Why is incest (sibling) looked down upon? what if we could fix its downsides?

[BlazeCraftWorks]

In my story I wrote down how they had a way to fix the genetic consequences of inbreeding.
But to make a realistic response by the civilians I want to know why it looked down upon and what if it’s consequences weren’t a problem?
Would it still be hated.
Only siblings, not any other variation of incest

[nightdrot]

Actually, the issue of inbred children is not the only one. Though it is the one that gave momentum to the social taboo against it.

The main issue is child abuse. Incest often is part and parcel of the sexual abuse of children and is the other major reason for the taboo against it. In an of itself, it is too likely to lead to the molestation of underage children.

So it is not just a physical and evolutionary issue, it is a behavioral one. Although, interestingly, science has identified - though it has not confirmed - the existence of something called "genetic attraction."

Parents who have been separated from their children and lost contact with them, or siblings in the same circumstances, meet by some happenstance, fall in love, and become partners. It is not unknown and there is at least some speculation that it is an outgrowth of certain evolutionary patterns.

In fact, this kind of sibling incest is the most common, and there is an effort in some countries to legalize it. Whether they will succeed is difficult to say given the social stigma.

That said, I will say that while I do not favor legalization for the reasons already noted, I did - through my girlfriend who works in family law policy - to meet a mother son couple. (They did not know that I knew their situation.) The mother was expecting her son's child and - honestly - they were an attractive couple.

They were New York residents - not the stereotype you'd expect. The son was good looking, the mother attractive and they were very happy together. My girlfriend later told me that they had been offered confidentiality and that they have obviously not made their relationship public - though both were legal adults. The son was 19, the mother was 39.

Frankly, had I met them and not known their circumstances, I would have thought them a pleasant and attractive couple. Obviously notable for their age difference. However, as a I am a guy who in his 20s dated for a while a woman in her mid-60's, I would not have thought that too unusual.

In any event, the data show that a surprising 11% of the population has had an incestuous relationship, though only 2% of them had sexual relations. That data is subject to some questioning, but it suggests that there is at least some implicit societal acquiescence, if not tolerance.

Also, given that the odds of first generation inbreeding is not strongly likely to result in birth defects - multi-generational inbreeding increases the odds significantly - it is not unlikely that, much as gay marriage came to be accepted, incest between siblings might grow to be tolerated. Though because of the issues related to child sexual abuse, that may not be anytime soon.

As I say, I would not support that myself. However, the culture has moved in a libertarian direction with astonishing speed. Gay marriage was once unthinkable, and yet when the Supreme Court legalized it, the response was barely a whimper.

So acceptance of sibling incest is not inconceivable. Whether that is progress or decadence I lean to the latter. However, that said, I am not inclined, as I was with the mother/son couple I met, to judge the individuals too harshly. Whatever else I might say about the state of the larger culture.

[BlazeCraftWorks]

Holy shit. That’s some answer man! Thanks!😁

[nightdrot]

Thanks for your kind compliment. Hope it is of some use.

[Whaler]

Because it’s disgusting, you share the same blood, and came from the same person. And if you were to have a child, chances are it would be deformed. You can’t correct deformities with the technology we have currently. If we could then we wouldn’t have autistic children, nor would we have people with different problems.

[BlazeCraftWorks]

I’m making a sci fi book...

[Whaler]

Oh... my bad, didn’t read that part.

[Gavyn]

Wow, so all autism should be corrected? Honestly, I'm happy the way I am. If a child is born autistic, for all we know they're not able to comprehend the world around them. The way things are now, being blissfully unaware might honestly be a better fate, even if it means sacrificing the ability to choose.

[BlazeCraftWorks]

I’m autistic guys

[Gavyn]

I have autism as well, but by 'autistic' I mean severe autism.

[Whaler]

@Gavyn I had never said that, I had said that it could be corrected had we had that technology,

[Kurdishturk]

Culture in ancient Egypt marrying half brother and culture was acceptable but in modern Egypt it's not so culture according to me.

[bill_towers]

Only the aristocrats were fucking their siblings so their Family doesn't lose the power.

[Kurdishturk]

@bill_towers hmm it was legal and acceptable that's what i mean

[Anonymous]

It's not universally looked down upon, in some cultures it is decriminalised and so sort of kind of tolerated if it happens. But mostly the reasons are psychological. It's forming an unsustainable attachment to someone you can't be in a long term romantic relationship with, and fundamentally altering a relationship that IS supposed to last a life time.

You can break up with a lover. You can't break up with a sibling and move on. They will always be there.

And what about when one of them starts dating? The other is going to feel rejected/jealous and may have difficulty dating other people.

You have to know at 16 that most teenage relationships don't last. Guys especially are prone to cheating and chasing multiple girls. They break a lot of hearts and prove themselves to be utter scum. Imagine then doing that to the sister in your family.

[Dionigi]

What actually are the genetic consequences of inbreeding?
Are you sure they are present in the first generation of incest?

Here's the story of a documented case of incest which spawned a new specie of birds.

https://youtu.be/NArlXzSFt2Y

[madgoat]

It's taboo in almost every culture since the dawn of time because of the high chances of abnormality in a pregnancy. That attitude is unlikely to change even if there was a way to reduce the risk.

[BlazeCraftWorks]

I object to that. It wasn’t for a long time. Only until Christianity and of course, the collapse of Monarchy did incest officially become a taboo

[BlazeCraftWorks]

That’s 100 years ago

[BlazeCraftWorks]

And monarchs did it for a looong time, thinking it was making pure blood

[madgoat]

My understanding is only royals would do this, in an attempt to keep their blood lines pure presumably. The rest of the world would not.

[BlazeCraftWorks]

The rest of the world doesn’t always follow your rule. On my inderstanding it was done countless times who weren’t royal.

[bill_towers]

Because it's fucked Up. You are from the Same blood, the Same mother brought you to Life. It's just fucked Up. You watch too much porn.

[BlazeCraftWorks]

Yeah I do watch too much porn 😅😅😅

[FunkyMonkee]

You mean you can keep your sister from having a mongoloid or severely retarded kid if you knock her up?

[BlazeCraftWorks]

Me and my sister aren’t like that. That’s an If and it’s for a story I’m writing. I would kill myself before fucking my sibling

[BornFree]

Most people just find it gross 😂😂

[BlazeCraftWorks]

Why do they

[BornFree]

Stereotypes

[Giggletr0n]

It's downsides is that it is fucking gross!

[BlazeCraftWorks]

We all know that but that’s not a good reason

[Giggletr0n]

It's a pretty damn good reason! Would you stick your face in pig shit or would you avoid it because it's fucking gross?

[BlazeCraftWorks]

That’s not the same

[Giggletr0n]

Still both gross and most people still wouldn't want to do either!

[clampfan101]

It’s morally wrong.

[clampfan101]

And disgusting.

[BlazeCraftWorks]

I don’t get the morally wrong part in incest though

[clampfan101]

Just leave it in porn. >_>;

[BlazeCraftWorks]

Don’t worry, it’s a fetish. I have a sister and I don’t think of her in that way at all.

[clampfan101]

Well, that’s good. A fetish is one thing, but thinking about actually doing it is wrong.

[killer4212]

Tf..