People were convinced that bleeding someone would help them recover from an ailment. We are nowhere near the height of stupidity we embraced during the dark ages.
are people getting stupider
- Thread starter Spikethebloody
- Start date
This sums it up pretty well. Still need to get around to seeing Idiocracy...generals3 said:
One would think that worldwide instantaneous access to the largest database of all time and the sum of all human knowledge would result in all of us getting smarter... Instead it seems to only bring out the stupidest parts of our minds.
Dear god, your avatar and title are incredible.Sassafrass said:
OT:
Not really.
2 things have happened: A population boom and The Internet.
More people means more dumb people and the internet makes sure everyone has the opportunity to tell the entire human race about their stupidity.
If Twilight came out 30 years earlier, there wouldn't be such hatred against its success than what we see now. We're getting smarter.
Also, is there an objective way to measure wisdom?
Also, is there an objective way to measure wisdom?
I find it ironic that you're complaining about people being stupid and use a video of someone clearly joking as an example. His channel is about him overreacting about day to day injustices as a source of humour.Spikethebloody said:
On topic, I'd say as a whole we're becoming much smarter as a species. Arguably our "common sense" is decreasing, but the availability of the internet has made it much easier to learn. If the average person is curious about a topic now he/she can google it with minimal effort. 50 years ago he/she would have had to take a trip to the library to find relevant books - the additional effort means less people are likely to bother.
There are certainly areas where we're less intelligent, basic arithmetic skills in particular - I'm a mathematics student at university with 2 A levels in maths and my father who left school at 16 could multiply 2 numbers together much faster than me. It just comes down to a shift in focus of what we as a society need to know.
The standard for an average, 100, IQ has consistently risen over time, so at least according to that people are getting more intelligent.
Naw, we're not getting stupider. My theory is that now that we have an Internet, we can seek out and are exposed to far more idiocy than we would normally experience in our daily lives, surrounded by normal people. Yes, reality tv is reaching new depths, but remember, we put a robot on the surface of another world, and through it we have gained a deeper understanding of potential life on another planet!
Also, to anyone who is treating Idiocracy like a prophetic vision:
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/idiocracy.png
Also, to anyone who is treating Idiocracy like a prophetic vision:
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/idiocracy.png
I firmly believe that the average person is getting stupider, it's really the only result of darwinism in our society. That is particularly terrifying when you realize how stupid they already are.
Yes. My interactions with people in person tend to leave me with this conclusion even more strongly than my interactions with them on the internet.Asuka Soryu said:
We're all morons really, at least in one area or another. I mean, I can't do anagrams.
If we look at statistics we'll see that*, on average, most western nations have a general trend upwards in terms of education, productivity and other measures. To be honest I think the whole question of intelligence posed in the OT is misleading and the real question is whether we, as a whole, are growing less aware of our own ignorance.
* - I can't be bothered to look at/for statistics. If you do and find I am mistaken, please blow my assumption out of the water.
If we look at statistics we'll see that*, on average, most western nations have a general trend upwards in terms of education, productivity and other measures. To be honest I think the whole question of intelligence posed in the OT is misleading and the real question is whether we, as a whole, are growing less aware of our own ignorance.
* - I can't be bothered to look at/for statistics. If you do and find I am mistaken, please blow my assumption out of the water.
I'd go so far as to say that we're getting smarter. We have access to the information superhighway. Information at our fingertips, infinite definitions, explanations and examples of everything we could desire right there at any moment of any day. Just because we see stupid people daily doesn't mean that those people are getting more common. Just more vocal.
