The world's wasted intelligence.

Hello everyone, how are you? I am not unwell, thank you.

This is something that occurred to me a few days ago, and it has been simmering in my brain. I can't find an acceptable explanation, or a reasonable solution. Hopefully you folks can help me out.

We all know there are a lot of idiots running around this planet polluting the gene pool, but that's not the point here.
I'll be the first to admit that I am not the brightest knife in the shed. But I'm smarter than the average bear.

I recently realized that I know quite a few people who are extremely intelligent, and their brilliant minds are being wasted on pointless jobs that;

1. Either do not contribute to the human race as a whole.
2. Are jobs that do not properly utilize the minds that are being put to them.

I know some people just do what they love, or work their mindless jobs to put food on the table. There are also many who do not get the opportunities to use their brains as they should. Plus all those who are wasted due to drugs or other such poor choices.

But why is there no effort to utilize our collective brain power to solving all the issues that are plaguing our species? Just imagine what could be accomplished if this were to happen. Yes some school districts try to identify very bright students early, but that's small potatoes.

So, what do you think ATS?
Why is this so, and how might we correct this global negligence?

unfortunately, some people are just too dumb to know that they should 'take a backseat' to us 'gifted ones' !

being intelligent is overrated plus the intelligent ones are outnumbered.

I absolutely agree with you, but then, I remind myself in what world we are living in. In the world which is controlled by few people or few companies, who's first and only goal to get more money.

Now i hope you get why it's not in our "interest" to have many smart people...It's easy to control a whole bunch of "stupid" people, then couple of smart ones.

I believe intelligence to be in the eye of the beholder........what exactly is the subject at hand that one is to be viewed as such a higher intellect?This varies from individual to individual.A rocket scientist,An engineer,or maybe a computer programer,The President?Who truly decides this presumed level of intellect as common fact?..just curious.And I ask this with the highest sincerity.

Nobody is good at everything and nobody is intelligent about everything. We all have something that we can accel at. The key is to identify what that something is. Schools need to develop better ways of identifying what each student accels at and feed it.

reply to post by Onewhoknowsjesus


A fair question.

I will go with:

Common Sense
General problem solving skills.
Ability to process information and make a timely decision.
Retaining information learned.

I am not in the business of intelligence testing, so I'm just throwing stuff out there. I don't really have a set criteria, generally after observing someone I meet. I can draw a conclusion about whether they are stupid or intelligent.
Surely I'm not the only one who does this?

The elite just want us to be dumb so they can control us.

Also, for every 1,000 smart people, there is only 1 job.....especially in America.

Fluoride in the water supply.
(second line)

I find the underlying pessimism, and general lack of enthusiasm here very interesting.

Wouldn't the PTB find it in their interests to utilize the worlds intelligence in this manner to further manipulate us? I'm sure they could find away to use it to their advantage.

I know I would if I was in that position.

Originally posted by watchitburn
Hello everyone, how are you? I am not unwell, thank you.

This is something that occurred to me a few days ago, and it has been simmering in my brain. I can't find an acceptable explanation, or a reasonable solution. Hopefully you folks can help me out.

We all know there are a lot of idiots running around this planet polluting the gene pool, but that's not the point here.
I'll be the first to admit that I am not the brightest knife in the shed. But I'm smarter than the average bear.

I recently realized that I know quite a few people who are extremely intelligent, and their brilliant minds are being wasted on pointless jobs that;

1. Either do not contribute to the human race as a whole.
2. Are jobs that do not properly utilize the minds that are being put to them.

I know some people just do what they love, or work their mindless jobs to put food on the table. There are also many who do not get the opportunities to use their brains as they should. Plus all those who are wasted due to drugs or other such poor choices.

But why is there no effort to utilize our collective brain power to solving all the issues that are plaguing our species? Just imagine what could be accomplished if this were to happen. Yes some school districts try to identify very bright students early, but that's small potatoes.

So, what do you think ATS?
Why is this so, and how might we correct this global negligence?

Hi,
I think our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness. We become emotionally attached, or emotionally detached by our heart-strings when making important life choices having to do with self preservation.

Nobody knows what's good for the gander...

I have a theory that if humanity got together and actually worked for it, we would be able to colonize the other planets in this solar system by the end of this century. The amount of human capital available and the vast potentiality of the human mind make this a real possibility. But unfortunately are too engaged with their "smart"phones to really notice the world around them.

Intelligence can only be 'wasted' if the goal is to make progress for humanity.

Reality is that money is the driving force of the world's economy. Not progress. Except when there are profits to be made.

The real priceless advantage of being an intelligent person is that every day in the life is a better 'experience' than less intellignet people can comprehend. Higher intelligence usually implies a higher 'awareness' that you have just being awake.

reply to post by watchitburn


Intelligence is not required for work. Doing what you are told to do is. Just like the education system. Intelligent workers are a pain in the butt.

reply to post by watchitburn


We live in a screwed up society where people only get ahead if they know the "right" people or have become part of some group that decides that they are "somebody". Those of us who are friends with just anyone we deem as worthwhile according to our own personal standards and have no innate desire to be part of a group are destined to struggle and are never fully accepted by the ones who can help you climb the ladder or get jobs that utilize us to our full potential.
The Good 'Ol Boys Club has morphed into various cults that are controlled by handlers and yes men.

reply to post by watchitburn


This is very interesting subject and I do agree with you in some respects that the world's intelligence is being wasted and real world problems have been notoriously neglected (poverty!) but you forgot about some fundamental concepts which taken together far outweigh the measure of intelligence.

Yes I know my enemies
They're the teachers who taught me to fight me
Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission
Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite
All of which are American dreams (8 times)

That's 8 more concepts. And I have one more concept to add : loyalty. It makes no difference. really, if you are smart or dumb, because loyalty pays off at a bigger return than intelligence.

I have seen it over and over ( 5 years active military and 17 years corporate jobs) how smart people are overlooked for career advancement but loyalists are promoted more quickly.

Intelligence can be considered a "threat" especially if the person is also considered disloyal to the group think that is going on. Let's face reality - if you were a promoting manager and you were looking for a qualified candidate to run a business - you have two candidates, one is a high IQ smart ass and the other is the low IQ obedient ass kisser.

If the hiring manager wants to make the best choice for the company, which candidate will they pick?

You are confusing true intelligence with the appearance of intelligence.

Truly intelligent people are not drug addicts, don't care about social pressure, go against the tide, are not stuck in dead end jobs - these are the intelligent people. They can see what others miss. True intelligence is rare.

There are plenty of physics graduates who are working in retail - They are NOT intelligent. let me repeat it again, those physics grads that are working in low skill service jobs are NOT intelligent. They are not able to out think the rest of society, that is why they do those jobs. They got a fancy degree, but they did not learn to think, same applies for any other education, STEM or otherwise.

Intelligence is seldom wasted, but is widely mis-identified.

Originally posted by SouthernForkway26
Intelligence can only be 'wasted' if the goal is to make progress for humanity.

Reality is that money is the driving force of the world's economy. Not progress. Except when there are profits to be made.

The real priceless advantage of being an intelligent person is that every day in the life is a better 'experience' than less intellignet people can comprehend. Higher intelligence usually implies a higher 'awareness' that you have just being awake.

edit on 12-12-2012 by SouthernForkway26 because: typo

I agree with you that the state of awareness that one reaches is the single best metric of one's success. However, if one is aware, than one will not waste time pursuing money, but pursuing time, time to become more aware.

I suggest that what people do for a living has little to do with anything important. The basic premise of your argument is that there is only value to a person if what they produce has relative impact on the rest of humanity. In my opinion, the very premise of your argument is flawed.

Instead, I say that the measurement of value in various humans is preposterous. I also say that an intelligent mind, so long as it is allowed to spread its wings and stretch to its own comfort, can not be misapplied or misused. The purpose of our existence is, simply, to exist. To experience. And to procreate. Everything else you mention, like solving the plaguing issues of humanity, are nothing more than commonly accepted expressions of human ego rooted in the belief of human superiority.

My primary position, as it relates to yours, is that no one should be expected to leverage their intellectual ability to better the world. The whole concept of "duty to act" precludes any notion of free will, and of your own ability to control the direction of development of your own self.

Originally posted by QQXXw
You are confusing true intelligence with the appearance of intelligence.

Truly intelligent people are not drug addicts, don't care about social pressure, go against the tide, are not stuck in dead end jobs - these are the intelligent people. They can see what others miss. True intelligence is rare.

There are plenty of physics graduates who are working in retail - They are NOT intelligent. let me repeat it again, those physics grads that are working in low skill service jobs are NOT intelligent. They are not able to out think the rest of society, that is why they do those jobs. They got a fancy degree, but they did not learn to think, same applies for any other education, STEM or otherwise.

Intelligence is seldom wasted, but is widely mis-identified.

Well, I don't know about all that. But I DO know that a truly intelligent person would not employ the logical fallacy of "No True Scotsman".

But to each his/her own.