this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2026
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Showerthoughts

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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.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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How quickly we accepted that it's normal to pay someone to go get our groceries for us. To drive us around when public transportation is available. To run errands for us. To bring us fast food.

Covid capitalized on it.

People don't want to give up that luxury now that they've had it. Even if it makes things cost 2x-3x as much.

Even when we all know its exploitive labor.

It's true delivery and driver services have been around for hundreds of years but now instead of companies with full time employees (with benefits) , the gig employee gets paid less while taking on risk that aren't compensated by the employer (car accidents, gas, car repairs, injury or attacks).

Gig work is a much worse thing than maybe a lot of people realize. And it's also making more people servants to others.

It's moving full time employees with benefits and using company property to no benefits and using their own property that they have to pay for.

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[–] daannii@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

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

[–] Mountainaire@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Interesting, thanks for the enlightenment! I have admittedly not delved into it this much before...

[–] daannii@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

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?

[–] Mountainaire@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] daannii@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

It's a good quote and exactly my sentiment. Thanks for sharing