I am astonished at how much Genetics has affected my basic philosophy.

In my Women Studies class, we are required to read articles meant to establish a historical context for 'masculinity.' One article is about how Theodore Roosevelt linked gender and masculinity to race. He supposedly did this by establishing American white supremacy by means of taking the masculinity from other cultures. The article mentions that he might have justified this cowboy novel attitude with Darwinian logic.

I though to myself, 'How naive to let Genetics affect your philosophy in such a way without stopping to think about it.'

Then it struck me.

I believe that the best model for establishing a model for truth is to create an idea, then take this idea and smash it to the ground. Whatever part of the idea survives is probably more right, what is left should be adapted. Smash, rebuild, repeat. I know we'll never reach a perfect model of truth, but it's fun to try.

But... but, isn't that survival of the fittest except taken out of context and used toward Truth!?! Wow. Unwittingly, I have allowed myself to be indoctrinated and then have been spreading my personal view as a philosophy. I have used this philosophy in action many times. It has affected my own and other's lives through my activism and readiness to 'test' another's ideas in order to test its validity.

A Girl Genius representation of me unwittingly affecting others with my Darwinist philosophy

So, it's time to think about how I impose my world-view on others again... and it makes sense as to why I'm sometimes viewed as being a bit aggressive when it comes to making positive change.

I'd probably be kind of irked if someone came and hole-punched my personal philosophy looking for bits and pieces to apply to someone else's Darwinian theory.

Ooops.