What are you talking about?! Uncritical use? Sam's using the term correctly. No one except Steve Sailer and Nick Land have ever used the phrase genetic lottery to imply that genetic traits are random and not inherited.
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Replying to @Sam_Dumitriu @s8mb and
I’m not saying he’s not using the term as it’s commonly used, but why is that a reason to not criticise the metaphor?
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Replying to @RyanKhurana @s8mb and
Because the metaphor makes perfect sense. You are lucky to have been born with good genetic traits. Just as lottery winners are lucky. This is simple stuff.
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Replying to @Sam_Dumitriu @RyanKhurana and
No metaphor that requires bizarre religious ideas to scan can be reasonably said to "make perfect sense". ...
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Replying to @Outsideness @RyanKhurana and
Are you serious? You don't need "bizarre religious ideals" to understand it. This is an extremely easy to grasp and widely-used concept. You are lucky to be endowed with good genetic traits. Just as you would be lucky to win the lottery.
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Replying to @Sam_Dumitriu @Outsideness and
I don’t get how it’s lucky without a counterfactual. Could I have been endowed with different genetic traits and still been myself?
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Replying to @RyanKhurana @Outsideness and
Can you not imagine a counterfactual where you were taller?
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Replying to @Sam_Dumitriu @RyanKhurana and
But the main point is clear. Genetic traits are undeserved. If you have undeserved good things, then you are lucky. Lottery winners are lucky. Hence the saying genetic lottery.
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Replying to @Sam_Dumitriu @RyanKhurana and
This is entirely upside down, in Protestant-communist fashion. In fact, you are roughly what your genes deserve.
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Replying to @Outsideness @RyanKhurana and
This is gibberish. What your genes deserve? What does that even mean.
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I wholly agree that it's nonsensical religious language (which you introduced).
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