Talk:Degenerate

The term in its various non-technical senses is a term of offense. Anyone care to do a process of 'molecular cooking' on the WP article on this topic and biological devolution to tate? 82.44.143.26 (talk) 16:51, 9 June 2011 (UTC)

I can see this degenerating into a Funspace article - but it has a serious point. 82.44.143.26 (talk) 18:44, 9 June 2011 (UTC)

Anyone care to pass comment on the relevance or quality of this one? ADK ...I'll balkanize your zoot suit! 17:05, 11 July 2011 (UTC)
 * I guess I will. It can probably be merged into the de-evolution article, if anything.  This page seems like a less formal version of the same thing.   17:16, 11 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Do we have a page for weasle words? Can't we just add this definition onto that page?  --[[Image:Pink mowse.png|25px]]En attendant Godot  17:17, 11 July 2011 (UTC)

See my comments above - and keep the Assyrian quote along with reference to Biblical 'wolves on the fold', the 3rd Reich's degenerate art exhibition and the Roman era quote about everything is going to the dogs, children don't respect their elders etc etc... 212.85.6.26 (talk) 17:55, 11 July 2011 (UTC)
 * The assyrian quote wasn't a joke? Cause it's the one i found most odd about the page.--[[Image:Pink mowse.png|25px]]En attendant Godot  18:15, 11 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Ok, i googled it. you do understand you cannot use a modern *translation* as evidence a word existed (or even a concept, for that matter) 4000 years ago?--[[Image:Pink mowse.png|25px]]En attendant Godot  18:17, 11 July 2011 (UTC)

Changes - 1) it's not really a weasel word as I understand it, since it's not trying to apply ambiguity but blatant insult. (weasle to me is "scholars say" "some would argue" "a case can be made for..." etc., 2) could not find the roman era quote..., 3) commented out the Assyrian unless you can explain what i'm missing. --En attendant Godot 18:27, 11 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Yes, that's what "weasel words" are. It's the kind of ambiguity that allows you to say what you like but "weasel" your way out of backing it up because you've been vague enough to make it correct regardless - e.g., some people say. It might be loaded language but other than that it's just a word. It also has a second use in quantum mechanics to denote equal energy levels, which is nothing to do with the term implying things are low and breaking down. ADK ...I'll push your pumpkin! 18:34, 11 July 2011 (UTC)

Quote-mine Wikiquotes to taste, and see. The term is of the 'Have you stopped beating your wife' category of negative - and can be used in a weasel word sense. 212.85.6.26 (talk) 18:36, 11 July 2011 (UTC)
 * This isn't conservapedia, so I don't really see using them as an example of how this is a "weasel word". it's an insult.  The other thing you bring up is some quote about dogs, and something about the romans and hilter? none of that is in the original.  so I have no idea what you are trying to connect to.

See for what is being referred to; and variants on 'The present world is going to the dogs' have existed since writing developed beyond the laundry list level.

Physics
Degenerate also means having the same energy. Electrons in an atomic orbital of the same principle quantum number (n = 1, 2, 3, ...)each have the same energy and are said to be degenerate. So if someone calls you and a bunch of your friends a bunch of degenerates then you can say "you mean we all have the same energy?"Cmbisme (talk) 14:57, 28 July 2014 (UTC)

Thats wrong or no proper definition
Degeneratives are phrased in term of Darwinism, say individuals that lead to power, and individuals that lead to self-enslavement. As such a group can become stupid, if they are raised stupid or accepting their slave-status. Slave-status may be also called suicidal or not with the intention of embracing their own group.

The word is older than the concept of racial Darwinism though. Inconsistent is their use on races, since race defines genetic determinism. &mdash; Unsigned, by: 94.221.127.146 / talk


 * I mean no it doesn't, races don't exist biologically speaking. The concept of race is a recent one, and it's too arbitrary to accurately model human population variation. You'll find that Africa is the most diverse place on the planet using genetics alone, which makes sense since that's where the species originated. As for biological determinism, genes don't determine everything, environment plays a big role as well. — Oxyaena Harass  17:26, 26 November 2019 (UTC)