Theory on evolution
I believe that genes for autism have always been around. I think when life was simpler, such as in hunter gatherer society, it may not have been as much of a problem. Societies were smaller and people stayed near their family units anyway. Someone who was good at skilled work or hunting would have been tolerated even if they didnt fit into the tribe so well socially. They would have also been protected by their family group.
But now our society is more socially complex so I think it is harder and people with autistic traits stand out more. Also people are expected to move away from their families to become an adult. In more traditional societies, a child's parents pretty much arrange their adult life: the arranged marriage, the family business... now that isnt happening anymore guess who stands out like a sore thumb.
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Taking a break.
DentArthurDent
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Joined: 26 Jul 2008
Age: 59
Gender: Male
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Location: Victoria, Australia
With regard to ASD persisting under natural selection, I would have thought it is obvious that natural selection is a slow process, and somewhat imperfect. We really do not know if the numbers of Autistic's is on the rise or the decline. On the face of it it would appear that ASD is on the rise, but this is only measured by the increased number of diagnosed. This is not an indicator that actual incidence is on the rise it just means that our metal health systems have caught up with the issue.
Humanity also has, in a way, screwed with natural selection. Unlike many animals we do not have a dominant male who has a harem of females attracted to his prowess, and unlike other animals who mate for life we have cultural and political, issues getting in the way of true natural selection. Then of course I do not know of any other species who send all the males off to tear each other to shreds in massive conflagrations, again leaving less choice for natural selection.
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"Religion is the impotence of the human mind to deal with occurrences it cannot understand" Karl Marx
Heh. Chimps do that, actually.
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In what might be the latest response to a bunch of responses of all time, I appreciate what's been said in response to my half-baked pseudoscience. Lots of lovely discussion about lovely things.
Retracting the "theory". It's not as good as I thought it was, and I thank you all for pointing that out.
I won't bother with the other outlandish, self-contradictory, and outright false claims in your post. It suffices to say that Aspies most certainly do not represent the "next stage" in human evolution.
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Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.