Steven Pinker on parenting

[michaelfcp]

I´ve came across this video on the Rogan board.  What do you guys think?

I was a little shock, because I have respect for Pinker

 

 

 

In summary he says that parenting has 10% to 0% effect on the personality.

[Wuzzums]

So he says parenting doesn't affect personality, but culture does. And what, pray tell, affects culture if not ultimately parenting? Assuming the two aren't interchangeable concepts... which they are in most cases. 

[freemankind]

Great point Wuzzums. Culture depends completely on parenting. I actually don't respect people like Pinker much. They are far too lost in the abstract.

[bootoo]

my man Dr Chris Ryan has some criticisms of pink in his 'sex at dawn' book, the analogy he used for a ted talk pinker gave about violence in pre-agriculture societies was like saying 'asains are violent' and using studies from 6 south american countries and russia as your example

 

I still like pinker and follow him on twitter, but like everyone i dont take everything he has to say as gospel. Humans gonna human! not even intellectuals are perfect eh

[Mike Fleming]

Well, my personality is very different from my parents, or at least I consider it to be so.  

 

So, it sounds right to me, what he is saying about fundamental personality, but that it doesn't negate that abuse (physical, psychological, or otherwise) is detrimental to a person.  Nor does it negate Stef's arguments about bad parenting.

 

It seems to me he is talking about the person's underlying, fundamental personality.  Their original programming if you will.  

 

I guess also in studies where you are evaluating people do you evaluate whether they are abusive or just what jobs they do and things they tend to like?   It needs more clarification I think and to cross-reference it with studies about abuse.