Are People Getting Stupider?

Seriously.....are they? It just seems lately everyone is Hell-Bent on being as ignorant as possible. I've never seen so much Blind Faith clouding people's judgement....making them ignore any evidence other than that which fits their own pet theory...whether that theory be Skeptical or True Believer. And even IF you try to present evidence that their theory is wrong...suddenly you have became a 'Debunker'...meaning they ignore whatever you say and assume you are working for the Government (I'm still waiting for my monthly 'Debunker' check...it's late this month! ).

Of course the Skeptics will do the same thing, though they often resort to trying to 'debunk' evidence by attacking those involved instead of the logic or evidence of the theory behind it. (A lot of examples of both of these types seem to pop up again, and again in these threads...yet I will refrain from going into the 'who's' since that would just derail this conversation)

I can remember a time when I could have a GOOD, and INFORMATIVE conversation with someone about these types of subjects...when I felt better having done so. Now I feel like I just keep saying the same things, over and over again, only to have it ignored by those who actively push anything contrary to their theory out of their conscious mind.....What is going on?

Has it ALWAYS been this bad.....and I'm only just now noticing it?!?! Or is it indeed getting worse, and worse?

and it all starts with the OP's use of the word "stupider"

Na, I'm kidding of course, But i know what you mean, seems like every time you try and have a rational legit conversation, ignorance kicks in and they decide they would like to go watch MTV for 12 hours. Yeah, I feel ya.

Yes, they are. TV and public schools are doing the jobs they have been designed to do. They are purposely dumbing down the population in order to make the general population more docile and more easily controlled.

Huh

I dont understand the question

yes

Originally posted by eXia7
and it all starts with the OP's use of the word "stupider"

Na, I'm kidding of course, But i know what you mean, seems like every time you try and have a rational legit conversation, ignorance kicks in and they decide they would like to go watch MTV for 12 hours. Yeah, I feel ya.

I think it's TV period. The best thing we ever did was cancel our cable service. We bought an apple TV so I can still watch my podcast, YouTube, and movies but no more useless programming.

We live in the information age with the greatest tool man has ever created (the web) to gain and disseminate knowledge and we are the least knowledgeable people ever.

Back in the days before the internet I assume you would only associate with people that have similar views or similar "intelligence level" as you do. Now thanks to the internet people are exposed to a LOT of stupidity, incompetence and ignorance. So I think it's not that people are more stupid I just think you are exposed to a bigger number of them than before.

yes, but by design. the entire uneducational system is designed to create the people we see today. the trend can be corrected with fundamental changes in the system, but it will take a whole generation to turn the trend around.

absolutely! if you havent watched the movie "Idiocracy" may i suggest you do so! it is billed as a comedy and is under that section. i personally think that it should be moved to the Documentary section!

Originally posted by Swizzy
Back in the days before the internet I assume you would only associate with people that have similar views or similar "intelligence level" as you do. Now thanks to the internet people are exposed to a LOT of stupidity, incompetence and ignorance. So I think it's not that people are more stupid I just think you are exposed to a bigger number of them than before.

I have to agree 100% on that one.

Plus....As we become more intelligent (Ahem!), others who appeared mildly stupid in the past, appear more stupid in the present, even though they haven't really got any stupider.

I think the main thing though, is that there are far more stupid people around than we could ever have imagined before the advent of t'internet.

I've just realised that I've reworded the quote I included in my post.

How profoundly stupid of me.

I gravitate to living in University towns. Yesterday I had a mind blowing conversation with an older gentleman and a younger man at the Natural History Museum, so I guess it depends on where you are and where you go. I purposely seek these types, life is more interesting that way.

reply to post by sempul


Star for you as I got a chance to see that movie again just yesterday!
You see like someone above said, it is the "Uneducation" system.
All our children need to learn nowadays is which end is the barrel and which is the butt.
Your child will not get a job with a large firm or be a production manager or even have a normal job.
We are raising soldiers just as all other empires have done before.
But it is ok because a bunch of old men in funny hats will stand and salute at their funeral and speak of the wonderful sacrifice that said number has made for his compan...errrr country.

reply to post by bhornbuckle75


I have to agree with most here. While technology has made us more connected, it has also driven us apart. Just google “technological depression”. People don’t seem to interact face to face much anymore.

Originally posted by eXia7
and it all starts with the OP's use of the word "stupider"

Ha Ha! Nice! I love a good smart-ass comment from time to time.....ya got me good!

Originally posted by Swizzy
Back in the days before the internet I assume you would only associate with people that have similar views or similar "intelligence level" as you do. Now thanks to the internet people are exposed to a LOT of stupidity, incompetence and ignorance. So I think it's not that people are more stupid I just think you are exposed to a bigger number of them than before.

Interesting point...it is certainly easier to find em now days!

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by bhornbuckle75

 

I have to agree with most here. While technology has made us more connected, it has also driven us apart. Just google “technological depression”. People don’t seem to interact face to face much anymore.

I think one problem that is only just emerging, now is where search engines and ads are becoming tailor made for individual users. It's starting to become the norm with some software, that If you put in a search term two different people will get different top results because the computer 'learns' what it thinks you want to see....of course what can happen, though is that you end up getting a very narrow view of things like Top News of the day. A liberal may see more liberal minded news, while a conservative will only see conservative information.....Although this is not the main intent of such software, it is the result....the side effects can become a world view where you have a disproportionate Idea of what is going on around you. If you only see sites that already agree with you, then you end up never broadening your perspective on certain issues.

Originally posted by sempul
absolutely! if you havent watched the movie "Idiocracy" may i suggest you do so! it is billed as a comedy and is under that section. i personally think that it should be moved to the Documentary section!

Or even the 'Horror' section for that matter! It does paint a fairly dismal and depressing possible future!