Relevance To The Theory of Natural Selection
While the Darwin Awards are named after Charles Darwin, due to his theory of natural selection, there is no evidence that the stories depicted actually represent the removal of "judgement impairment genes" from the gene pool. While the stories depict a lack of intelligence in many of the individuals, they do not arise from any consistent genetic differences between them and the rest of humankind. The stories depicted may actually represent excessive impulsiveness instead of a lack of intelligence. While the proper order for intelligent action is to think before acting, reversing this is more impulsive than stupid. While there is no scientific basis in Darwinism for the Darwin Awards, the stories are nevertheless entertaining, and can be thought of as an example of schadenfreude – deriving entertainment value out of the misfortune of others.
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