is intelligence uncool?

POSTED BY: boris
UPDATED: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 12:44
VIEWED: 7460
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FREMDFIRMA

Friday, January 11, 2008 12:31 AM

Well, one thing so many folk undervalue is cunning/craftiness.

Not raw intelligence, mind - but confront an old shadetree mechanic within his expertise, and then see how WELL he applies the lessons learned there to other things... some of them hicktown backwater folks might not be particularly SMART, no, but many are wise and cunning, which is to them, within their environment, more useful - and that's the way they look at it.

I do believe there is a concerted effort by the powers that be, the media, and dept of education to obliterate critical thinking, it's damned obvious to anyone who looks for it, and I am in the middle of a nasty go-round because my nieces go to a school that tries to class critical thinking and asking questions as a goddamn mental illness, fer cryin out loud.
(and imma leave out the 5 PAGES worth of railing on off-lable, untested, unproven psycotropics en masse, this time, right ?)

Brains are great, but raw intelligence with no aptitude or skills to apply it with is a bit of a waste, and an intense frustration to a schoolkid who realizes they're in that strange position.
(Solution, she goes to vo-tech, or my boot goes up someones ass, problem solved.)

I think a huge part of it is that our school systems have gone from education... to indoctrination, and a little peeking into the history of public education will show that this was almost inevitable given their original design and intent.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

SPACEHOPPER

Friday, January 11, 2008 4:49 AM

I believe this has a lot to do evolution and instinct. When we were more primitive beings, a successful male would have to be able to provide for and defend his family (i.e. be strong and athletic) and a successful woman would have to be good at child-bearing (again physical perfection is sought). Intelligence didn’t really come into the equation because there was no great divide in knowledge amongst a tribe.

Nowadays, though, this has become entirely not the case. Men no longer have to physically defend their family and home (in general), they no longer have to be athletic to provide for their family either. Women do not have to give birth to many offspring in order to ensure the survival of their bloodline, and they are also equally able to provide for their family as men.

What has become much more important in ensuring success as a human, for both males and females, is intellect. The fact is that, in general, the more intelligent a person is, the better their job will be and so the better theirs and their children’s quality of life will be. That is what our brains tell us, but our instincts still tell us to find a physically perfect mate. That is why beautiful idiots still have a strong social position.

Why is intellect branded uncool? Because it has become the number one attribute when it comes to being a successful human being, and people with only the old, out of date attributes are jealous and afraid of it. Someone with the ‘old’ attributes is more intimidating than someone with just a big brain; that is why a scrawny, ugly, weak, intelligent person will get picked on the most; a person who possess both intellectual and physical superiority will get picked on less and a person who is strong or beautiful or both but less intelligent will be the one dishing out the abuse.

We are told from an early age that greater intellect is the way forward, and the people who are still of the old mould are scared of being left behind and ultimately phased out of the species, as is the nature of evolution.

KAREL

Friday, January 11, 2008 7:17 AM

Let's use our cell phones and computers to chat with our friends about the uncoolness of intelligence! [edit: The network router went down while I was editing.] *snort*

I don't have much to add to the thoughtful dissertations here, but from experience, and squinting and looking around today, I'd say that intelligence is deemed uncool.

Though I hold intelligence in high regard, it is merely one of many traits that make up a person as a whole. This is becoming more evident to me all the time.

--karelisjusttoowhiteandnerdyisall.

"This is the twenty first century, can't you get it through your head? This ain't the way it was meant to be, magic isn't dead." -- Marillion.

AGENTROUKA

Friday, January 11, 2008 9:56 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SpaceHopper:

Why is intellect branded uncool? Because it has become the number one attribute when it comes to being a successful human being, and people with only the old, out of date attributes are jealous and afraid of it. Someone with the ‘old’ attributes is more intimidating than someone with just a big brain; that is why a scrawny, ugly, weak, intelligent person will get picked on the most; a person who possess both intellectual and physical superiority will get picked on less and a person who is strong or beautiful or both but less intelligent will be the one dishing out the abuse.

I'll disagree. That's a simplistic view and doesn't take into account the other attributes at play.

For example, what about the ugly, scrawny stupid kid? Just as likely to be bullied and picked on.

The beautiful, intelligent, physically strong person? Just as likely to do the picking.

A star athlete will not be bullied even if he makes straight A's and wins science prizes.

Fact is, at that age, most kids are afraid. They are growing up, they are facing choices that will affect the entire rest of their lives. The fear of failing to live up to their potential success, of missing out, of being stuck in an unhappy life mess with them. And that's not even speaking of their present life when they want to be accepted, wanted and experience all those things we associate with being young. Sex, love, friendship, careless fun. Kids are under tons of pressure. They are attracted to those who seem successful and strongly reject those who seem unsuccessful. The lash out to vent all that pressure and they lash out against those who seem weak and prone to lack of success, to prove to themselves that they cannot possible be identifying with someone like that.

And anyone who stands out in an unsuccessful way (being alone, being ugly, being male and very physically weak, being poor, having noticable disorders...) is going to be demonstrably rejected, by mocking, harrassing or violence. Or just plain ignored. Intelligence is a minor factor there, I think.

I think it has less to do with dumb vs. smart and more with human beings doing what they are programmed to do: try and belong to the herd.

The more pressure and fear kids are saddled with, the more this will occur, but it has always occured, even when intelligence was not over-focused on.

MAL4PREZ

Friday, January 11, 2008 4:09 PM

I'll just note that Wayne Gretzky regularly got booed at hockey games when he was a kid - a 6 year playing with 10 year olds and such - because he kicked ass and folks were jealous. In high school, he played semi-pro a town over from his home, and didn't tell anyone because he'd have gotten flayed for it.

Ain't just brains, folks. People are petty about everything.

-----------------------------------------------
hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left

KAREL

Friday, January 11, 2008 6:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:
Ain't just brains, folks. People are petty about everything.

Good point. People can be petty about anything.

"This is the twenty first century, can't you get it through your head? This ain't the way it was meant to be, magic isn't dead." -- Marillion.

KIRKULES

Friday, January 11, 2008 7:06 PM

Intelligence is overrated in my opinion. The difference in potential between the most intelligent and those of average intelligence is minimal. A person of average intelligence with a good education is just as likely to cure cancer as some egg head.

In my experience, many of my friends that I consider super intelligent have emotional problems that prevent them from achieving their true potential.

KAREL

Friday, January 11, 2008 9:03 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kirkules:
The difference in potential between the most intelligent and those of average intelligence is minimal.

Generally true statement, IMHO. The word that draws my attention here is "potential". I have as of yet to meet anybody with all traits going in the same direction... kinda levels the playing field a bit.
*looks in mirror*

Nope. Not quite right.

"This is the twenty first century, can't you get it through your head? This ain't the way it was meant to be, magic isn't dead." -- Marillion.

BORIS

Monday, January 14, 2008 3:30 AM

I feel I need to clarify, by intelligence I'm not just referring to academic prowess, but to openmindedness/wisdom generally. my parents, and alot of their friends had very little formal education, and yet are highly intelligent people.My brother and I are subsequently open minded, free thinking, pragmatic people.
( We were "forced" into tertiary education, but that is not where we gleaned our intelligence factor). I am an avid learning addict. Everytime I come across someone with knowledge new to me, I like to shut up and absorb what they can teach me.
Interestingly, I find that the people most threatened by another's intelligence, are the "average" types (why are there so many of them?). It's always the least likely people you meet who display real smarts. The most intelligent people I know are either homeless, uneducated, or under 12 years of age. I don't believe in the value our society places on IQ ratings. I have an IQ of 174, and have never found a practical use for it. ironically I also have profound learning problems. I apparently talk like a scholar, and as much as this can be offputting for some people, I'm not doing it to patronise anyone, it's just how I speak. I come across as never being wrong about anything, because I don't pretend to be right about things I don't understand. I did the dumb down thing for a while in my youth, but it made me extremely uncomfortable.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, January 15, 2008 7:28 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by boris:
I feel I need to clarify, by intelligence I'm not just referring to academic prowess, but to openmindedness/wisdom generally. my parents, and alot of their friends had very little formal education, and yet are highly intelligent people.My brother and I are subsequently open minded, free thinking, pragmatic people.
( We were "forced" into tertiary education, but that is not where we gleaned our intelligence factor). I am an avid learning addict. Everytime I come across someone with knowledge new to me, I like to shut up and absorb what they can teach me.
Interestingly, I find that the people most threatened by another's intelligence, are the "average" types (why are there so many of them?). It's always the least likely people you meet who display real smarts. The most intelligent people I know are either homeless, uneducated, or under 12 years of age. I don't believe in the value our society places on IQ ratings. I have an IQ of 174, and have never found a practical use for it. ironically I also have profound learning problems. I apparently talk like a scholar, and as much as this can be offputting for some people, I'm not doing it to patronise anyone, it's just how I speak. I come across as never being wrong about anything, because I don't pretend to be right about things I don't understand. I did the dumb down thing for a while in my youth, but it made me extremely uncomfortable.

I had assumed most of this to be the case. Academic prowess and IQ are the opposing and conflicting measures that most attempt. It's not supposed to be practical - making things for the "average" is practical. Psychometry is more useful as a diagnostic tool than anything. But it is nice to hang out with a group of high-IQ people, the conversation and happenings are so much more relaxed, easy, and flow so much better.

The original high-IQ society was formed to help out political leaders, solve societal problems and such, but polititians have no interest in actually solving problems or discussing them.

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