Moderator Margee Posted May 12, 2012 Moderator Share Posted May 12, 2012 Do you think people are stupid? I was reading this very short article and I have to admit he could be right? Are we dummies? What do you think? Quote: '' Heck, we’re not even smart enough to figure out good solutions for problems that we have been trying to resolve for thousands of years; such as famine prevention, political corruption, stable economies, balanced budgets, good education for all our children, healthcare for everyone, social security, etc. Humanity is so stupid that I am surprised that civilization has survived for so long. Unfortunately higher education and advanced technology has not helped us to completely solve any of our problems, so we need to somehow make ourselves significantly smarter.'' The article: http://www.philforhumanity.com/People_are_Stupid.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exevolt Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I would say we are highly intelligent with a thick layer of stupidity that shrouds this intelligence. From what I've seen humans have the ability to be great creators and builders and evolve at a rate that's dangerous. The problem lies in the fact humanity is also quite xenophobic of humanity and change and have shown to be even greater destroyers when not administering decent control. The trick is getting people to remove their heads from their asses that their little circle of sight is not the only thing within existence on this planet, that people in disaster areas are nut just some unlucky people on the news or that war is not a K/D Ratio on Fox news. Basically an end to mass ignorance helps 90% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I think it depends on which other living beings with whom we compare people. By terrestrial standards I think human beings are rather intelligent. We're up beyond even the species of octopus, dolphins, whales, chimpanzees. But who else might reside in our galaxy? We'll make great pets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Compared to what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I think it depends on which other living beings with whom we compare people. By terrestrial standards I think human beings are rather intelligent. We're up beyond even the species of octopus, dolphins, whales, chimpanzees. But who else might reside in our galaxy? We'll make great pets. I FOR ONE WELCOME OUR NEW REPTILIAN OVERLORDS I think humans can be terribly ignorant and short-sighted, but that's just biology talking. We're way beyond where we were, say, 60,000 years ago. Even 10,000 years ago. Even 5,000 years ago. We've finally figured out that slavery is bad, that women aren't second citizens, and we're slowly crawling out of the pit of religious dogma. I don't think we're stupid. I do however hope we'll figure our shit out well before we go extinct. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denyoz Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I'm so stupid, I had to look up the word. Stupid: Lacking in intelligence. I don't think we're lacking in intelligence, we have plenty of it. We DO have solutions to all our problems. But the establishment is preventing us from implementing any of them. We hear it all the time, when a spokesperson speaks on behalf of any institution: "The authorities are doing the best they can," blah, blah, blah, bull, barf. Liars. They are doing the best they can to make sure everything stays the same, so that they keep the control, the money, the power. They will only implement a good solution if they can make money out of it. Always. So in a way, we are stupid, because we believe them. If we try to do something about it we end up in jail. So we're stuck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I disagree with the article. I do not think people, taken as a whole, are stupid. Hell, we've solved a lot of medical problems, dental problems (a leading cause of death in the past), we've made our fields more productive for crops than ever before, we've walked on the moon and have satellites that do wondrous things for us. And on and on I could go. We have the ability to prevent starvation worldwide and resolve other worldwide problems, including developing forms of energy which would not depend on oil. Our not having achieved these things is not a matter of intelligence. Rather, it is a matter of greed, political issues, and succumbing to the dictates of leaders who are far too shortsighted. It is not our intelligence that needs to change, but to overcome these barriers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted May 12, 2012 Author Moderator Share Posted May 12, 2012 I think some are slow to learn. I was. I'm just puttin' this whole life stuff together right now at 57!! I've said this before...I think between the year 1900 -2000 was probably some of the best times to live on this earth. I personally see it all going downhill from here but I could be wrong. My grandmother said the same thing. It just looks to me like a billion ants scrambling around trying to get their shit together somehow, through greed, killing, stealing. Everyone seems to be involved in their own little 'trip'. How can we all become 'one nation under gawd', if we keep doing what were doing?? I see communities falling apart let alone trying to come together in countries! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 In my experience the vast majority of people I know and have met in the many countries I've visited and lived in are not greedy, are honest, love their friends and families and just try to be good human beings. Most are prone toward patriotism and such, which can be manipulated by a handful of greedy sociopaths who make it to the top of the food chain, but that doesn't make your average person bad, just vulnerable. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted May 12, 2012 Author Moderator Share Posted May 12, 2012 . Rather, it is a matter of greed, political issues, and succumbing to the dictates of leaders who are far too shortsighted. It is not our intelligence that needs to change, but to overcome these barriers. How would you propose we do this Overcame? What needs to be 'fixed' here and who will do the fixing? You are very right that we have a lot of intelligence... but this part doesn't look very smart to me!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted May 12, 2012 Author Moderator Share Posted May 12, 2012 In my experience the vast majority of people I know and have met in the many countries I've visited and lived in are not greedy, are honest, love their friends and families and just try to be good human beings. Most are prone toward patriotism and such, which can be manipulated by a handful of greedy sociopaths who make it to the top of the food chain, but that doesn't make your average person bad, just vulnerable. you are so right Vigile, but how do we, the 'small' people, put a stop to those greedy bastards at the top?? Are we trapped? Aren't we smart enough to do something about the negative things, if we all screamed together? Or does it take a ka-billion dollars, which none of us have......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 In my experience the vast majority of people I know and have met in the many countries I've visited and lived in are not greedy, are honest, love their friends and families and just try to be good human beings. Most are prone toward patriotism and such, which can be manipulated by a handful of greedy sociopaths who make it to the top of the food chain, but that doesn't make your average person bad, just vulnerable. you are so right Vigile, but how do we, the 'small' people, put a stop to those greedy bastards at the top?? Are we trapped? Aren't we smart enough to do something about the negative things, if we all screamed together? Or does it take a ka-billion dollars, which none of us have......... I don't know that a utopia can be achieved, which is what I would define as ending wars, starvation, etc... But have you ever seen this? I've posted it a couple of times over the past few years: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted May 12, 2012 Author Moderator Share Posted May 12, 2012 I don't know that a utopia can be achieved, which is what I would define as ending wars, starvation, etc... But have you ever seen this? I've posted it a couple of times over the past few years: That was amazing!! Thank you. I have never caught that, on one of your posts before. Very interesting! Wonderful illustration!! So it's all about evolution and I won't be around to see the best of it??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 So it's all about evolution and I won't be around to see the best of it??? You've lived with passion, with love, with a desire for understanding, with a desire to experience. I think you've been right in the middle of the best of it. That you desire to see the same in others means to me you've appreciated it. BTW, I'm currently in Estonia. It's so gentrified now it's boring. 20 years ago did you imagine Eastern Europe could be like Virginia Beach? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denyoz Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 how do we, the 'small' people, put a stop to those greedy bastards at the top? Are we trapped? Aren't we smart enough to do something about the negative things, if we all screamed together? Or does it take a ka-billion dollars, which none of us have... Margee, I think this question is the most important question humanity has to ask itself. I have asked it hundreds of times, and NO ONE EVER GIVES ME AN ANSWER! Because the answer is: we have to get together and overthrow the bastards. But if you try to do that, they will call you a terrorist and you'll end up in jail. It's happening all the time, everywhere, just watch the news. Anyone who actively opposes the established authority will be stopped somehow, they have come up with many different ways of stopping any opponents. Vigile's video was awesome (thanks Vigile), but is doesn't answer the question: "How do we, the small people, put a stop to those greedy bastards at the top?" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentLoner Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Yes. Next question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Because the answer is: we have to get together and overthrow the bastards. You'll always be faced with the fact that those who have the drive to make it to the top have sociopathic tendencies. Those who began the French revolution, for instance, had the best of intentions, but next thing you know, they turned into a paranoid bunch who began to lop one another's heads off. It was so bloody that most of the revolutionary leaders didn't survive, while those that did gave Stalin a run for his money in terms of knee jerk paranoia. And was the US really better off throwing off the king of England in a bloody revolution? Before you answer, Canada, which didn't fight, ridded itself of slavery far earlier than the US and is to this day a leading democracy. How do we stop them? We don't, but we do use democratic power to regain some ground like we did following the Great depression, the robber baron era, etc... It seems hopeless today, I agree, but we've done it before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 A truly amazing book about the futility of revolution, among other things most important in our human existence, if you haven't read it (everyone should read it once in their life IMO - Biblical Genesis has nothing on Marquez): http://www.amazon.co...z/dp/0060929790 As an aside, the fact that today we have books so exceedingly more profound than the bible should be a major hint the bible is not inspired by the creator of the universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denyoz Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Watch this guy, he dares to speak out on the news: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I pretty much find myself agreeing with Ratigan most of the time, but he's losing credibility by going into the 'lose it' mode every other week. I completely agree we need to do something about the status quo, I'm just not in agreement that armed revolution will fix the problem. It will make things far worse IMO. Short of that, all we have is re-regulation. We've reeled in the banks and the billionaires before. At some point it will happen again. Meanwhile, not to downplay the problems, but we aren't living with the problems of subsaharan Africa. We are actually better off in terms of equality, financial stability, etc... than our great grandparents. And, like I said, when you see places like Estonia undergo gentrification, and countries like Thailand heading that way, it's kind of hard to panic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denyoz Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 I completely agree we need to do something about the status quo, I'm just not in agreement that armed revolution will fix the problem. It will make things far worse IMO. Short of that, all we have is re-regulation. We've reeled in the banks and the billionaires before. At some point it will happen again. Meanwhile, not to downplay the problems, but we aren't living with the problems of subsaharan Africa. We are actually better off in terms of equality, financial stability, etc... than our great grandparents. And, like I said, when you see places like Estonia undergo gentrification, and countries like Thailand heading that way, it's kind of hard to panic. I see your point. Of course, things could be worse. I don't want to see an armed revolution any more than you do. I'm quite comfortable in my little "rich" bubble. But I think there is a real need for a revolution. And I'm at a loss on how we can make this happen peacefully. I live in Canada, you live in Estonia. I think the USA is in much deeper shit than we are. I just wish people would talk about this more, and at least be aware of what the root of the problem is. I hate it when I hear things like: "There is not enough love in the world, that's why there's wars." "People are greedy, that's why the poor have nothing to eat." "People are stupid, that's why we are uneducated." Wrong, wrong, wrong. Everyone I know is loving, caring, generous and intelligent enough. Those are not the problem. The root of the problem is: the banking system is corrupt, the political system is corrupt, the military system is corrupt, the medical/pharmaceutical system is corrupt, not the people, the SYSTEMS. Corruption is built into the system. Just my opinion. No one has to agree. I don't care. I want a beer... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted May 12, 2012 Super Moderator Share Posted May 12, 2012 I think a person is smart but people are stupid. Corruption is built into the system. True dat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted May 12, 2012 Author Moderator Share Posted May 12, 2012 Wrong, wrong, wrong. Everyone I know is loving, caring, generous and intelligent enough. Those are not the problem. The root of the problem is: the banking system is corrupt, the political system is corrupt, the military system is corrupt, the medical/pharmaceutical system is corrupt, not the people, the SYSTEMS. Corruption is built into the system. Just my opinion. No one has to agree. I don't care. I want a beer... Deny, I think you are right!! I have watched that video a long time ago...It's time somebody blew a gasket!! You all make very good points. So then, since it's all run by rich sociopaths who don't have great conciousness's - we are literally trapped to do something about the mess? Do we just stop watching all the politics so we don't get frustrated in our little worlds? That's what I have done for years! I didn't listen to it and therefore I didn't tend to get frustrated! Somehow, I am interested in this now and just as I suspected - it brings me frustration. I cannot compete with those types of rich, higher ups!! Quote from good little article: ''The real problem arose when the population increased and the possible wealth became limited. There was only so much land and money and other resources to go around. Thus, for one person to amass a lot of wealth, they had to reduce what somebody else could get. This created conflict in the society between the haves and have-nots, the go-getters and the no-getters''............ http://public.wsu.ed...e/socgreed.html I wish I could have a beer!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 . Rather, it is a matter of greed, political issues, and succumbing to the dictates of leaders who are far too shortsighted. It is not our intelligence that needs to change, but to overcome these barriers. How would you propose we do this Overcame? What needs to be 'fixed' here and who will do the fixing? You are very right that we have a lot of intelligence... but this part doesn't look very smart to me!! One way is to step outside of the system the best way one can do. For example, you think the interest on credit cards is too high? Stop using them. You don't like having your home foreclosed if you miss a few payments? Don't get a mortgage or, at the very least, NEVER sign a mortgage agreement until you understand it and know exactly what you are signing. Ever read your mortgage agreement? Most people have no idea what they agreed to until they are being foreclosed on and realize that they signed away many of their rights. Don't like your political leaders? Don't vote for the bums. If you have to, exercise your right to write in a candidate. Don't like the power your political leaders have? Follow the legislation that is proposed, read and understand it then write to your representative and explain, in detail, what you object to. Here's a fact: most people, including politicians, have no idea what is buried deep within legislation. That's how the few pull these fast ones, by burying egregious provisions in various unrelated pieces of legislation and then push for quick passage. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 A truly amazing book about the futility of revolution, among other things most important in our human existence, if you haven't read it (everyone should read it once in their life IMO - Biblical Genesis has nothing on Marquez): http://www.amazon.co...z/dp/0060929790 As an aside, the fact that today we have books so exceedingly more profound than the bible should be a major hint the bible is not inspired by the creator of the universe. ZOMG I've been meaning to read that. His Love in the Time of Cholera was one of the most profound books I've ever read. It affected me far more than the Bible ever could have. But one can hardly fault the Bible for being irrelevant to so many people. It's got shit for editing and whoever did its fact-checking needs to be keelhauled. It's like a shared-universe anthology that none of the authors actually discussed before they got to writing. There are loads of fiction books that I find more profound and affecting than the Bible, consequently; any fiction book with a cohesive plot will fare better than the Bible on the readability scale no matter what its other flaws might be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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