It is very discomforting for me to discuss genetic inheritance. Most people believe that high intelligence parents will have high intelligence children because intelligence is genetically embedded.
Intelligence isn’t embedded in genes because it can’t be. The reason is simple. ‘Intelligence’ can’t be clearly enough identified for a large population to use breeding selection to produce the qualities of ‘intelligence’ over many generations.
Therefore, like random breeding in apples and dogs, each generation of new humans is born with the same random genes and behavior that are found in the general population. To say this about my own children and grandchildren is difficult, but I do.
That leaves ‘intelligence’ as a purely cultural characteristic, which it isn’t. Many intelligent couples have kids who aren’t. But it might be a small part cultural.
I would like to suggest that there is a parental selection process that explains the outcomes we see around us.
Each new child comes with an array of behavioral characteristics that cover a wide range. Parents can select the characteristics they want to emphasize and the ones they want to de-emphasize.
Since we don’t know what constitutes intelligence it is not possible to reliably select the behaviors that will compound to create ‘intelligence’ in the adult. Much of it might be luck. Some of it might be cultural.
Japanese and Jews may have cultural parental patterns that encourage child-rearing behavior that responds well in many offspring and later shows up as intelligence.
I see a selection process at work here on top of random attributes. Parents encourage attributes they believe will generate positive adult behavior and discourage other attributes. Maybe some have to do with bed wetting, toilet training, cuddling, singing to the infant, bathing or god knows what else.
Selective reinforcement by parents, over a random array of infant behaviors, is my most likely explanation for intelligence in successive generations.
Is this an original idea of mine?