Is it really that bad to marry my cousin? | Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi

There are things we accept as obvious truths that aren't necessarily backed up by data. A primary example: cousin marriage being taboo. In this episode, data journalist Mona Chalabi looks at the numbers behind our family trees to reveal that cousin marriage is much more common and much less "ick" than you might think. Want to hear more from Mona? Check out her podcast Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi, from the TED Audio Collective.
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[@svenbrede6151]

The problem isn't that bad if this happens once. It becomes more problematic if this is repeated over generations, though.

[@IronMongoose1]

Can you give more information on this? Maybe point to some further reading?

[@lostinthelookingglas]

@@IronMongoose1 Look up the Hapsburgs

[@TheLivirus]

Is it? Do you have data to back that up?

[@alex0589]

nope, it's bad right away.

[@TheLivirus]

@@alex0589 Why though?

[@SteeleGolem]

Don't forget to share this video with your favorite cousin!

[@chasti5754]

ahahhahaha

[@carolinewilliams9215]

😹

[@sundusmahamed4477]

Loool

[@jahirulislam7493]

Ha ha ha

[@capricea1537]

you outta pocket for that one

[@antoniusweezel876]

a 2.8% increase in serious birth defect risk at a standard 4% is a 70% relative risk increase, that is massive. At a population level, that's over 100 million MORE serious birth defects if everyone was marrying their first cousin. It also ignores minor birth defects, which are going to be more common because many serious genetic issues cause a non-viable foetus.

[@stoked9004]

That's not even the whole story. The risk is not linear, it's exponential as the population becomes more inbred. 100 milion at the current population size and genetical distribution, but how much more 6 generations later?

[@rexmann1984]

@@stoked9004 apparently only the non-inbred can follow the math.

[@rexmann1984]

However this is a double edged sword. If we were a species with high attrition rates, inbreeding would weed out any weak genes. But we all pretty much live to adulthood and are capable of having children even if we have serious defects.

[@Rhainiac]

Exactly what I was thinking but I didn't want to type it out cause I'm lazy

[@srilankansunrise5600]

"If everyone was marrying their first cousin" well I don't think this going to happen...

[@katkatkatkat463]

She didn’t mention that three of Darwin’s children died, three were infertile, and that, after he discovered the theory of evolution, Darwin was plagued by fears that his children had inherited weaknesses due to their inbred lineage. So, he’s not exactly a great poster boy for normalising cousin marriage…

[@stoonookw]

You also forgot to mention that pre 1800 people in general died earlier and because the standard of living wasn’t as high, many children in large families died before reaching adulthood

[@superpowerdragon]

what you just discribed is pretty common in non related (very distant) marriage during his time too.

[@rexmann1984]

Wow deleting comments🤣😂

[@Leonardo-G]

Isn't infertility good here though? I though the entire problem was generations of incest causing an exaggeration of small defects.

[@katkatkatkat463]

@@rexmann1984 I am not the poster of the video, so I can’t delete any comments except my own (which I haven’t, although I just edited this comment for a typo, FYI 😉).

[@shiroTpoison]

Would love to see the dislike ratio on this one. KZbin just isn't the same without it 😭

[@57shashanksharansrivastava11]

Yes you are right

[@57shashanksharansrivastava11]

😢

[@jesusweeps420x]

I've never wanted it back more than I do right now to make sure team "sleep with people outside your family" wins

[@truthbetold8233]

This is the first time I'm glad it's gone. She's discussing a common stigma and the lack of logical basis for it, and people really just want to lean into the stigma and dislike the video? That's just bizarre, and makes me lose hope for humanity.

[@jesusweeps420x]

@@truthbetold8233 she doesn't once say that it's bad and makes it sound like it's such a small chance of health problems that it's okay. The video should just say no like Nancy Reagan

[@azrabano8615]

Okay.... here is a confession MY PARENTS ARE COUSINS and me and my siblings are perfectly fine.

[@jingyi8026]

Can I know is that ur parent are the first sibling?

[@azrabano8615]

@@jingyi8026 they are cousins not siblings

[@imranhasan4109]

@@azrabano8615 🤣. I think he meant first cousin?

[@user-ff9mb1ts4u]

say you're paki without saying you're paki

[@yiyunzhuo5991]

Just don't marry your cousin too else the genetic pool is gonna become tiny

[@Space-Babe]

My sister is married to our cousin. In our country that isn't a big deal at all. We were all surprised but they fell in love young and stuck to each other. None of us stood in their way, my dad had a talk with my sister and my uncle had a talk to his son (our cousin) to make them understand that a relationship between them was a serious matter cuz it involved all of the family. They were adamant about being together, so everyone just accepted it and helped them. They are now happily married and parents to two healthy, lovely girls. But despite the fact that marriage between cousins isn't a culturel taboo in my country. I still take science seriously and understand the medical risks. As such, I would never, and will never, go to lengths to DEFEND it like this video does. It's not incriminating or shameful in any way in my eyes but I'm simply not qualified enough to take a stance about this as I am not a doctor or an expert in genetics.

[@stoonookw]

In a sea full of negative comments this is such a beautiful one! Amazing story and take on this subject

[@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986]

@@stoonookw In a sea full of anti-inbreeding pro-healthy children comments you mean

[@TheDevilWAH]

My parents are cousins. Mum got dumped by a guy, dad happen to be round her house when she got back. Took her out with his mates to a dance in london (back in the 50's). Found out they enjoyed each others company. And after a lot of though decided they wanted a life together. Had five children and 50 years later still happy. I have a history in science and the genetics and because of that i would not suggest i should marry a cousin or encourage my daughter to as each generation that does adds more risk so considering the genetic diversity become more important. But I think it's a cool story and never think of it a strange that my granddads were brothers

[@TheDevilWAH]

​@@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986 So if you so pro-healthy children you will be speaking out against the western society encouraging women in to work and their choice to have children later in life? I mean after all an unrelated couples where the women is in there 40 will have greater increase in risk han will first cousins who don't have a history of marrying with in family who have children in their 20's

[@lana_354]

@@TheDevilWAH My parents r also cousins And my granddads r brothers And my grandmother's r sisters 🙂😂

[@recks1151]

the "small" percentage increase that she mentions for birth defects is actually massive, a 3% increase is huge

[@jesusweeps420x]

She's clearly not familiar with the Hapsburgs and what incest creates

[@BrickInTheHead]

yep. According to the stats she gave, given the base chance of 3-4% it either makes it approx 50% more likely or DOUBLES the chance of a birth defect, lol.

[@zanguauvaitomacu4925]

@@BrickInTheHead it actually more than doubles

[@yanostropicalparadise755]

those percentages aren't real, their are assumptions. their are to many variables to apply for any real research to be accurate.

[@zanguauvaitomacu4925]

@@yanostropicalparadise755 These are actually not very difficult.

[@JeffreyArts]

"if it wasn't for cousin mariage, you probably wouldn't be here". If it wasn't for slavery I wouldn't be here neither, that doesn't make it a good thing though 🤷‍♂️

[@tiagula]

wait, what does slavery have to do with the reproduction of your ancestors?

[@newshot3191]

@@tiagula slavery played a huge part in human civization whether it increase the genetic pool by linking diffrrent people or bringing them to different part of the world or the fact that it used to be a essential economic wheel for nations and without it we wouldn't be here. (this doesn't mean humna won't exist, just like she said, our past affects our present)

[@ElectricIguana]

Banjo music does sound nice with wedding bells.

[@toddzehr203]

🤣 hilarious

[@papabeanguy]

I bet they are glad you can no longer see dislikes with this one....

[@artema.]

idk if it's my country or smth, but I still see the ratio. 1.2k likes, 602 dislikes

[@artema.]

@@Noneofyourfckingbusiness kinda sucks, the dislike ratio is kind of an important part of youtube :/

[@biscuitsalive]

From the stats I’ve seen in UK and USA, the chances of congenital birth defects are MUCH higher when the parents are 1st cousins. So I would say that’s nature trying to tell us something.

[@IronMongoose1]

Can you give some more information on this, maybe some further reading?

[@biscuitsalive]

@@IronMongoose1 lots of studies on this, do some searches. I saw a BBC documentary on causes birth defects last year, it touched upon the numbers on this. cant remember the name, but it was on iplayer. I would expect a BBC docu would have got its numbers correct. But always worth doing independent research.

[@space5339]

They literally covered stats in this video and quoted fairly low numbers

[@yasminesteinbauer8565]

Nature is not a person. It has no will or plan. And it does not speak to us.

[@biscuitsalive]

@@space5339 1st cousins is very diff to 2nd and 3rd.

[@SmiIeyyXD]

listen I'm not here to judge your love life but.. that's gonna be awkward at family gatherings.

[@vedapranteekabandyopadhyay8443]

Very rightly said. Only one sufferer can realise that...

[@jamesb.armstrong5433]

Family gatherings will also be smaller.

[@Timewithmabel]

Right

[@aqgaming1092]

Well atleast there ARE family gatherings. And btw aren't all family gatherings awkward?

[@adrianwilliams8648]

As an academic channel I'm surprised she used Journal articles from 20 years ago. Any true institution would descredit this information as non credible and outdated. Just my thought.

[@Leonardo-G]

The sources only count as outdated if future sources have contradicted them in some way, either by discrediting their methods, or by doing a counter study. It doesn't even have to be on purpose, but until someone casts doubt on the original source with some other reasoning, other than it being outdated, it doesn't lose any validity.

[@GCowner]

There are articles from 100 years ago that are still relevant. 20 years is modern day and age, and science is done through the scientific method. It doesn't matter if it's 5, 10, or 30 - it's how it was done. If you have belief that it is not an appropriate study, please go ahead and conduct your own and feel free to have it peer reviewed.

[@RMatt2016]

Hm... 20 years ago isn't that old. I'm in university and we still view articles / material from 15 years ago as valid and relevant. So 20 years is not far off. Additionally, some studies are seminal and ground breaking and will always be taught.

[@potapotapotapotapotapota]

It depends on your inherent genetic diversity. If you have rich genetics then go ahead and marry whoever, but if your lineage has intermarried for too long then you might need to refresh it. It's nature's mechanism against racism. It's not just that cousin marriage was common back in the day, but that we all share a common ancestor. All life stems from one life.

[@bollockjohnson6156]

"nature's mechanism against racism" boy gtfo with your woke shiz

[@arsebiscuits560]

Are you getting angry because he criticised marrying your cousins?

[@yashamaibanyahawadah1235]

@@arsebiscuits560 he actually didn’t criticize it at all

[@The_Sceptical_Stoic]

There is a huge amount of data to show the significant risks associated with consanguineous relationships, she's only cited one study. And even then, the increase in risk is almost double!! How is that not significant?! She is from a Muslim/Arab/Indian background where marrying first cousins is quite the norm, hence her bias.

[@jajajasputin8927]

As a Muslim, we don't accept her

[@kpacuBua]

Well that's one video that's gonna benefit massively from the new dystopian KZbin policy of removing the dislike count.

[@ligeliacable]

I wouldn't be surprised if they just waited for the change.

[@samaelmalkira9420]

This video is gross. But you seriously don't understand what "dystopian" means. Go outside

[@kpacuBua]

@@samaelmalkira9420 I know the literature inside and out. I know exactly what dystopian means. I know full well we are heading right in that direction. And I also know idiots like you are helping propel us there faster.

[@samaelmalkira9420]

@@kpacuBua Lol you not being able to whine about videos on the internet means the government is treating you like less than human. Imagine having so few problems in life this is the kinda thing that gets you pressed

[@user-ke3sk6jd3h]

​@@samaelmalkira9420 Big corporations promoting incest and censoring decent isn't dystopian to you?

[@Jackie-md8zs]

I fostered a boy who parents were first cousins. He was completely normal and very smart and an adorable lil guy.

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@biomuseum6645]

Where’s the dislike button when we need him the most 😞

[@MostlyLoveOfMusic]

they are trying to overcome stigmas and taboos, why would you want to dislike this?

[@aveiam7294]

When the dislike button was needed the most.... It vanished :(

[@truthbetold8233]

Grow up

[@stoked9004]

@@MostlyLoveOfMusic because the stigmas are correct. Stigmatizing inbreeding is equal to stigmatizing drunk driving. It's irresponsible and dangerous. Based on 2019 studies and data from countries where cousin marriage is common, birth defect risk is exponential. Even in the outdated study she quoted, the risk is nearly DOUBLED, even if it's still a single digit number - that's data misrepresentation.

[@stoked9004]

@@MostlyLoveOfMusic I don't eben want to point out that she has a clear bias - trying to justify a cultural phenomenon in a country of her parents. I'd be immediately labeled as racist and culturally insensitive.

[@Ntsmith4]

Yup, this is officially the most disturbing TEDx I’ve seen to date. 😵‍💫

[@lillianf4431]

What about multi generational cousin marriages? It might be less risky round one, but round 4 is probably drastically different. This is very misleading.

[@biomuseum6645]

**sweet home Alabama intensifies**

[@rebellady04]

Your momma

[@thiagowill26]

A man of culture

[@steakismeat177]

This isn’t cousin marriage this is close cousin marriage. The Roosevelts shouldn’t even be considered cousin marriage because even second cousins share an average of less than 1% DNA in common compared to 10% with that of 1st cousins. 3rd cousins share nearly nothing in common unless you happen to win DNA roulette.

[@thebigpicture2032]

An increase risk of 1.7 to 2.8% for birth defects may seem minor to the researchers of the study cited but is significant in terms of human lives and suffering. Cousin marriage may have propagated our species back when we lived in the cave and options were limited but really has no place in the modern world.

[@superpowerdragon]

yeah, 2.8% is indeed relatively high, but what about second cousin? their rates are probably much closer to non related people. Also, what about genetically mental disabled people or any inheritable disabilities? Many of them have birth defect rates much higher than 2.8%, should we also ban them from marriage?

[@nutedi]

@@superpowerdragon Cars kill people. Why did we put seatbelts in them instead of outright banning them? Context is very important.

[@GCowner]

You should let researchers make such decisions and propositions, while you stick to your understood cultural norms. More than anything, having government interfering in the day to day lives, especially within the United States, is an absurdity. trying to moderate other peoples' lives with your beliefs is an infringement on freedom, all with the guise of protecting the unborn. There are techniques to identify and mitigate issues such as with genetic counseling. I suggest educating yourself and rewatching this video - we were not living in caves 50-100 years ago. Understanding the Big Picture might help.

[@jojothetasmaniansassmonkey8866]

Well, unlike back then, in the modern world we have something called genetic screening that can more accurately determine if two individuals can safely have a child or not. In the few cases where cousins do such screenings and it is determined that they should not have a child, then they have other options such as sperm or egg donation. If two people love each other why shouldn't they be able to marry? marriage does not have to entail having kids. Also, the elevated risk of cousins having kids is similar to the elevated risk of women having children over the age of 40, and plenty of women still have kids over that age. so why is that ok, but cousins having kids is not?

[@AK-hf3pf]

We should also ban women over the age of 35 from having kids then.

[@Jakeu1701]

Some states that were listed as not allowing cousins to marry actually only limit first cousins. Personally, I look outside my family tree for that sort of thing. YMMV.

[@mainakkundu8366]

There is more than just logic in this world... Perspectives with varied circumstances do actually matter.

[@cursedtomato17]

Well, guess who has married their cousin..

[@makai5749]

Ok? I'm all for social change and all but um yeah don't know what to say here 🤔 talking about marrying my cousin lol

[@merrickying4264]

Well, TED just became a meme. Go take a look at the historical portraits of the Habsburgs. Start with Philip IV of Spain. Not even Diego Velazquez, arguably the greatest portraitist who ever lived, could make his King's chromosomes look sufficiently varied. Now there's a collection of lower-lips usually not found outside the fences and barred windows of better quality psych wards.

[@jesusweeps420x]

Oh Phillip a shining example of the Hapsburg jaw. For real though if your family is so inbred there's genetic traits named after you then there's a problem for sure.

[@liammurray2318]

@Meeçhum Benǝm Do you have any data on that? Preferably actual citations.

[@RMatt2016]

That's because of repeative cousin marriage along the generation. See the Cummins article cited at 0:34 The author explicitly tells not to make it a tradition. Like the Hasburgs who made it a tradition.

[@user-ke3sk6jd3h]

​@@RMatt2016 So how tf are they gonna enforce that?? Every other generation can't get married? Honestly just keep the stigma because it's well earned. I don't know a single girl in a cousin marriage that wasn't horribly forced into it by their family...

[@RMatt2016]

@@user-ke3sk6jd3h I agree. Retain the stigma because its effectively impossible to enforce rules that limit cousin marriage to every other generation. My point is that scientifically there may be no negative effects of occasional cousin marriage within a family every few genrations but there is no way to enforce that logistically.

[@wendysmom]

This lady should really check more info about genetics. Ted Talks - really?

[@zawsrdtygbhjimokpl6998]

so should you, since cousins aren't sufficiently related. Maybe if it kept happening endlessly

[@MrRockus]

I'm surprised at Ted. It's like she's trying to put some spin on the subject without delving deep enough into deformities and mental health issues that arise.

[@jojothetasmaniansassmonkey8866]

we have something called genetic screening, which cousins can have done before getting pregnant.

[@Purplelinings]

I love this series of videos. Also appreciate that all the sources are provided.

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@Mosasaurus]

I’m very confused as to what exactly the underlying message this speaker is trying to get across. Is this speaker advocating for acceptance of incest based relationships or is the speaker simply trying to inform the viewer about incest related history and laws?

[@TheFoolishGnome]

"Beliefs can be manufactured by culture rather than scientific fact" was the point she was trying to make

[@augustinf]

Well there is a big difference between a first cousin you grow up with and a 5th cousin you realise is your cousin after looking at a genealogic tree. Just as I find inapropriate to marry your step brother / sister even if you share 0% dna shared

[@xylypotatohead3947]

5th cousins can be considered unrelated because they only share one pair of great great great great great parents and the same amount of DNA as unrelated people

[@three1seven419]

I saw my kindergarten sweetheart more than I saw my cousin. Is it wrong to marry her because we grew up together?

[@augustinf]

@@three1seven419 you didn’t grow up as siblings in the same household, I don’t think you got my point about the step brothers and sisters

[@three1seven419]

@@augustinf I’m talking about my cousins and I. Yes we saw each other but didn’t grow up in the same house. Either way, it’s a all social and cultural rules, not universal truths.

[@augustinf]

@@three1seven419 can you please read yourself and let me know at what point am I supposed to understand anything about your story? And no.. it’s not a cultural thing, being inbread is a real thing. To give a much narrower gene pool to your kids makes it more likely to result in genetic disorders. If you both have a same potential rare dormant genetic disorder in your DNA, well you will probably have a kid with this disorder active. Of course if you are cousins it’s much less likely than with your siblings, but it’s still pretty high odds that your kids en up with some sort of problem… i think 2nd or 3rd cousin is genetically fine and you are not taking risks

[@jonyu3597]

I spent about 1/5 of my life in non-western countries, and this is not a surprise to me. I have friends who are perfectly normal and healthy children of cousin-parents.

[@cajjesra269]

It is easier to not marry your second cousin today. You can fly 8000 miles in 8 hrs

[@fatehkhan7822]

My grand parents and my parents are first cousins ... There is no any abnormal person or child in our whole family alhmdulillah❤

[@AlexBlackout-zf4vm]

There are potential risks associated with cousin marriage, as it can increase the likelihood of certain genetic disorders or birth defects in offspring. Consanguineous marriages (marriages between close relatives) can result in a higher chance of inheriting recessive genetic traits or disorders that are present in the family gene pool. However, it is important to note that the degree of risk varies depending on factors such as the frequency of consanguineous marriages within a population and the prevalence of genetic disorders. Ultimately, the decision to marry a cousin should be based on personal circumstances and considerations, including the potential genetic risks involved. It is advisable to consult with medical professionals or genetic counselors to better understand the specific risks associated with cousin marriages in a particular context. This explains the lack of impulse control among the some Muslims. Without a doubt. STOP EFFING YOUR FAMILIES

[@Julio-sn6ru]

@@AlexBlackout-zf4vmno Muslims specifically don’t have a lack of impulse control 😂there is always a chance of abnormality in any marriage

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@icanthereyouvoice]

I’m Saudi, married to my cousin. It’s been obligatory to make Premarital Screening in Middle Eastern and Arab countries. It’s ensured by the government. I had to do it otherwise my marriage wouldn’t be approved of.

[@icanthereyouvoice]

Even if we are not cousins.

[@haileyahmed7986]

You will be find so long as you don’t carry a sick gene or your spouse from one of your relatives

[@Huzuh.]

I am Turkish and for us it was also common to marry Cousins or People from the same Village all my Uncles and Aunts married their Cousins only my Parents are not related to eachother and are from 2 different Villages but from the same City in Central Anatolia (Konya) i dont see anything wrong marrying ur Cousin

[@user-ke3sk6jd3h]

What do they do to the disabled non-cousins who want to marry? Are you just not allowed to marry the person you love?

[@samsmith5947]

Also, since when doest stuff about childbirth interfere with the right to marry? People get married without having children all the time. If it's about birth defects then having a child with your first cousin should be illegal, not marrying them.

[@thecoryguy]

Answering the big questions today.

[@Sixbears]

Curious to know how the birth defect numbers change for cousins 2nd, 3rd, and so on. Personally, I'm happy I married someone "from away." Got some powerfully ugly cousins.

[@haileyahmed7986]

Get’s lower and lower then more that their unrelated to you. I assume after 3rd cousin, it doesn’t even get labeled cousin marriage

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@DemetriPanici]

I love how hard hitting these questions always re

[@Happy_Bnzo_Puppy]

Well, there are still enough people on this planet to marry other than cousins. 🙃

[@123bcjnv]

😂😂 👍👍

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@lesil1000]

People keep commenting about birth defects as if genetic counseling, adoption, and not having kids aren't options.

[@unknown1859]

I am so bad that even my cousin won't marry me :) ahahah

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@sheleavitt06]

So my parents were 4th cousins once removed. My sister and her husband are 5th cousins. My great grandparents were 2nd cousins. We are all fine genetically speaking. Nobody expect for my great grandparents even knew they were cousins until after the marriage. It wasn’t like we attended the same family reunions or anything. It’s really not too surprising when you consider that we are a part of a religious minority group that encourages in-faith marriages. It really wasn’t to dissimilar to living in the same village back in the day and everyone was related I would think. The most realistic world building I’ve ever seen in a musical was Fiddler on the Roof. The eldest daughter Tzeitel and the tailor Motel are 4th cousins. Motel is named after Tzeitel’s great-great-grand Uncle Mordecai which means their common ancestor was that Mordecai’s parent and great grandma Tzeitel’s grandparent. So they are 4th cousins. I was so happy when I realized this because it is so realistic.

[@holyfool5605]

Thanks for sharing your story. I don't necessarily approve or disapprove of cousin marriages because my family is in the same circumstance as yours -- in a faith where intertribal and same faith marriages are encouraged. Since my family is across the world I was never close to my cousins, and it is the cultural expectation of my family to marry one of them. I don't want kids, nor do I want to get married, but I guess you could say compared to the average person who *doesn't* have cousins marrying each other as a somewhat common practice, I am less averse to the idea. In my own experience, I'm on good terms with cousins who are married. They grew up together and are close with one another. It's weird because I don't approve of the relationship because of its consanguinity but at the same time they are probably one of the healthiest couples I've ever met. Then again, in a culture where family-arranged marriage is common, they chose each other willingly. I don't know. Every so often I have to reevaluate my perspective on the matter because I come from a culture where it's commonplace but was raised in a culture where it's taboo.

[@sleepyfromstress6524]

I think understanding the history of cousin marriages is sort of interesting. For instance, in ancient China, it was also normal to marry your cousins - but only your ‘biao’ cousins, mind you. Biao cousins were cousins from your mom’s side of the family, opposed to ‘tang’ cousins - from your dad’s side. The reason for this is in Chinese culture, after marriage the female becomes a part of the male’s family. Even if her surname doesn’t change (unlike in the west), she moves into her husband’s household. Thus, your biao cousins (from your mom’s side) weren’t technically a part of your family and are safe to marry.

[@darrellkramer8097]

Your family too. Mine as well. Why is this a big deal?

[@gasdive]

You have 2^5 great great great grandparents. I don't know the names of even one of them, let alone my potential spouse's. That requires knowing 64 people well enough to separate people with similar names, and not be confused by nicknames, or changed names, who all lived 2-3 hundred years ago.

[@sheleavitt06]

Correct. It’s how you get people like my parents marrying and finding out about a year later while looking at their family trees that they are in fact 4th cousins once removed and nobody living knew because their common ancestors had been dead for like 120 years. Or my sister and her husband learning they were 5th cousins when they were engaged because they had the same biography of their ancestors on their parents book shelves. They had been dead for over 140 years who knew they were related. Good rule of thumb: if you go to different family reunions you’re a distant enough of a cousin that you really won’t mess anything up genetically speaking.

[@user-1500HP]

The UK Queen and Prince Phillip were 3rd cousins. There is a big difference in genetics here when compared to marrying your 1st cousins ( where one of your parents is the brother or sister) with your cousins parent.

[@scrollingdownaswespeak]

Not backed up by data.... She really just said that

[@anow5084]

Despite all these negative comments, I want to thank you for this video. Not just for me but all the kids of cousins out there. It's time to change the stigma for THEM. They don't deserve the comments and hate thrown at them, as of they controlled who their parents are. Not all cousin marriages cause a medical problem make them stupid like people think. I'm fact it's very rare. Again thank you.

[@TheKerolis]

Long gone the days where you would come to a video, check it's dislikes and leave.

[@BallotBoxer]

Was this video written by someone that married their cousin?

[@TropicalHonduranDominican]

Yes

[@AlexBlackout-zf4vm]

There are potential risks associated with cousin marriage, as it can increase the likelihood of certain genetic disorders or birth defects in offspring. Consanguineous marriages (marriages between close relatives) can result in a higher chance of inheriting recessive genetic traits or disorders that are present in the family gene pool. However, it is important to note that the degree of risk varies depending on factors such as the frequency of consanguineous marriages within a population and the prevalence of genetic disorders. Ultimately, the decision to marry a cousin should be based on personal circumstances and considerations, including the potential genetic risks involved. It is advisable to consult with medical professionals or genetic counselors to better understand the specific risks associated with cousin marriages in a particular context.

[@VivekGhimire]

She trying to persuade her parents on marrying her cousin.

[@lostinthelookingglas]

Ok but why? Why would someone in this day and age even want to marry their cousin? Sure, it might make sense if you lived your whole live within a 10 mile radius and the only people you interacted with were related to you, but nowadays it just doesn't make sense.

[@Leonardo-G]

idk man some people are just attracted to their cousins. If they aren't causing any harm I see no reason we should try to regulate them.

[@steverocksyo]

@@Leonardo-G I mean do whatever, but my cousins look like both me and my siblings!

[@leonie3317]

Chain migration is a reason it happens in parts of the U.K.

[@obedtorres7436]

Unless you're in a relationship with a cousin, words can't explain the connection you feel towards each other. It doesn't feel "wrong" or "dirty"...it's a kind of love that's on a different level. Instantly, the trust is there. There's no doubts in your mind and it's a calming feeling when you're together. The rest of the world is irrelevant because you're on a different level.

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@biggerlicious]

Dear TED talks, the word you were looking for is GENETICIST, not JOURNALIST. You wanted a GENETICIST to provide their opinion on the risks of inbreeding, not a JOURNALIST. Easy mistake to make. Here's how you can easily distinguish the two in the future: if they question if inbreeding is really bad, it's a journalist.

[@TheDevilWAH]

reading the comments to this is fun. One issue i have is that the study in to increase of genetic birth defects did not take into account the history of marrying cousins. Most people raise cases like "Hapsburg" jaw. but what they miss is that this is the result of many generations of cousins mixing. Indeed the increase in birth defects in cases were it is a one of pairing of cousins in a family there is no significant increase. However in the case of someone who has married a cousin there is a statistically significant higher probability that there will be more cases in there family history. It's simply a case of genetic diversity, and it happening once in every 3 or 4 generations in a single family is not going to have a significant impact on heath. It should also be noted that the risk of a child being born with genetic birth "defects" is actually higher for a women over 40 than it is for married cousins. So if we are to condemn or stigmatise people marrying their cousins because of birth defect then we should also be doing the same to any women /couple who decided to have kids in there 40's

[@anna-cc5zm]

Check out The Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS) and its own data saying that Arabic countries (Saudi Arabia and Emirates) have highest rates of genetic diseases in the world. Now guess why.

[@TheDevilWAH]

@@anna-cc5zm maybe actually read my comment and you will find the answer to your question there.

[@bntagkas]

if you are saying its ok to marry cousins, you are saying its ok to do it for everyone and again and again, its not like 5 generations later youll tell the guy, wait, its been 5 generations now and even tho everyone is doing it you must stop for a couple generations and find someone from a far away land. thats not how humans, life, society or anything in this universe works. so either its ok to marry cousins forever or its not.

[@TheDevilWAH]

@@bntagkas Emm actually no that's not what is being said. it's called Science, and indeed some placed do indeed impose the exact restriction you outline, where people are not allowed to marry "close" relative's if they are the offspring of "close" relatives. I not sure where you learnt about how humans, life, society or the universe work. but there are plenty of rules in society that depend on what has come before. You could simply say "you can marry you cousin but not your 1st cousin once removed". If your parents are cousins, then your cousin are both your first cousin and your first cousin once removed. So to keep you happy lets just change the terminology "you can't marry your first cousin once removed" and there you are skips a generation. Which is no different than saying "you can't marry cousins" it just identifies a different group of people.

[@roucoupse]

Queen Victoria married her first cousin.

[@vedapranteekabandyopadhyay8443]

Moreover, this kind of negative issues have wrong impact on those who don't understand the depth of the topic and its consequences.... Ted talk is a motivational platform to help positive energy grow for the better world to come... But it shows positivity in which way really?!!

[@mudslinger888]

Rationalizing cousin marriage; must be a class for Trump-lickers…

[@123bcjnv]

Also not much information on that research authenticity.

[@MJ-ib7iq]

As if there weren’t enough people in this world, less risky or not, why marry a cousin?

[@estonalexander704]

Wtf has TED come to.

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nice video.

[@robertlee8042]

I would not suggest anyone marry my cousin.

[@urbster1]

answer: yes. thank you for coming to my ted talk

[@wktrey]

spill

[@nmtumbleweed5320]

I understand why they did this back in the day but it isn’t necessary now. What I don’t agree with is the Government dictating whether or not you can do it.

[@scrollingdownaswespeak]

Uhm why is this a Ted talk? 😶

[@samuelswank9653]

I really want to know what they consider "severe complications." In my family's case, we have a dormant autoimmune condition in our genes. A comparative analysis found that marrying someone of British or Irish ancestry exponentially increased the probability of passing it on compared with someone of the general population; whereas marrying a Southeast Asian or Pacific Islander carried effectively no risk given said gene has never been found there [outside of New Zealand]. I think my hormonal response to a woman speaks volumes about whether it would be healthy to marry her or not. Even without a study, I find practically no attraction to the former.

[@Avnicore.mp4]

Not even imaginable you won't be even able to enjoy childhood and have safety issues

[@vedapranteekabandyopadhyay8443]

True. That means safety security is challenged even within the family...

[@zawsrdtygbhjimokpl6998]

good time to post this knowing dislikes are disabled

[@AJBuddha]

I think it’s morally acceptable marry a family member who does not have the same parents as you do Even with adopted or step sibling, that’s different than with siblings with same parents. A cousin is pretty safe I’d say but logically speaking marrying someone outside of your family would be 10000X better

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@AJBuddha]

@@jacobwilkonson yea technically you would have the same grandparents but not the same parents so I guess that’s a little bit different than marrying your sister. Although nowadays the family would probably disown them lol

[@jacobwilkonson]

ppl consider marrying your cousin morally wrong while they accept lgbtq bs. They have no common sense. And they dont realize that their ancestors were cousins@@AJBuddha

[@RMatt2016]

Lol. People are missing the point of this video. No one is saying you should go and marry your cousin now. Just because something is OK medically doesn't mean we should enage in the act and normalize in culture. In any case, repeated 1st cousin marriage leads to issues.

[@paulbrooks4395]

I’ve seen this data before and my conclusion is that 2nd or further cousin relationships are essentially normal as far as “the probability of genetic defects are concerned”. Given that there is an almost double chance of defect by first cousin offspring, it’s not logical to permit marriages when we consider the ramifications at a *societal scale*. If we were to increase the number of people with genetic defects be even 10%, that’s a very large number of people and society as a whole will suffer due to more individuals with psychological and physiological issues. One could easily argue that a society with the fewest number of individuals with defects is a society with the greatest base capability for productiveness and stability. So while 2.8% vs 1.7% doesn’t seem like much at an individual level, it’s not reasonable to make it okay at the population level. Further, it’s a very good thing for environmental impact that people are having fewer children, as the number one cause of climate change is too many humans. Fewer children per family means more diverse genetics, which will reduce the number of within-group mutations such as African predilection for sickle cell anemia and melanin deficiency in Northern Europeans. We want the most-possible genetic diversity to average out across procreations, so that the (average) human genome carries the fewest number of potentially-problematic mutations. Said another way-the most average genome is the least likely to have problems. Close-relationship offspring are the exact opposite, and only continue or strengthen existing predispositions.

[@Leonardo-G]

If the problem is that incest leads to birth defects, the solution is birth control or sterilization not outright forbidding people from marrying.

[@paulbrooks4395]

@@Leonardo-G My thought was more along the lines of education and appropriately stigmatizing the practice socially-as long as it’s backed by evidence. My concern is that the video is making first cousin procreation sound reasonable and acceptable, and perhaps even saying it’s a “good” or even “better” idea than trying to find someone outside a genetically-close community. Genetic diversity is a “win” for any species.

[@jojothetasmaniansassmonkey8866]

@@Leonardo-G also genetic screening before having kids is a thing...so is sperm and egg donation

[@byronx2126]

I guess I’m surprised a Ted endorsed talk is so light on the genetic issues. Facts is what it’s about. Sure historical facts are interesting in understanding origins of social norms and in challenging those norms. But I feel most (educated?) people who are bothering to watch this are not just interested in the history, but also in what those limited stats mean. With health services offering screening for various genetic defects which many people want, I expect they want more data points on the stats provided.

[@flomccanuck8095]

Agree, surprised this is on Ted Talks - The study she cites is from 2002, very dated

[@RMatt2016]

@@flomccanuck8095 you can't expect academics to continously research on one singular topic over and over again. You don't get funding for an overdone topic. Unless a journal article was disproven by a later article or was retracted (which is rare but much worse - it happens if the data is botched/faked), then we have no reason to disbelieve. It's like questioning the viability of fertility treatments like IVF because the vast majority of IVF treatments articles were published in the 1990s and 2000s and don't touch as much on the topic because science generally accepted as fact. To continously audit/verify details, academics continue to do book/article reviews of the material. Additionally, by way of the nature of marriage and children, it takes a good decade or so for a fresh "sample" of kids to be born particularly if this is an American or Western study. Simply redoing the study 10 years later with a limited sample with likely repeated person would be a waste of funding overall.

[@user-ke3sk6jd3h]

​@@RMatt2016 "You can't expect academics to continuously research one single topic" Maybe not in your country, but we actually study medicine in my country and make it better. Maybe because here "Academics" isn't just one dude making drugs in a kids chemistry set.😐

[@RMatt2016]

@@user-ke3sk6jd3h yes. But do they keep on doing studies with new data every 5 to 10 years to know the viability of IVF treatments or do they focus on creating new treatments? Similarly, why would a academics spent time on continously checking with new data the negative effects of cousin marriage. It's not like the outcome will change after 10 years.

[@Mythansar]

Eventually (thanks for this), most people stopped it. Repeating this process over and over can be very dangerous.

[@mizomint4197]

Awesome. Gonna send this to all my cousins now.

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@rvdnagel1963]

Only if you were my cousin…

[@nowhere8130]

Sounds like someone is in love with her cousin.

[@ricky00x]

Didn’t know that it’s 1. april again xD

[@theroyaltrash]

Really making use of having no more dislike button

[@Joy-TheLazyCatLady]

I have a very controversial view of many things. We humans spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about what our "neighbors" are doing when they are not effecting anyone but themselves. I believe in live and let live unless you are causing unnecessary harm to others especially children and vulnerable adults. So, if you are a grown adult and you choose without any outside force or cohersion to marry your cousin and your cousin agrees without any outside force or cohersion than to me it is your decision. Who you marry has no bearing on my life. There may be something but I can't think of anything. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The only thing that I would be upset about is if you brought children into this world with significant birth defects that cause them pain physically and/or emotionally. You have a moral obligation to give your offspring the best life you can give them even as situations arise, times change, accidents happen, and so on.

[@haileyahmed7986]

Someone who has a genetic disease is more likely to spread it compared to two healthy couples who are cousins

[@darrellkramer8097]

If it's not forced and consensual, what difference does it make? Personally, I'm "pro-choice".

[@Joy-TheLazyCatLady]

@@darrellkramer8097 I believe we should have a right to do whatever we want with our own bodies as long as we are not treading on anyone else's human rights. In other words I am pro complete body autonomy. I'm not sure why the government feels like it's their right to tell me what drugs I can take, food I can eat, people I can love, where I can live, etc. They can warn me of a hazard but not prevent me. My body. My choice. Sorry to go off but I feel very strongly about this. ✌🏻

[@Punchackalumbich]

HAPPY NEW ANIMATION YEAR 🎄

[@msingh2333]

She has married her cousin obviously and trying to convince herself its ok.

[@Alpha_Marketing_Boss]

Gross! There are billions of people and now with technology… there is no reason to marry within your family. 🤮🤮🤮

[@joubinlee3944]

Completely true!

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@sweetbailarina92]

Charles II of Spain has entered the chat.

[@sheleavitt06]

He was a completely different and unusual case to what was/is the norm for cousin marriages even among royals. He was the product of multiple first cousins and Uncles w/nieces who were also their cousins which was beyond not normal. You had to have the Pope give you special permission for Uncles marrying nieces in the Habsburg family because even the church recognized that was too close a connection but money will grease the wheels of power anywhere so inbreed the Habsburg’s did till they bred themselves out of existence.

[@fendularatsq2317]

Share this video with your families.

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@steven_duller3841]

Official dislike comment. TED you guys are weird!

[@0scr_]

Why, why do so much stupid things are happening recently? Every day feels the world is chewing me, ready to spit me out forever. So much incompetent people influencing even more people to do stupid things, I can't, I just can't. This is the beginning of an end, and I just wish for it all to end. The World is cursed, and we did all of it. "Am I normal?" No, we are not normal, no one is. And, I guess, this is "normal" Sorry about that rant, feel free to cancel me, I'm going to be dead soon anyways.

[@0scr_]

@the black spot This is just a Ted talk. This is just a dislike count removal. This is just a dude, locked in a jail for singing a song. This is just a break up, we're still friends. This is just a depression, stop feeling it. This world is a mess. I feel bad for future generations. I should stop wasting my time on the internet.

[@fernandofrio5863]

2:40 Minimal Risk ≠ "No biological reason"

[@penniesshillings]

Well, I don't quite agree... if two people, both being the result of several generations of cousin-marriages would to marry, the risks for their children compound. Just ask King Charles II of Spain...

[@BrianMcInnis87]

Well yes; it's bad to marry anyone. But almost all marriages are between cousins as it is; just not usually first cousins.

[@nowayshay]

Funny thing is most of the states that banned cousin marriage allows the child marriage.

[@tidepoolclipper8657]

While it used to be normal for cousins to marry under some circumstance in the US, doesn't mean it's okay by today's standards. We have observed the detrimental effects on genetics that come from cousins procreating with each (especially siblings). While the signs won't always be obvious with the first generation of children created via incest procreation, it becomes truly pronounced as more and more generations of a family practice it.

[@Trilliman707]

Not really read more scientifical articles cousin marriage doesn't really bring that high birth defects as long as it isn't a family tradition and cousins aren't siblings genetically nor biologically biologically speaking cousins aren't even close relatives

[@darrellkramer8097]

Whatever... They are covering this as though it's a new concept. This has been going on since the beginning of time and has been widely accepted all over the world. If there are genetic issues in the family there are tests that can be done. If everything is consensual, why not?

[@CloakedC]

Is TED trying to test out the hidden Dislike feature on KZbin?

[@Leonardo-G]

There's ~1000 likes on the video and ~500 dislikes. It seems like they don't need that hidden dislike feature to get us on the side of reason.

[@steverocksyo]

The only thing that's odd is that I look so much like my cousins; they look like my siblings, and we all look related. If that's what you want to procreate with, I guess.

[@jacobwilkonson]

Cousin marriage is practiced to keep cultural values intact, preserve family wealth, maintain geographic proximity, keep tradition, strengthen family ties, and maintain family structure or a closer relationship between the wife and her in-laws. Cousin marriage is completely fine, and is not considered incest at all. Kids still turn out perfectly healthy in most cases as well.

[@brocanova]

If you knew my cousin you wouldn't ask that question.

[@michailnicki2224]

1.7% increase is still quite a bit if we are talking about "serious birth defects". Not to mention that a smaller gene pool will stack up random mutations (including defects) much faster with each successive generation, because the hypothetical grandchildren will simply lack the "backups" they would need to prevent a usually recessive mutation, therefore marrying your cousins is bad. Heck, ill go even a step further and saying that its best to procreate with someone thats as far away from your gene pool as possible, but thats just genetically speaking.

[@RMatt2016]

Actually if you read the byline in the Cummins article at 0:34 the author explicitly states in the first line that it's fine as long as you don't make a "tradition" out of it. In other words, successive cousin marriage bad. Hence why you have the Hasburgs. Hasburgs didn't marry their cousins like once in their entire lineage.

[@homewall744]

You are free, except with respect to your body, to your wealth, your health, your job, your pay, your benefits, your retirement, your ability to eat in a restaurant or go to a show, see a movie, drink alcohol, smoke, use recreational drugs, use pharmaceutical drugs, build a house, drive a car....

[@ktj3917]

People in the comment section playing with numbers to validate their point of view. Some say 2.8% increase over 3% is some 93 % increase. Yes, but to begin with the risk to permanent birth defects in the general population is too low to be considered significant in the first place. The video is just implying that cousin marriage just manages to increase the risk just over 2.8% from the already low risk to permanent birth defect of some 3 percent for the normal relationships. Some people on the other hand is like projecting this 3 percent of risk to permanent birth defects onto the whole population. We all know, even the people writing such claims that not everybody is going to marry their cousins. Also cousin couples without a family tree of cousin couple relationships are almost guaranteed of having children without any birth defects.