The less intelligent have more kids- is humanity's overall intelligence going to decline over time?

Question

Your thoughts on this?

Answer 1

There's no real evidence that intelligence is genetic.  In fact, if two highly intelligent people have a child, it's statically likely to be less intelligent than the parents.  The biggest factor seems to be education and a desire for education and learning.  There are plenty of cases of highly intelligent parents having average children (look at Albert Einstein's lineage - no more geniuses like him) while uneducated parents can have spectacularly gifted children (Clarence Thomas, for example).  Natural intelligence can give someone an advantage, but if they are unmotivated then it really doesn't help.  Someone who is less intelligent but highly motivated is more likely to succeed at life.

It's more important to improve education than to worry about the gene pool.  There will always be people with varying degrees of intelligence, and the important thing is to use education to augment that and help people to succeed.

Answer 2

Yes.

And I'm scared.

The sad part is that high intelligence is what made idiots able to have and raise so many children possible.

Answer 3

only if you beleive intelligence is genetic... many psychologists dont. many (and i agree) think that it is a mix of genetics and your environment ("nature" and "nurture") that determines how intelligent a person is.

plus, i don't think that people who are "less intelligent" have more kids... statistics show that people who are more educated have fewer kids... but that doesn't mean they are necessarily more intelligent...

Answer 4

Depends. That would mean that at some point the intelligent and unintelligent would have to start interbreeding. I heard somewhere that in the distant future the human race is going to split into two types: the 'haves' who are tall, good-looking, smart and athletic and the 'have-nots' who are, well the opposite. Like the morlocks and eloi.

I think intelligence here is being defined as natural ability, but even if it does refer to 'educated' it comes down to the same thing. IQ is strongly hereditary, and people with high IQs generally tend to aim for more professional careers, and therefore get more education.

Answer 5

Do you actually mean the less intelligent or the UNEDUCATED?

There is a difference you know.

Intelligence has nothing to do with child bearing. I have seen people who are book smart (considered geniuses) have kids and their kids not be smart at all . I have seen people who are not good at reading, science, math, etc, have really smart kids (considered geniuses).

It is proven that less educated people with lower incomes tend to have more children.

As a whole, I believe that humans are becoming smarter. This may have something to do with more people being educated. Education is the key to improving many areas of life.

However, there is another factor called common sense. Many people from all walks of life lack this. This makes people seem unintelligent.

Answer 6

Wouldnt worry about it.

Answer 7

court: erm... so it IS genetic then?

The question asker is quite right though. The most intelligent people work hard all day for low rewards, can barely afford a house, never mind to get married and have kids.

While the thickos live in council estates paid for by everyone else, bringing up huge numbers of genetically inferior sprogs badly.

Survival of the weakest indeed.

Answer 8

There is a tendency there, but it is not a certainty. Intelligence, being primarily genetically determined, leads to the supposition that less intelligent parents will tend to produce less intelligent offspring; but, as I say there are many variables in the equation. More important, surely, is the tendency of impoverished peoples to breed like flies. Hence the question: should we give food aid to these people so that their children and grand-children may starve, or should nature be allowed to take its course.