In my mind, possibly the greatest quote in history, John B. Watson. It really started the shift in my view of the nurture vs nature debate

[shockedcanadian]

"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select — doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant chief and, yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors."

This quote is so profound, implying a great number of assumptions and belief in so few words. Brilliant in my opinion. I may respect Churchills quotes in times of war and other politicians during particular crises, but this quote provokes thought in all stages of life.

 

[Moonglow]

Gee, all it takes is resources to be able to train and or educate that child.

 

[BackAgain]

I find it to be kind of trite.

 

[BackAgain]

I find it to be kind of trite.

I wasn’t being funny. Analyze what was said. It’s all but meaningless. Let me raise kids in a world that doesn’t exist and I “guarantee” you an outcome that I can never verify.

Ok.

 

[shockedcanadian]

I wasn’t being funny. Analyze what was said. It’s all but meaningless. Let me raise kids in a world that doesn’t exist and I “guarantee” you an outcome that I can never verify.

Ok.

The point he is making is that "you aren't born bad or successful, you are a product of your environment"

 

[BackAgain]

The point he is making is that "you aren't born bad or successful, you are a product of your environment"

I understood his point. And that may or may not be true. But his statement is speculative. It isn’t genius.

 

[Baron Von Murderpaws]

"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select — doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant chief and, yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors."

This quote is so profound, implying a great number of assumptions and belief in so few words. Brilliant in my opinion. I may respect Churchills quotes in times of war and other politicians during particular crises, but this quote provokes thought in all stages of life.

This is why when we were young, we were told we could be anybody or anything we wanted.

But they NEVER followed it up with how the world beats you the fuck down and kicks you in the face every single day.
And if you don't fight it, you end up another peon to the world.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

That man has never raised children.

 

[Lisa558]

It’s not true. Most people are not smart enough to get through med school, for example. There IS such a thing as innate intelligence, and all the “training” in the world cannot turn someone with a 95 IQ into the equivalent of someone with a 145 IQ.

Just more liberal nonsense.

 

[Libby von H]

"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select — doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant chief and, yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors."

This quote is so profound, implying a great number of assumptions and belief in so few words. Brilliant in my opinion. I may respect Churchills quotes in times of war and other politicians during particular crises, but this quote provokes thought in all stages of life.

Proved wrong a million times, most recently by

The Mirage of a Space between Nature and Nurture​

by Evelyn Fox Keller
"Keller reveals that the assumption that the influences of nature and nurture can be separated is neither timeless nor universal, but rather a notion that emerged in Anglo-American culture in the late nineteenth century. She shows that the seemingly clear-cut nature-nurture debate is riddled with incoherence. It encompasses many disparate questions knitted together into an indissoluble tangle, and it is marked by a chronic ambiguity in language."

 

[shockedcanadian]

Proved wrong a million times, most recently by

The Mirage of a Space between Nature and Nurture​

by Evelyn Fox Keller
"Keller reveals that the assumption that the influences of nature and nurture can be separated is neither timeless nor universal, but rather a notion that emerged in Anglo-American culture in the late nineteenth century. She shows that the seemingly clear-cut nature-nurture debate is riddled with incoherence. It encompasses many disparate questions knitted together into an indissoluble tangle, and it is marked by a chronic ambiguity in language."

Of course it is ambiguous, How can we measure each attribute? "34% Nature and 66% nuture for.Joey"?

 

[Libby von H]

"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select — doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant chief and, yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors."

This quote is so profound, implying a great number of assumptions and belief in so few words. Brilliant in my opinion. I may respect Churchills quotes in times of war and other politicians during particular crises, but this quote provokes thought in all stages of life.

He was a rather ugly figure

John B Watson, Dark Psychologist - HeadStuff

John B Watson was one of the most respected psychologists in America, until an affair cost him his job. But his genius would change advertising forever.

headstuff.org

 

[MayorQuimby]

"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select — doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant chief and, yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors."

This quote is so profound, implying a great number of assumptions and belief in so few words. Brilliant in my opinion. I may respect Churchills quotes in times of war and other politicians during particular crises, but this quote provokes thought in all stages of life.

It's not profound, in fact it's kind of dumb. If environment was all it takes, then every kid would be able to become a medical doctor, if we gave them the training and education. But this is not what we see.