Why supermen don’t produce super-sons

Once a pretty woman told Oscar Wilde, “With your brains and my beauty, what wonderful sons we could have.” Pat came the reply. “Quite, madam, but suppose they had your brains and my beauty!”

The brief conversation between the pretty woman and one of the giants of English literature brings us face to face with a universal problem: Do sons inherit their father’s brains?

We cannot deny that most sons resemble their fathers in physical appearance. However, how many sons have inherited their fathers’ characteristics or talents? If you look at the eminent men in many spheres of life, you will realise that they have not produced equally eminent sons. Anyone combing the pages of history will be struck by the revelation that exceptional men have not been equalled by their sons. However, there are a few exceptions.

William Pitt and his son achieved the highest office in the British Parliament in the 1700s. Historians regard it as a rare occurrence. Another example is Johann Strauss who was well known for his waltzes. However, his son outshone his father by becoming the Waltz King in his era. Such occurrences in which sons inherit their fathers’ talents are rare indeed.

Appearance

Although physical qualities and appearances can be passed down to the next generation, history does not support the view that talents too can be inherited by the sons of eminent men. Sports enthusiasts will recall that Collin Cowdrey’s son Chris and Sir Leonard Hutton’s son Richard could not match the batting talent of their fathers. A brief look at the business world will show that even the sons of business magnates have not inherited their fathers’ talents. Even Edsel who took over the business from Henry Ford could not match his father’s talents.

Sigmund Freud: Children manifest erotically tinged desires for their other gender parents.

History is full of accounts of great men’s sons veering off in some totally different directions. The sons of eminent authors here and abroad have taken up professions which have nothing to do with the printed word. Some of them have done well in the business world, but they have not earned the reputation their fathers had enjoyed. On the other hand, some of the sons of eminent men have become social misfits. For instance, war-time hero Winston Churchill’s son, popularly known as “Also Randolph”, could not get himself elected as a Member of Parliament. Even the son of eminent author Malcolm Muggeridge ended up as a cleaner in a bakery.

Some sons of great fathers have become drug addicts, ruining their whole lives. For instance, Robert Kennedy’s son David died of an overdose of cocaine mixed with barbiturates. On the other hand, certain sons carefully avoided their fathers’ sphere of influence. Unable to become a politician like his father, Ronald Reagan’s son eventually became a ballet dancer and then a journalist. Lord Snowdon’s son Viscount “Chips” Linley became a humble carpenter and then a furniture designer.

Natural law

Psychologists have racked their brains to ascertain the reason why supermen do not produce super-sons. Sometimes they wonder whether there is a natural law that ensures sons of great men do not become equally great. The natural law, sometimes known as “regression”, does not allow ultra-bright fathers to produce brighter sons.

Another reason why great fathers do not produce equally great sons is that most eminent men are not effective parents. When they try to climb the social ladder, they have to sacrifice their family. As a result, sons get neglected by their fathers. A father who becomes a celebrity feels that the whole world is at his feet. Thus he forgets that his son needs his undivided attention. Bing Crosby once admitted that he had failed as a father by not giving his son adequate attention.

Most sons find it difficult to put up with great fathers who are always in the limelight. For instance, eminent Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy’ long-suffering wife had to copy War and Peace nine times in long hand. No son would have agreed to perform such a tedious task.

Oedipus complex

Celebrated psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud analysed the problem in depth and traced it to Oedipus Complex in which children manifest erotically tinged desires for their other gender parents. Such desires were often accompanied by feelings of hostility towards their same-gender parents. The name for this unusual syndrome was taken from the Greek myth in which Oedipus is separated from his parents at birth. Not knowing the identity of his real parents, Oedipus inadvertently kills his father and marries his mother.

Probably, the last word has not yet been spoken on why great men do not produce eminent sons. It remains a fascinating study for psychologists and others who are interested in the human race and its progress.