this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2026
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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
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- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
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Wait, are you calling for a genocide of all people with inherited, terminal syndromes? Are you serious? What about CRISPR?
If the gene is one that allows psychopathy, inherent greed, and lack of empathy, then yes.
Oh, I thought you were referring to physical disabilities, like all Down-syndrome people, etc.
Well, I've never read of a sociopath who had said, "I was raised in a normal family." I thought this was a really interesting read:
- https://scienceinsights.org/is-sociopathy-genetic-nature-nurture-and-the-brain/
God no.
Exceptional people can be exceptional. My daughter is thrice exceptional (asd, ADHD, gifted). I would never advocate the elimination of people born with physical disabilities. They are some of the best and most resilient people if not tainted by the environment.
My issue is the ruling class and psychopathy that has been passed along since well before 5000 BC. The ruling class has never been fully purged in all aspects except very close during the French Revolution and the Bolshevik revolution.
Both of those failed long term because of usurpers like Robespierre (psycho) and Stalin (false revolutionary).
There is no evidence that psychopathy is determined by a gene.
Like most human traits, the environment makes a bigger impact on outcomes.
Until we as a society/species stop rewarding psychopathy , things will keep ending up here.
Genetics are irrelevant.
However I do agree that capitalism cannot work.
It is inevitable destruction.
Also pretty sure capitalism wasn't the structure during French revolution. Wasn't it serfdom ?
I mean. That's almost the same. But yeah.
We need to stay fully objective here and acknowledge that @devolution@lemmy.world is at least partly correct:
Denser reading:
I didn't know this until now myself (I've seen the above article earlier but must have skimmed through it long ago and missed or forgot all that). However, there's also a lot about the environment further exposing or shutting down sociopathic tendencies, as I noted in another comment here. It could be more difficult to round up these people (who are masters at lying anyway) versus enacting your systemwide proposal to forcefully integrate empathy through all levels of society. The problem is applying it to the highest echelons where it matters most—and, frankly, who @devolution@lemmy.world's proposed guillotine should apply to the most either way; they'd both be hard to do... maybe together?
Psychopathy is a combination of genetics and environmental factors. Genetics does not cause this condition. You can have the genes associated with higher prevalence but that does not mean you will have it.
This is why eugenics for behavioral or personality factors is irrelevant.
Also these are not necessarily hereditary but likely are common mutations that will persist in the gene pool regardless if current people with said gene are sterilized.
Genetic research, not to sound pretentious, is largely misunderstood.
When a study says genetics are 30%. It means genetics account for 30% of the variance.
The variance is not "effect". Or how much a gene contributed to the trait.
It's a bit more complicated. But to make a simple example.
Let's think of height.
Let's say someone has a gene(s) for being tall.
But the person grew up malnourished. It doesnt matter, the kid won't be tall. But will the kid be taller than other malnourished kids with out the gene. ? Probably. But it's hard to say by how much.
Will the kid be taller than other kids that werent malnourished.
Maybe. Maybe not.
If extreme malnourished, the answer is no.
Ultimately the environment determines how much effect a gene(s) can determine a trait.
That's why you can't measure a general effect % from a gene(s).
Instead we measure how much variation in a group of people with a given trait is predicted by a gene.
"The wiggle room". A gene is best thought of as the limits of a trait. Each extreme.
When it's in optimal environment to be expressed and when it's in the most restricted environment to be expressed.
Even in average environments, genetics still usually doesn't account for more that 30-40% of the variance for people who score within 1 standard deviation of the mean/average of a trait. And that number declines the farther you get from the mean.
And also most genetics don't score that high. Very few are as high as 30%.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_variance
Interesting, thanks for the enlightenment! I have admittedly not delved into it this much before...
Many people/news outlets present genetic data as "effects" or as percentage of a trait.
Like if someone scored 80% on a trait, people say genes determined 30% of that score.
Which is incorrect. But this interpretation is pushed all the time. I see it a lot with intelligence IQ score. Yes intelligence is genetic but only 30% of variability is predicted by genetics.
And if you think about it. That's only for people with an IQ of 70 to 130 (1 standard deviation).
For the really smart people and the really dumb people, genetics has a lower ability to predict variance.
The reason genes aren't as predictive as you would think they would be , is just like my example of height.
If the environment doesn't allow for potential to be fulfilled, it won't be.
Human development has what's called "sensitive periods" . Where if some function isn't learned by that age, it likely will never be mastered. Because the brain does a lot of pruning at young age. If you aren't using it, you lose it. This is why learning a second language is hard as an adult and easy as a child.
So taking that into account. You can see how limited genetics are for determining an outcome of a random child.
It certainly has an impact. But it is limited by the environment.
How many amazing geniuses are born every day in 3rd world countries that have the potential to solve big world problems who will never reach that level because the stimulation they need to reach that potential is unavailable to them?
Hmm, true. This all immediately brings back an old quote I hadn't thought of in a while, but now do remember: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/99345-i-am-somehow-less-interested-in-the-weight-and-convolutions
It's a good quote and exactly my sentiment. Thanks for sharing
If your argument is nature vs nurture, then all the more reason for a mass culling.
No. The environment has to be changed.
We can stop promoting the wrong people.
We can have harsh penalties for lying. Exploitation
In the Netherlands, any company found to be un ethical business are barred from getting government contracts.
Also companies with better employee benefits, unions, and pay are prioritized for government contracts.
That's how to combat the problem.
But in the u.s and most of the world. The most ruthless gets the contact. The one that lies the most. Defrauds. Exploits. They get the contacts for decades.
Most of musk's and palantir money is from u.s tax payers.
The wrong people need to be eliminated. You're too idealistic. We're beyond voting them out.
The system creates these bad people.
You have to stop the cause.
It's not genetics.
Just look at Vivian Musk. Nothing like her father.