Re: POLL: When would you enhance your unborn child?

From: Dave Sill (extropians@dave.sill.org)
Date: Fri May 03 2002 - 09:17:17 MDT


Mike Lorrey <mlorrey@datamann.com> wrote:
> Dave Sill wrote:
> >
> > Mike Lorrey <mlorrey@datamann.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > [I] certainly disliked intensely the experiences I went through,
> > > I can also certainly say that I would much rather have the IQ I
> > > have than to be average/normal.
> >
> > Would you have made that choice at the time?
>
> If informed of the actual impact: ending my enjoyment of reading in
> preference for football, etc, I likely would have made the same choice.

But life doesn't work that way, does it? You can't tell with any
certainty the long-range impact of the actions you take. Sometimes
hardship makes one stronger but sometimes it just makes one suffer.

> > Because nobody can force an athlete to train. Sure, you force someone
> > to be there, and you could force them to go through the motions, but
> > you couldn't force them to put any effort into it.
>
> You obviously have no idea whatsoever what you are talking about.

And you obviously are an ass. Sheesh. Are you a parent, Mike? When you
were a child did you always do what your parents wanted to you to do?
I sure didn't.

> Kids who are put into extensive training from a young age grow to enjoy
> the activity. I'll be Tiger Shaw's dad can tell of thousands of times
> young Tiger didn't want to spend an entire afternoon at the driving
> range. A few cousins of mine were trained similarly to be figure
> skaters, and while they are now both professional skating coaches and
> love the sport, I can tell you plenty of stories about how much they
> "didn't have to train" as kids.

Yeah, but "forcing" a child to train is not in the same league as
inflicting illness on them.

> Whether they are capable of defending themselves now is exactly my own
> point... and disproves yours.

How so? What if their parents manipulations had driven them insane or
killed them?

> > Perhaps, but the question is whether you can or should decide to put
> > someone else through that without their consent.
>
> And when in the parent child relationship is the childs consent ever
> given significant weight with such prodigies?

I don't know...I haven't studied the subject that deeply. I do know
that many of these prodigies lived very troubled lives, though, and as
a parent, I wouldn't risk my children's happiness in an attempt to
"make them better".

-Dave



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