Are People Getting Smarter or Dumber?

[garlicncow]

I think we are getting smarter.
The dumb people never get into a position where they can influence humanity thank god.

One word: Bush

 

[Irridium]

Stupid people would raise their children, causing their children to take after them, and also become stupid. Its not genetics, its just kids and babies take after the people they're around most. And if most of them are stupid people, then... yeah.

Kids do not entirely turn out exactly like the one/two people they're around most, and most kids spend substantial amounts of time in school actively being taught and influenced by people who are not their parents. Psychology is itself an extremely "soft" science and is open to speculation and interpretation, but I've never heard of "kids will resemble their parents" ever. Influenced by? Yes. I can think of several people I know who actively try not to be like their parents, because of their parents influence.

I can't help but associate Idiocracy's statement of "stupid people are reproducing more" with a thinly veiled racial sentiment.

I know, but its still a possibility. I've seen plenty of people turn out exactly like their parents, for better or worse, and many people turn out opposite of their parents, again for better or worse.

 

[L-J-F]

I think we are getting smarter.
The dumb people never get into a position where they can influence humanity thank god.

Depends whether creating 3 times the offspring is influencing humanity. Not only genetically but also socially as well, through upbringing. I'd say they do more than you think.

 

[Souplex]

I take it you don't read XKCD?

Spoiler

Using XKCD to prove humanity's intelligence seems kind of counterproductive. Idiocracy never said anything aboot class, just intelligence.

If you had just said "webcomic" and not "XKCD," you'd almost have a persuasive argument. Randall Munroe's a smart guy who just happens to write webcomics.

It's not the medium, it's that specific part of the medium. There are plenty of good webcomics out there. XKCD is not so much "Intelligent" as it is pretentious.

 

[mtk2a]

In developed countries there is zero evolutionary pressure to be smarter.

Being smart, getting a degree, making lots of money, these things no longer have much bearing on survival or reproduction.

If you're stupid and poor, the government will take care of you. If you have a dozen stupid babies, the government will take care of them too.

 

[Arenari]

I find that very little people in the middle now, some people are getting dumber and dumber, some are getting smarter and smarter.

I have to agree with this completely. I have yet to see someone who seems totally dumb recover and produce offspring that are quite intelligent. I have heard about it happening, I've just never seen it.

 

[OmegaXzors]

As each day progresses, I meet a new idiot which degrades what I thought to be the lowest form of an uneducated, hulking mass that redefines "waste of space."

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

I take it you don't read XKCD?

Spoiler

Using XKCD to prove humanity's intelligence seems kind of counterproductive. Idiocracy never said anything aboot class, just intelligence.

If you had just said "webcomic" and not "XKCD," you'd almost have a persuasive argument. Randall Munroe's a smart guy who just happens to write webcomics.

It's not the medium, it's that specific part of the medium. There are plenty of good webcomics out there. XKCD is not so much "Intelligent" as it is pretentious.

Pretentious? What's so pretentious about XKCD? It's stick figures on graph paper. The entire comic's so unceremonial about itself, I'd say it's almost removed from pretense.

On a tangent, why has pretentious become the buzzword for "I don't like it"? It's such an overused, seldom understood word.

 

[-Samurai-]

In terms of knowledge, people are definitely getting smarter. You can't help bu(t) get smarter with things like the internet. In terms of sense and overall intelligence, not at all. Comfort allows people to get by with no common sense or intellect.

Picked the words straight from my brain.

 

[Pegghead]

Comparing knowledge and all round logic in our world today to that of a thousand years ago I'd say we've definitely become smarter and logically we can only become more and more intelligent on the whole.

I think humanity has a positive future ahead of itself.

 

[ENKC]

You can't make assumptions about this based on anecdotal experiences. Only cold, hard, scientifically verifiable statistics can reveal the truth.

 

[Super Toast]

For the most part, dumber. The smarter people don't reproduce as often, while the less intelligent end up having many children.

Something tells me you've seen Idiocracy.

OT: People are getting smarter, it's just that they're also becoming bigger jerks.

 

[ottenni]

Hell no. These days its just easier to be heard, so if someone makes even the slightest mistake everyone knows about it. A man could be a genius, but if he makes one tiny mistake everyone finds out and he becomes know for it.

 

[Marter]

For the most part, dumber. The smarter people don't reproduce as often, while the less intelligent end up having many children.

Something tells me you've seen Idiocracy.

I actually have not. Does it come recommended?

 

[MONSTERheart]

Were getting smarter, it's just that the bar that defines "smart" is constantly rising. Our society is discovering new things at an increasing rate, and, simply stated, most people can't catch up with the amount of information now out there.

75 years ago we would have all been geniuses.

 

[Angryman101]

Well, scientifically speaking, there's been a large upswing in IQ, so much so that it has been adjusted. The average person of today is actually more intelligent than the average person of yesterday, if I remember correctly.
Really, it all depends on the demographic. I come from an upper middle-class town, and pretty much every person I know are both incredibly intelligent and work their asses off every single day in order to get into a good college/grad school.

 

[Dags90]

Were getting smarter, it's just that the bar that defines "smart" is constantly rising. Our society is discovering new things at an increasing rate, and, simply stated, most people can't catch up with the amount of information now out there.

75 years ago we would have all been geniuses.

Seriously. My grandma was "good at math" in high school, but never learned formal algebra. My father's required maths to graduate was a basic arithmetic course. My high school required at least algebra and geometry and graduation rates have substantially increased since then.

 

[signingupforgames]

Both

Now let me explain. As we're moving forward in time the freaking out of war and the intensity of everything around us grows, pressure is put on the "smarties" and this also believe it or not affects the children of the "smarties". Kids see adult. Adult famous for brains. Kids want to be smart.

On the other hand everyone's getting dumber mostly because of the inventions of the smart people. Laziness == idiocy. Or more likely it leads to it.

 

[Ham_authority95]

I wouldn't know, I don't mingle with the younger generation all that often.

Same here and I'm only 15.

And if we are getting dumber, I'll probably be dead before it kills us.

 

[MONSTERheart]

Were getting smarter, it's just that the bar that defines "smart" is constantly rising. Our society is discovering new things at an increasing rate, and, simply stated, most people can't catch up with the amount of information now out there.

75 years ago we would have all been geniuses.

Seriously. My grandma was "good at math" in high school, but never learned formal algebra. My father's required maths to graduate was a basic arithmetic course. My high school required at least algebra and geometry and graduation rates have substantially increased since then.

Is that just because less people are dropping out?

Honest question. You sound like someone who would know this kind of thing.