Genetic Endowment
A fortuitous happenstance for some, not many, and an unfortunate consequence for many. Just think about the things we value as genetic endowments, gifts from our ancestors. There are many gifts related purely to our accidents of birth, the handing down from one generation to another of physical characteristics, of personality types and of behavioural types. Let's not forget longevity, a proclivity to hearty good health, and native intelligence.
It's a fallacy that "all men are created equal" for much as we'd like to believe so, to even the playing field so to speak, we know it just isn't so. Some people appear to be born entrepreneurs, others scientists, still others musicians. Some people have more than their share of ambition and good fortune, or so it seems to those who have a paucity of either.
It's interesting the manner in which we apprehend the attributes we accept are part of "racial" characteristics. The use of the word race is always problematical since in purely practical terms there is but one race of humankind on this earth. With our small differences. Human observation is not entirely without merit, though, and what is a keen observational sense can end up in the comprehension of those lacking tolerance, pure caricature, dire libels.
It's interesting that we've now gone beyond political correctness in the science of human genetics so that where in the recent past it was perceived as just not right to plan research which would pinpoint differences between ethnic/tribal groups of individuals, since the Human Genome Project things have changed. Who can really doubt that orientals, east Indians, Jews, possess intelligence far in excess of other groups? Research, questionable as it may seem to some, seems to 'prove' what people have always observed. Concomitantly they are also observed to be finer musicians, in the classical sense. Obviously this doesn't mean that all orientals, east Indians and Jews are more intelligent than those among whom they live and work. Far from it; these better-endowed groups as a whole more resemble the average 'others' than do they represent a high order of intelligence across the board. The 'differences' can be that slight.
Groups of people such as blacks are gifted in ways that far surpass the abilities of others. Say, for example, in the field of athletics, popular music, theatre. And doesn't that sound like the old racial put-down? Horrible, in a way, because it can so easily be misunderstood. The fact is that these groups whose talents resulting from gene-endowment unique hand-downs complement one another. Human beings have a tendency to become interested or adept in very specific areas. We'd be a boring lot if all of us were similarly endowed with like interests and if we were monotonously and similarly able.
If we value or hold in higher esteem one human characteristic over another, as indeed we do, Nobel prizes among other awards representing our acknoweldgment in recognition of outstanding abilities, this does not have to mean others need feel inadequate in comparison, for we are as we are.
And as we are, we all have potential, some of which we can ourselves begin to meet, some of which can be expanded upon by the quality of our nurturing as infants, as young people being raised in a society respectful of differences and with a determination to offer an expansive learning environment to as many as express interest.
Whoa! doesn't this sound idealistic!
Fact is, there happens to be a majority of humankind that will always fill in the gaps, and they represent a valuable resource within any community. These are the plodders, those individuals who feel content to live with the currency of their expectations of themselves within their society. They may have missed opportunities for personal growth and understanding of the world at large, and most often with deliberate intent. Curiously enough, these people far from displaying any kind of high intelligence often are able, by a gift of marketplace acumen, to achieve their own kind of status and wealth.
On the other hand, anyone who has missed out on a prolonged formal, academic education who really is curious about the world, and harbours a subliminal urge to maximize their native intelligence can certainly do so, to their own credit and to the greater good of the society in which they live and work. A love of literacy can go a lone way toward self-education.
Appears to me that with education, acquired through academic exposure or self-guidance, people become more aware, more humane, more charitable human beings. They bring additional value to their lives through their self-perceived value of their lives. They enhance the communities in which they live in raising the general level of awareness that they are responsible not only for themselves but for the well being of those around them. A greater degree of responsibility, a desire to be a better human being, a willingness to give of oneself to any degree to better the situation of true unfortunates no matter where they live.
True measure of the human being can be seen in the acknowledgement that no person is an island on this sea of humanity.
And this little polemic is kind of sickening. Because, it seems to me, it can be read as a racist diatribe. And that's really frightening. It's hard to discuss something of this nature without seeming like a complete idiot, a hypocrite, totally insincere. I've got to try harder.
Guess I shouldn't forget the dregs of society. Those who are irredemiably anti-social, psychotic, self-haters. We've got them in great numbers, and don't know what the hell to do with them. That's another story.
posted by Pieface @ Friday, October 07, 2005
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