Or, perhaps, it’s an optimal choice given a bad situation.
Optimal from evolutionary or psychological viewpoint? Because that’s not the same thing. What historically increased the frequency of genes of my ancestors is not always the same thing that makes me most happy now.
Even assuming that poor people having many children is best for their genes, it does not automatically mean that it makes them happy, and that they want it.
Nor does it mean that their genes are ‘best’ for the species to have in our environment, although of course that’s unpalatable to say on the whole about anyone.
Good point. But in any event, we shouldn’t infer that because someone makes a choice that we think we wouldn’t make, that this indicates that they are deficient (in intelligence, self-control, etc.)
Optimal from evolutionary or psychological viewpoint? Because that’s not the same thing. What historically increased the frequency of genes of my ancestors is not always the same thing that makes me most happy now.
Even assuming that poor people having many children is best for their genes, it does not automatically mean that it makes them happy, and that they want it.
Nor does it mean that their genes are ‘best’ for the species to have in our environment, although of course that’s unpalatable to say on the whole about anyone.
Good point. But in any event, we shouldn’t infer that because someone makes a choice that we think we wouldn’t make, that this indicates that they are deficient (in intelligence, self-control, etc.)