Dumber, Smaller, Weaker
By peavey
@peavey (16936)
United States
September 11, 2017 5:05pm CST
Do you think you are smarter than your great great grandparents? Bigger? Stronger? Probably not, according to this:
If you don't want to read it, this is pretty much what it says: We are becoming dumber, smaller and weaker due to the human genome degradation. In other words, mutations have changed our genes so that we are no longer as smart, big or strong as we used to be.
At least, that's what they say is "the truth," but they don't really put out any proof, so I am going to disagree.
We may very well be dumber as well as smaller and weaker, but I think thats due to our lifestyles. We sit a lot, we eat a lot and don't rest as much or as well as we should, generally speaking. Even those of us who have physical jobs usually work 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. Not 6 days a week, 12 hours a day as people used to.
The work many of us do is done sitting down, not walking or running or carrying heavy loads.
Food is readily available to most of us, and most of it is filled with sugar, fat, salt and chemicals. Not hardly what our great great grandparents ate.
Since we don't eat well and we don't exercise enough and we don't sleep well, our brains don't get the blood flow they need to stay alert, growing and healthy, so we're dumber.
Anyway, that's what I think is happening to the human race. What say you? Do you think we are becoming worse or better? Why?
Scientists have found that our bodies and our minds have both deteriorated significantly compared to our ancestors. In fact, just this week a very prominent
9 people like this
9 responses
@velvet53 (22528)
• Palisade, Colorado
13 Sep 17
I believe that my great, great grandparents were much stronger than I am. Look what they had to do to survive. They grew everything, they had to till their own land with hard labor, schooling was so different. I could go on and on about this subject. Could I keep up with them? Some but not all that they did. They were strong and determined.
1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
13 Sep 17
Agreed. Schooling was completely different but it was what they needed then; just basic "reading, writing and arithmetic" for most kids, if even that. Most of what they learned was at home, working with their parents. I think those things are as complicated as classes some college kids take now and many, if not most, of today's young people can't do them.
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@peavey (16936)
• United States
13 Sep 17
@velvet53 In a sense, yes, but they did have more fun and play than we usually think about. They worked hard for sure, but I think it was to their good. Today's kids could do with a little hard work sometimes, both for their physical well being as well as mental and emotional. Times back then was not all hard work for everyone, but I think people were able to enjoy the fun they had more. Or maybe appreciate is the word.
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@velvet53 (22528)
• Palisade, Colorado
13 Sep 17
@peavey I agree. People back then did what they could. The main concern then was survival off the land and hard work. Daughters and sons learned to do many different things so that they were able to cope with life as it was. They didn't have a lot of time for fun and play. Their parents were their teachers so i am sure they learned in a completely different way from the children in today's world.
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@Carmelanirel2 (8084)
• United States
14 Sep 17
I scanned the article and it seems they are measuring the bone structure and not the actual size of the person. Because I know I am bigger than my grandmother and my mother (of course I did take after my dad who was tall). Also, when one thinks bigger, they think in weight, and I know people weigh more than people did back then, or at least has more fat and looks bigger. (because muscle does weigh more than fat)
As for dumber and weaker? I totally agree. Technology makes us lazy. I remember memorizing the Gettysburg address, yet student today probably don't even read it. I also remember reading the Constitution, yet that isn't taught in schools. and technology makes it easy it look up something rather than using the brain to think it through and of course we are not as active, making our bodies weaker.
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@peavey (16936)
• United States
14 Sep 17
I think you're right. We simply don't use our brains the way people used to. There is a lack of creativity in the general population that people didn't used to be able to survive without and I think it comes from not having to use our minds.
Bigger is in the eye of the beholder, I guess! 
My real argument with the article is that they blame it all on genes and mutations. I think there's more to it.
My real argument with the article is that they blame it all on genes and mutations. I think there's more to it.1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
17 Sep 17
@Carmelanirel2 It's probably all of the above plus things we haven't thought about!
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@Carmelanirel2 (8084)
• United States
15 Sep 17
@peavey I blame GMO food and technology...lol
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@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
26 Sep 17
I agree with you, especially when it comes to the younger generations out there especially. Jobs that people used to have to do have become a lot easier, and people cannot afford to farm, or want to take the time, etc. So we do sit around more and work less. Some now a days have no desire to work hard, etc so instead become Fat and less healthy.
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@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
5 Oct 17
I feel we could all benefit to going back to the simple days when we had to grow our own food. Walk more, rest more, enjoy life as was meant to be. Simple.
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@kobesbuddy (74831)
• East Tawas, Michigan
11 Sep 17
Basically, you said it all, in a great big nut shell, this human race is mostly lazy, junk-food eaters. Exercise has to be fit it, or added on! Before, those people didn't have a choice! They either worked hard, or they didn't have enough food!
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@peavey (16936)
• United States
12 Sep 17
When I was younger, I used to think it was silly to pay a gym to let you exercise. We lived in the country, and had a milk cow, rabbits, chickens, pigs, a huge garden and three kids. We heated with wood and I had a woodburning cookstove. I didn't need any more exercise! But now I understand it because I am like most people now. I live in town, sit at a computer and have to make myself get outside and exercise. It makes a big difference.
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@kobesbuddy (74831)
• East Tawas, Michigan
12 Sep 17
@peavey I grew up spending time on my Grandma's farm. Being active was considered normal!
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@ilocosboy (45157)
• Philippines
11 Sep 17
I beg to disagree with this research. In case of us, Filipino, I observed younger generation now are taller. Then because of education to all the people which is served so I also disagree that people now are dumber... maybe more lazy, yes. But being weaker, i willl not disagree, our grandparents are stronger because they used to more physical work than this era. Look at us now, we are more than just sitting in the office, front of computer and have the comfort of the technology than flexing our muscles.
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@peavey (16936)
• United States
12 Sep 17
I think many people are taller than their parents in a lot of the developed world. Our brains lost strength just like muscles do if we don't use them, so I wonder if all our laziness is causing real mental problems (or "dumbness" as the article states).
I'm afraid that our comforts might be our undoing.
@ilocosboy (45157)
• Philippines
12 Sep 17
@peavey I don't think we are not using our brains as long we are alive we are always thinking. What I disagree about being dumber is because we are more educated now through our studying.
as long we are alive we are always thinking. What I disagree about being dumber is because we are more educated now through our studying.1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
12 Sep 17
@ilocosboy Oh, sure, we are always thinking! But there's a difference in learning through being taught and in being creative and discovering things for ourselves. I think that's what exercises our brains.
But there's a difference in learning through being taught and in being creative and discovering things for ourselves. I think that's what exercises our brains.1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
17 Sep 17
I don't need any proof, I see it all around me and yes, it is because of our lifestyle. Whatever the cause, it is the truth, in general.
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@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
11 Sep 17
I couldn´t agree more Peavey.
Its the lifestyles..atrocious and so no wonder.
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@sabtraversa (13045)
• Italy
11 Sep 17
Our ancestors were stronger, definitely. It isn't all about sleep or exercise.
With modern medicine, people who are physically weaker can easily survive.
Our immune system isn't a strong as it used to be; people who have medical conditions can give birth to other people who will carry the same conditions, but with modern medicine they can lead a normal life.
We shouldn't care because we currently have the tools, should we?
Our brain may also be weaker because we depend on technology: no need to calculate because we have calculators, for example. No need to think because we're always given something to think of and so forth.
Social skills is something the future generations might lose, if we all depend on instant messaging and hardly ever communicate in person.
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@peavey (16936)
• United States
12 Sep 17
Very good points. We have overturned the law of "survival of the fittest." It's a fact that more people are sicker than they used to be. I remember my mother saying, years ago, that people never used to get sick like they do now.
It's true that our brains can improve with the right brain exercise, so it stands to reason that they will deteriorate when we don't use them, just like muscles.
I think social skills are already on the way out. Just look at how rude the population has become overall. I can't help but wonder if it's because they don't know how to interact politely, or that they're even supposed to.
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