Half of all people have below-average IQ scores.
Hopefully one doesn't have to have been placed in an Abecedarian program to see that this is not only normal, it is a metaphysical necessity.
Yesterday a colleague said, "Only smart people think quickly."
The speed with which one solves mental problems is, in fact, a useful and generally reliable gauge for assessing intelligence. Smart people are, as a rule, gifted with a mental dexterity that enables them to see solutions more quickly than less-gifted minds.
There is a risk in focusing too narrowly on quick thinking: one can neglect other factors that are necessary ingredients for arriving at sound conclusions or making correct decisions. For example, a solid understanding of human nature can make a fellow intelligent beyond his years -- a point on which many moderns fall short with their neglect of traditional morals and their ignorance of what it means to live a good (i.e. upright) life. "I'll do what I want so long as no one else gets hurt" is a sure recipe for neglecting the One Thing Necessary.
Another risk is that individuals infatuated with quick responses will adopt artificial strategies that expedite decision-making but that provide no opportunity for deep understanding. When you see someone extolling the benefits of crowd-sourcing, crowd-wisdom, collective decision-making, social media, and the like, you're probably dealing with someone who is inclined to substitute conformity with group attitudes and norms for developing a deep and meaningful ability to think. Marry to that the modern infatuation with egalitarian social structures and a hostility for authority and tradition, and you will get anything from the banal graffiti that accounts for 95% of all Twitter and FaceBook postings to an unqualified socialist idealogue for president.
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6 comments:
"Half of all people have below-average IQ scores." This might not be true, due to outliers on the low end pulling the average down.
1,2,50,50,60,70 = 38.83 average, yet most of the people are above average. ;)
Figure the low-scoring outliers are balanced by the high-scoring outliers. Otherwise, figure 80, 90, 100, 110, 130, 140, 180 = 118.57 average, with most being below average. :-)
From what I've seen, there are quite a few in the bottom end, I rarely meet anyone at the top end. ;-)
Scott, we need to get you introduced to a different circle of acquaintances. ;-)
On the right hand you have common sense, on the left hand you have IQ. If I have to work with a one armed man, I hope he is right handed.
In the higher levels of Army command we attempted to employ critical thinking - i.e., being able to ferret out the important facts and not be dragged down by minutia while recommending or making a decision. It was discouraging to see how often the critical thinker was left handed.
as the sources on which so many people base their opinions become more and more brief (USA Today blurbs / sound bytes / Facebook / Twitter) perhaps the illusion is given that one can arrive at a conclusion in far less time - how much real *understanding* has been achieved is a question, though...
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