Intelligence: The Disease

Ever see a dog trip down the stairs?
Sure, maybe, but how often does it happen?

Now, think about how clumsy humans are in comparison...
Not only does the dog have the advantage of four legs, another advantage is that unlike a human, the dog's thought process isn't convoluted with innumerable hopes, dreams, fears, decisions and delusions.

Is a complex life really a better life?
What is the greatest human achievement?

Transportation?
(PRO) Travel faster than any other creature
(CON) We risk our lives every time we do it

Religion?
(PRO) People are provided a sense of emotional security via 'answers'
(CON) People become stagnant in their deep/critical thinking skills

Large Governments?
(PRO) Governments can more readily take care of its citizens
(CON) Governments can more easily take advantage of its citizens

Commercial Agriculture?
(PRO) We can feed more people more efficiently
(CON) People are completely dependent on commercially grown food, population swells

Medicine?
(PRO) We can (temporarily) avoid human suffering and death
(CON) We live out of balance with nature, population explodes

Weapons?
(PRO) We can defend ourselves more securely
(CON) The 'other guy' can kill us more easily, and in larger numbers

Technology/Electricity/Electronics?
(PRO) Our lives are easier, productivity is increased
(CON) We become ignorant as to how to survive without it, ineffectively deal with waste & pollution

How much of this is 'want' and how much is 'need'?

What is all this leading to?

Are we officially too smart for our own good?

Intelligece: The Disease

LOL
2nd line

Edit: To address the OP. You make some good points but my dog trips down the stairs all the time, she's getting kind of old.

reply to post by DeReK DaRkLy


Do not mean to be cheeky but you should correct the typo as it will weaken your argument somewhat.

Intelligece: The Disease

I believe the goal of human intelligence should be the perpetuation of our species.

That means, ultimately, the means to procreate after leaving this planet. At some point, who knows when, Earth will not be suitable for life to continue to exist.

We need to invent with an eye toward the stars.

reply to post by butcherguy

I believe the goal of human intelligence should be the perpetuation of our species. That means, ultimately, the means to procreate after leaving this planet. At some point, who knows when, Earth will not be suitable for life to continue to exist.

I find it ironic that we kill our planet so that we can live...
...I'm not sure if our species is actually this important!

reply to post by DeReK DaRkLy

My reference to the Earth being unfit for supporting life was not necessarily associated with pollution. I mean that at some point, our atmosphere evaporates into space, the Sun expands and we fry to a crisp or it contracts into a brown dwarf and we freeze.
I think that pollution is not unavoidable. We can increase our technology without destroying the Earth in the process. That doesn't mean that we won't though.

Originally posted by fenceSitter

Intelligece: The Disease

LOL
2nd line

Edit: To address the OP. You make some good points but my dog trips down the stairs all the time, she's getting kind of old.

edit on 14-6-2012 by fenceSitter because: (no reason given)

'she's getting kind of old ' and yet you might think because of all these repetations I mean the time loops and alike it shoudnt be so and, so busy..
if repeated in the real time,, is it really repeated or is it just the intelligencia -in-kind of work as,, from above

Whether you're living the "simple" life of a dog or the complicated life of a human being, it's all about experiencing a different form of existence. From microbes to 1000 year old trees, all of us have a different version of existence. Does it make any of us more important than the other? I think not. There are positives and negatives to every living and dead thing on this planet. Accept that you are human and that your reality is a little different from the living things around you, but it doesn't make you better or worse. Everything on this planet preys on something else to survive and everything does eventually collapse.

Animals can be clumsy, stupid, sick, deformed, defeated and so can humans. Intelligence is what helps us survive and live longer, healthier lives. Intelligence is what is helping us keep the sick and deformed alive longer. Some would argue that the population should be cleansed of the sick and deformed, but I think those would be minds wasted. Stephen Hawking is the perfect example. Had it not been for human intelligence he would have been long dead, and his own intelligence would have been wasted....never able to help the human race with some important questions about our world.

reply to post by 2manyquestions

Intelligence is what helps us survive and live longer, healthier lives.

Yes, I included this in my "Pros", but there is always another side of the coin...
Intelligence also gives us Monsanto, nuclear weapons, napalm and mustard gas.

Almost anything good can become bad in excess... I think we are on the verge of having too much intelligence.

Oink...Oink....

reply to post by butcherguy

We can increase our technology without destroying the Earth in the process. That doesn't mean that we won't though.

Yes, I think our wisdom needs to catch up to our intellect before it's too late!

Are we officially too smart for our own good?

edit on 14-6-2012 by DeReK DaRkLy because: ...

if you take away the things you mentioned like religion, tech, weapons etc - you are assuming the simpler life's problems were not as bad as now. Before weapons the physically strong dominated; dont know why you put religion under use of intelligence, i think the abramhamic ones dont even like that word; transportation being linked to "risky" is stretching it, safety continues to improve by finding new ways to survive crashes, we have rules most ppl follow on the road, hardly a question of bad intelligence. Government abuse is just the abuse of power that has and will continue to exist n be abused until the word power is re-evaluated. Medicine's problem is over population seriously? Not happening, if anything its accidently killing more people off, the reason we take medicine is because we already have an inbalance.

are we too smart for our own good, or are we too stupid to not know what good is?

reply to post by juveous

are we too smart for our own good, or are we too stupid to not know what good is?

I was just thinking the same thing, and singing "Lord, I was born a ramblin' man..."

reply to post by juveous


"safety continues to improve by finding new ways to survive crashes"

The risk has not reduced here. You are only decreasing injuries and increasing survivability.

reply to post by DeReK DaRkLy

Intelligence: The Disease

Ignorance

is

Strength!

Just remember that, Friend Citizen.... Big Brother knows all!

(Second Line-ish)

Originally posted by DeReK DaRkLy


Transportation?
(PRO) Travel faster than any other creature
(CON) We risk our lives every time we do it

Good list all except this one.... If you take your dog with you on the plane....
Or,,, the bugs that don't completely splatter on the windshield!

LOL, just giving you a hard time, very good list and good question!

Originally posted by juveous

Are we officially too smart for our own good?

edit on 14-6-2012 by DeReK DaRkLy because: ...

if you take away the things you mentioned like religion, tech, weapons etc - you are assuming the simpler life's problems were not as bad as now. Before weapons the physically strong dominated; dont know why you put religion under use of intelligence, i think the abramhamic ones dont even like that word; transportation being linked to "risky" is stretching it, safety continues to improve by finding new ways to survive crashes, we have rules most ppl follow on the road, hardly a question of bad intelligence. Government abuse is just the abuse of power that has and will continue to exist n be abused until the word power is re-evaluated. Medicine's problem is over population seriously? Not happening, if anything its accidently killing more people off, the reason we take medicine is because we already have an inbalance.

are we too smart for our own good, or are we too stupid to not know what good is?

edit on 14-6-2012 by juveous because: (no reason given)

Yeah, spirtuality may be a better term than religion, the only thing organized religion does in this day and age is cause war and strife

For those who "believe" to prevent contention... spirituality would be your belief, i.e., God. Religion would be the building you go to and the preachers that get rich off donations, i.e., man, not God.
For those who don't believe... harmony within one's self and an understanding of how you fit into the universe

Originally posted by ErtaiNaGia
reply to post by DeReK DaRkLy

 

Intelligence: The Disease

Ignorance

is

Strength!

Just remember that, Friend Citizen.... Big Brother knows all!

(Second Line-ish)

It may not be strength, but I hear that it's bliss

...just off topic slightly, has anyone else wished they didn't know as much as they know? Ever wish you were just "average"? I don't mean if you are average but don't consider yourself to be, I mean actually being above average with tests to prove it and everything... but just wish you could be "average" for at least a day...without getting too drunk to walk

Originally posted by TRGreer
reply to post by juveous

 

"safety continues to improve by finding new ways to survive crashes"

The risk has not reduced here. You are only decreasing injuries and increasing survivability.

You are using risk as a verb, I am using it as a noun.

reply to post by PurpleChiten

...just off topic slightly, has anyone else wished they didn't know as much as they know? Ever wish you were just "average"?

I actually enjoy my intelligence, I just think that we live in dangerous times, where we are able to travel to our "enemy" but we don't seem to be able to make peace with him.

In addition, we have so much technology that it's rendered the average person helpless without it or when it breaks.

It's like the monkey was given the stick just a little too early.