Yes, I know, it has been a long time since my last research, but the ones on the individualistic oranges and the secret of the secret of Cretan men sucked out a lot of my life energy and I needed to recover. So now I am presenting you the newest breakthrough theory, this time on the direction of the evolution of teenagers. But, before going into presenting empirical evidence, let mi firstly give you some theoretical background.
We all know that teenagers need to get their identity together and in order to do that they need to become different. The most important for them seems to be that they become different from their own parents (they may come back after a decade, but that’s another story). Anyway, this means that my kids will inevitably try to differ from me and so the odds for them being similar to me are pretty low. On the other hand, pay attention now, kids of other parents are also trying to be different from their own parents, right? So, by trying to differ from their parents they, unavoidably, become similar to somebody else out there. Now, mathematically speaking, while my kids are moving away from me, many not-mine kids are coming closer to me. And statistically speaking this means that it is much more possible for the other kids to become similar to me than for my own. So the theory is, of course: the less genetic material we share, the more similar to me they are likely to become.
Ok, let’s go to the empirical evidence now. Here is one photo of my little unimportant me, age 17.
And here are the photos of “my” three teenagers.
Number 1
Number 2
Number 3
Which one of the three subjects would you say is biologically mine?
Well, wrong answer. Number 2 is the only one of the three with whom I share 0,0 of the genetic material. Numbers 1 and 3 are biologically mine. Now, how come Number 2 is so similar to me, I hear you asking. Well, re-read the above presented theory and be enlightened.
By the way, my theories are not copyrighted. They are an altruistic gift to the mankind.
This was very cute!!!
I enjoyed the lighthearted insight and comparisons. It works! What a cleaver idea. 
Okay, I am on to read the next post!
Comment by RainforestRobin — June 25, 2008 @ 11:32 pm
Yes, we had quiet some fun taking these photos…
Comment by Robert — June 26, 2008 @ 10:59 am
Isn’t it funny how we took ourselves so seriously when we were teenagers. I’ve got a photo of myself at a similar age with the same expression on my face as yours.
If you want to see the photo just copy and paste “Young and clueless” into the seach box on my blog.
Comment by razzbuffnik — June 26, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
Um. How did you get them to take pictures like that?? Every picture of a teen that I see is the teen holding the camera up with one hand, while making a I’m-cute-but-I-don’t-care look.
Comment by Hayden Tompkins — June 26, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
Razz, precisely, we were dead serious about ourselves. And your photo, damn, very same expression, this is really funny.
You had stronger beard, though
Comment by Robert — June 26, 2008 @ 9:18 pm
How poetically true, scary as hell as well! Brilliant thoughts Robert phew!
Comment by SanityFound — June 26, 2008 @ 9:57 pm
Hayden, I have my own little methods. And a horsewhip always helps…
Yes, Sanity, it is scary. I mean, now I have given up even the last fraction of the idea about my kids becoming like me – ideas that I believe are inevitable for parents, at certain stage at least. So nowadays I am, more or less, just observing the show. And things are far from being bad; they are just very very different…
Comment by Robert — June 27, 2008 @ 1:19 am
Hi Robert,
You’re very good at reconciling me with mankind! Not that I was divorced, but your posts often trigger a whole different way of looking at things that gives me much more understanding and therefore less apprehension, making me feel closer to other people.
Reading your blog is my cheapest therapy he he
Comment by Anne-Claire C — June 28, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
What makes you think it is going to be that cheap? The bill is yet to come…
Comment by Robert — June 28, 2008 @ 4:40 pm