Are you smart?

Xordium · 23 Feb 2012 at 19:35

fez said:
Our intelligence is our greatest asset but I can't see how it won't ultimately cause our demise.

It is though most likely the only thing that will ensure our survival. I just wish I was there to see that episode in the story of the human race.

fez · 23 Feb 2012 at 19:51

Xordium said:
It is though most likely the only thing that will ensure our survival. I just wish I was there to see that episode in the story of the human race.

I don't mean in a sense of our own brillance killing us, more that society already revels in stupidity and the idea that everyone is equal when that is simply not the case.

The most well known faces to the world are crappy pop stars and movie stars and children are brought up to emulate talentless idiots that simply got lucky.

We constantly look to make those that are hard working, work harder to cover the lack of work from a minority and the people that reproduce most frequently, are those that we probably don't want to reproduce at all.

FoxEye · 23 Feb 2012 at 19:53

fez said:
we have advanced so quickly that it would blow someone from the 19th century mind if they saw us today.

Would they, really?

I'd like to think that you could bring someone from the past to the future, and they would quickly draw parallels with their own society. I think they'd intuitively understand most things as a progression from things they had in their own eras.

And if you brought someone from the 1960s/70s to the present, they'd actually be disappointed. They expected us to be living in space stations by now!

semi-pro waster · 23 Feb 2012 at 19:57

Castiel said:
Whether you are 'smart' or not depends entirely on your peer group.....it is a relative and subjective thing.

How do you quantify Smart?

As you say it is relative in some ways but it may be absolute in others i.e. you can be relatively "smart" at a particular subject and in an absolute sense "smart" in that there's almost nothing you do not know or can not do in that area but you could be utterly terrible at almost every other subject area ever. So you could be relatively smart in comparison to your abilities everywhere else but in an absolute sense also gifted in a particular area.

Although to an extent that's all just playing about with the definitions of absolute and relative.

Dolph said:
The problem is democracy values ill conceived blather and critically considered views as being equivalent....

I guess it depends what you want from a system but generally speaking the alternatives to democracy seem even less appealing so I guess it's something I suspect we've got to put up with.

Xordium said:
It is though most likely the only thing that will ensure our survival. I just wish I was there to see that episode in the story of the human race.

I think we're still in the balance in the regard as to whether we'll cause our own downfall or whether we'll manage to get it together and not destroy ourselves.

And in answer to the thread title - nope.

J-FRO · 23 Feb 2012 at 20:10

20 points to the house of whichever student reads the lot and comes back and summarises.

[FnG]magnolia · 23 Feb 2012 at 20:13

I'm the least clever person I know.

Well, apart from you lot.

elmarko · 23 Feb 2012 at 20:33

ChrisJSY said:
That is not condescention, it's not his opinion; he's stating the fact of what the site is about, humans do have lots of logical fallacy's and flaws and it has been documented, this is a fact, this is not an attempt to be superior over you or anyone.

Thanks,

At not one point did I say I was immune to these errors, just it's something we all should try to recognise when we are doing them.

When somebody first gets into logic/critical thinking/science you have to step back for a moment & accept that 50% of the things you thought before were wrong - it's not easy but it's worth doing.

I really only care about what's actually true & would encourage others to do the same - if somebody can correct me when I'm wrong & have evidence to prove it - that's great! - It means I've learned something.

PermaBanned · 23 Feb 2012 at 20:34

J-FRO said:
20 points to the house of whichever student reads the lot and comes back and summarises.

People are stupid.

I'll be having those points now please

Tom0 · 23 Feb 2012 at 20:34

ChrisJSY said:
It just goes on to prove that you could have taken a inquisitive standpoint and asked him but you jumped straight and head first into an insult.
That is not condescention, it's not his opinion; he's stating the fact of what the site is about, humans do have lots of logical fallacy's and flaws and it has been documented, this is a fact, this is not an attempt to be superior over you or anyone.

Indeed he's stating fact but seemingly based on the assumption that I never even opened the link or even understood what the content was. Which is why I replied thusly.

Edit: And just to clarify, it's not the facts on the site or the research I have a problem with. Its the way it's the way it's been written. It's almost like reading a scientology booklet.

elmarko · 24 Feb 2012 at 08:49

Tom0 said:
Indeed he's stating fact but seemingly based on the assumption that I never even opened the link or even understood what the content was. Which is why I replied thusly.

Edit: And just to clarify, it's not the facts on the site or the research I have a problem with. Its the way it's the way it's been written. It's almost like reading a scientology booklet.

I don't recall earmarking this post for your eyes only.

I thought I'd pick a site which was friendly to people who are unfamiliar with the subject.

You do know the entire internet isn't made specifically for you?.