RE: Why is intelligence frowned upon in the US?

Because da bible say so.

Where I grew up the 'preppy kids' tended to be reasonably popular. They had to do well in school to be part of the group, and therefore were considered intelligent. Some were, but I think that there is something anti-intellectual about defining intelligence based on grades. Those who have written intentionally terrible essays that represent what their teachers want to read know what I mean.

fermion wrote:

Intelligence and popularity seem to be mutually exclusive in the US. (Not necessarily in Asian countries though). Why is this? Is there some sort of evolutionary path that would have caused this to be the case?

smarter people tend to be more curious. more curiosity leads to more questioning. more questioning leads to less belief in stupid religious institutions.

Americans love their stupid religious institutions.

Because high intelligence makes less intelligent people feel inferior, makes them envious.

The US may go down if you don't start to appreciate IQ more.

Otherwise, other countries may outperform you due to better inventions, better efficiency etc.

China and Japan are smarter than the U.S.

But they have an aging population with little natural energy resources and tight arable land.

No matter what they do they are stuck, in fact they have to be smarter just to keep up.

Bad Wiggins wrote:

The cold war is over, so the government doesn't need as many educated people as it used to, to fight all those educated Russians. Now they just want minimum wage workers mainly. More Indians, fewer chiefs.

They still encourage high enrollment at colleges, but that's because American colleges are so bad that only a tiny percentage of enrollees end up educated.

The Chinese don't send all that many people to college, relative to their population, so naturally those who graduate college end up rich compared to the average Chinese, and money means popularity. In America and Japan, smart doesn't mean rich.

With a few exceptions, Japanese college kids are some of the dumbest, drunkest people you'll ever meet.

huh??????

Have you researched any of what you just said. You couldn't be more wrong in everything you just said.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm wrote:

huh??????

Have you researched any of what you just said. You couldn't be more wrong in everything you just said.

Boy you sure told me. You sure know your shit. I take it all back. Not.

Including the part about drunk Japanese college kids, who you obviously have never hung out with as I have.

In fact I doubt you've ever encountered a drunken Japanese in your life. Admit it.

The majority of the US population is not intelligent. Look at the way people spend their entertainment dollars, which I use to assess what the population wants. Few of the most popular movies, TV shows, music, and magazines are learning opportunities, require interpretation, have complex plots that may require a second viewing/reading. Americans spend their money on entertainment media that is easy to understand, can provide instant gratification, does not demand much brainpower, and has lots of sex and violence.

So if the majority does not approach life with a sense of wonder and curiosity, and seeks short-term pleasure, how can we expect intelligence to be valued in our country?

crazy person wrote:

The majority of the US population is not intelligent. Look at the way people spend their entertainment dollars, which I use to assess what the population wants. Few of the most popular movies, TV shows, music, and magazines are learning opportunities, require interpretation, have complex plots that may require a second viewing/reading. Americans spend their money on entertainment media that is easy to understand, can provide instant gratification, does not demand much brainpower, and has lots of sex and violence.

So if the majority does not approach life with a sense of wonder and curiosity, and seeks short-term pleasure, how can we expect intelligence to be valued in our country?

Some people view movies as an escape from the day-to-day. People whose day-to-day lives don't stimulate them intellectually may require entertainment that does...

Blondes have more fun

Still waiting for an intelligent thought from this thread

yyy wrote:

The US may go down if you don't start to appreciate IQ more.

Otherwise, other countries may outperform you due to better inventions, better efficiency etc.

I disagree due to side-effects of high IQs such social isolation, depression, underachievement etc. There are notable exceptions.

Kids are not encouraged by parents to have healthy intelligent pursuits. As they transition from kids, they get peer pressure which narrows the field even more. If they actually get out of high school the universities will more than likely stiffle their individual thought and creativity due to the amount of work required to get a degree. If you somehow make it past that gauntlet you hit mainstream American life. I work in software and I TRY to make in interesting and I am the ONLY one at my office of 250 people who would break out a book to study an idea over a cookbook technique. No one wants to know the whys any more. They just want the end result. Sadly, it just seems there are lots of situations designed against cultivating that in "normal" American life. If you cherish, honor, and, develop it by letting kids know how precious, special and important it is (without blowing smoke up their butts) they will be richer members of society. Hopefully they will wake up one day and say "This is me" too, thereby, embracing it as their own. But, the best we as parents can do is put it before them, give them some nudges, hugs, and, positive reinforcement while guiding them as best we can to what their bent might be.

Because fundamentalist Christianity is institutionalized idiocy and ignorance.

Steve Martin wrote:

well, a popular guy like Obama can be POTUS, even if he is an intellectual midget. That is why.

You have to be pretty dumb to think you are smarter than Obama.

Think about the type of peeople in charge, people like:

Moron draft dodging coward George W Bush

Moron draft dodging coward Ronald Reagan

Women are programmed to favor big, strong men that can protect and provide for their offspring. If you're spending more time working on your brains rather than your physique, you're just not going to appeal to most women. Therefore, for the best chance to pass on your genes, you should present yourself as a big, strong crossfitter. Definitely not saying crossfitters aren't smart, but given a choice, 9/10 women will favor Mr. Crossfit over Mr. Poindexter.