4 ms·

>nature functions on the basis of survival of the fittest. And we have to watch out for thinking that "fittest" implies "strongest". "Smartest" or "most deviou

• corimaith 2y ago
  The fittest are by definition those who reproduce the most. In our modern world, the "smartest" and "devious" are headed to a dead end with below replacement birth rates while the "dumb" rednecks and religious are set to eventually become the majority.
  • PhasmaFelis 2y ago
    The Idiocracy theory. The trouble is that the traits behind the birthrate differences you're observing aren't genetic but financial: it's not genetically "dumb" people who have more kids, it's poor people, and genetic lines that transition out of poverty generally see commensurate birthrate drops. If poor people were going to "outcompete" and wipe out rich people, it would have happened a long time ago. Also, "religious" have been steadily declining for a while, so that theory doesn't work out. (Of course, the idea that most bad behavior stems from religion, and everyone would be nice to each other without it, is another fallacy.)
    • deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
  • callmeal 2y ago
    as PhasmaFelis pointed out, it's not the "dumb" and "religious", it's poor people, and the reason is simple - children are a source of "mostly free" labor, as the capitalist class here has (re)discovered. https://fortune.com/2023/05/25/labor-shortage-child-teenage-republican-states-sarah-huckabee-sanders/ https://fortune.com/2023/05/25/labor-shortage-child-teenage-...
• cholantesh 2y ago
  As well as 'those who play well with others'.