distracted'. Do you think this is close to the mind set the drivers are displaying?

Thank you PL for your thoughts. One reason I suspect that genetics has more impact than you suggest is simply based on simple observations of kids. It has amazed me how certain traits, ie. attention to detail, calmness during stressful times, can be expressed in alternating generations. My middle son is almost a carbon copy of my late father in law. He rarely saw him growing up, (900 mile drive) but he is definitely his grandson. I am not saying genetics is it, but rather a powerful aspect.

I don't know why you were marked down. I've put it back because your statement is a fine, concise capturing of the essence of how humans learn.
Genetics--the "selfish gene"--is the blueprint for the physical body, the hardware of life. It includes what metaphorically is the human computer's operating system—a brain with the capacity to absorb and integrate received sensory input. The input—the memes, the matrix of energy that constitutes a being’s received impressions, sensory data, experiental awareness—from day 1 of its life goes to build a being’s knowledge base, value appraisal, even personality.

The genes only determine how the machinery receives and processes the data. The genes alone cannot, however, affect the way the environment influences the mental, psychological and psycho-epistemological development of an individual. That is in the purview of the memes. Memes have a gravitational force of their own as to which ideas and values are most self-assertive and take control over an individual's mind. They may even try to subvert an individual’s power of Reason.
Whether an individual becomes independent or desirous of communal homogeneity depends on which memes gain ascendancy from parents, teachers and received knowledge. It is said that by age 5 a child has learned everything it will ever need for societal coexistence. The parents will instill obedience, getting along, cooperating, doing what others want—all the social graces that require an individual to suppress ego, whims, instant gratification, even self-serving desires, as a trade-off for survival. So it’s the memes, not the genes, that build philosophical thought.

And it takes volitional consciousness—Reason and objectivity—to choose and internalize rational values that will eliminate emotional conflicts and contradictions, since memes operate on the emotional side of the human psyche to maintain their control. The problem is that not everyone can turn on their volition with the practiced ease of an Ayn Rand. We could say that volition—free will—is a special kind of meme, a “meta-meme”, that can be turned on by the example, guidance and inspiration of those who have it.

What the genes provide is an “app” for perceiving reality. Beyond that it takes human software--a process of critical thought, abstract reasoning--to validate the hodgepodge of received impressions and competing values. And some memes, like religious beliefs, have an iron-clad defense against being deleted or modified. They are well compared to viruses, which are invaders, not protectors, of the system.

your right' but its the parents responsibility not the schools, in fact the schools have become an indoctrinational system teaching communisim. In the genes refers to the parents and how they have been brainwashed and self absorbed

Knowledge is either possible to man, or it is not.
If it is not, there is no point in discussing anything.
If it is, it is silly to attribute one's knowledge to
genetics, or to claim "inborn ideas" or anything of
that sort. Leonard Peikoff deals clearly with the
idea of "polylogism" in his book The Ominous
Parellels.

I think I have a headache now. Must be a brain function

Is rational thinking not a brain function? A function which, though very complex, based on physics, chemistry, biologic hierarchies that having ancient origins influences on the brain's structure results eventually into a subjective categorization that can't be physically measured called philosophical thought.

It's amazing to me that this country (USA) had its government developers using the radical philosophy that gave the idealist vision of human rights under the law that brooked no distinction between class, race, creed, or sex. Spinoza and John Locke. IMO, this foreshadows Rand's objectivism putting so much emphasis on individual equality of opportunity to reap what is sowed as the highest morality of responsibility to self giving the highest regard for others with objectivist ideals.

What is the base theory upon which you interpret your facts? Neurology is what I'm figuring is the base. I'm not thinking you will say your base is philosophical thought as I've never heard of how that is measured, in what units, or by what calibrated means and calibrated to what? So it must be genetics which is where my base theory finds its origins thru time binding of behaviors in the architectural structure and properties of the brain. If I'm warm with what you are meaning as "fact" which I think should be based on physics ultimately, then chemistry, then biology and up thru behavior then I'm interested either in confirmation of my vision of your thinking or invalidation of it with justification either way.

Be clear that I am no fan of the paradigm of evolutionary psychology but am in seeing value in the researchers gathering of data. Seems you find the correlation of data is being done thru philosophical guided correlations influenced by evolved genetics. The challenge is finding the system of organizing behaviors with the most pragmatic value to our battle against PSED (Pain, Suffering, and Early Death.)

Without the genetically created brain there would be NO thought at all. But your "submitting to the collective as a survival technique" question I'd put in the caterofy in which evolutionary psychologists work or rather struggle to relate specifics of the DNA alleles to the behavior you are speaking about.

"Evolutionary psychology is a theoretical approach to psychology that attempts to explain useful mental and psychological traits—such as memory, perception, or language—as adaptations, i.e., as the functional products of natural selection." ~ https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/ev...

Kids learn what they live...Generational stupidity has taken us this far....

All cognitive functions are affected by genetics as well as environmental triggers and influences. We talk a lot about reason being volitional, and it is for those that can and will, but there are multitudes of human kind that can't.

The fact is that all humans are not born equal and continued support of them only makes it worse for those that have the abilities to reason. Either someone that can and will reason has to support them or the gov't has to, by stealing from the rest of us.

But the altruists, the religionists, and the subjectivist amongst us will continue to say, 'Oh, for the children.'

Collectivism has failed several times for humans since their appearance on Earth depending on what conditions were and how Homo sapiens sapiens was able to survive as a subspecies. Built in is a tendency toward being a social animal and the ability for reason, language, and eventually conceptual thought about the natural world. That makes a human brain a universal bio-computer which can create philosophies and religions depending upon the previous discoveries or lack of discoveries about nature. Since it needs to recognize relationships and patterns to survive, it can produce mathematics which studies relationships and methods of measuring, categorizing, and presenting them to other minds.
I would say that genes have little to do with it other than producing protein for biochemistry of the body. The rest is just luck of being there when some good idea or discovery comes along.
Collectively it takes centuries and millions of humans to have enough discovery just to learn to feed everyone enough for survival of enough people to keep off extinction. Probably trillions of discoveries had to be made just to get to today with billions of humans surviving fairly easily.
The only apparent gene driven collectivism is the social animal from evolutionary actions.

More and more, I fear you are right. Student test scores are falling, IQ is dropping, how can we expect reasoned actions? Today I read an article about Millennials being the best educated group, yet they live at home. College has become the new high school, where brainwashing is more important than academics. How do you turn that around?

Intelligence is partly genetic. I suspect an element of inquisitiveness is as well. Both are necessary for a philosophic basis outside various cultural dogma. Therefore, some portion is in the genes. No assertion as to the proportion. No question upbringing and surroundings are a huge factor. Even more a factor in the less intelligent and inquisitive.

You are making my day😂

Either way I don't see us pulling out of this nosedive.

So the more people on the planet the less share of the collective intelligence is given to each individual... In the future mankind will be a dumb as rocks. :) cute

the nurture vs nature quandary...i have had 68 years to observe and think about it...conclusion....we are all wired differently...

i was an instructor pilot in the Air Force, then American Airlines...40 years experience...

i also teach students how to trade the stock market...

...and i am left-handed, but was taught to bat right-handed and golf right-handed...while i throw left-handed...

do i think better due to an genetic disposition...let me say what i have learned...

i can show a stock chart to 100 potential traders...and the outcome looks very similar to a bell curve regression analysis...in short...the middle can learn to trade successfully if they develop a trading plan and have the discipline to follow it...the bottom 5% cannot seem to recognize patterns and trade successfully...the top 5% get it right away and are successful most of the time...they "see" the trades immediately...i have questioned them as to what or how they "see" it and they cannot tell me...it just makes sense to them...(i am not one of the top 5%, but have the discipline to follow a checklist - hence why i survived 40 years of cheating death as my takeoffs still equal my landings)...

i also choose to be a pilot due to my desire to fly and my left-handedness...it is a right-handed world and we lefties live shorter lives...on average 5-7 years less...a captain flies from the left seat and the throttles are in the center of the cockpit and the yoke is handled by the left hand by the captain and the other yoke on the right side is handled by the right hand by the co-pilot...i definitely flew better in the left seat, but was competent from the right seat as well...possibly from being taught to bat and golf right-handed???...

in the military there were two primary training jets...the T-37 and the T-38...

the T-37 is a side-by-side...with the student in the left seat and the instructor in the right...

the T-38 is a front/back dual cockpit with the throttles on the left side and the yoke in the center...so you ended up flying with your right hand...front or back...

as a student you spend 6 months in the T-37, followed by 6 months in the T-38...if you mastered both airplanes you moved on to fighters, cargo, bombers, or whatever...

out of a class of 72, i finished the T-37 at the top of the class...i fell to 12th at the end of the T-38 phase of training...

in time, i learned to fly extremely well from either seat in the military or civilian aircraft...and so far i have avoided the right-handed world bias and stay alive...

i like the nurture vs nature side of the argument, but have learned how to apply myself to any and all situations in the classroom and how to walk without drooling...i have always been perplexed with talking with others who just do not "see" the futility of the "god"argument...why do i "get it" right away and it makes perfect sense to me...and others cannot ...???

There is evidence that the total available amount of intelligence on the planet is a limited quantity, yet the population continues to grow. :)

I think it has to be in part years of brainwahsing via government schools, who push entitlement and actually weaken children. They become paarents and set the same example they learned. Then they have endless agencies who must save people to ensure their continued budgets. Politicians must have sheep to give handouts to in return for votes. Our country hs been infiltrated by socialists and communists, goig back to the 50s and 60s who predicted they would crush us from within. We fell for Earth Day, which ironically is Vladimir Lenin's birthday, think they didn't laugh at that stupidity? NO, I think it is not genetics, but terminal falling IQ.