Poor people are stupid?

[UncannyGarlic]

I go to a private college and there's some 1000 people here who are rich but do nothing but play around, because they know the parents will give them money and arrange a job anyway.

That has little to do with them being rich, I've met plenty of middle and lower class folks who dick around in college and get thrown out as well. The only time these people really drop off is when you go to smaller and/or more specialized universities.

Education has nothing to do with intelligence anyway, intelligence is inate, it is knowledge that you gain.

It's partly genetic and partly environmental (during childhood).

From my experience I'd say rich people tend to be much more ignorant than the middle class. On the other, I'm in a middle class so I may be biased.

I'd say more of them tend to be ignorant about money but less have credit problems (I've met many middle and lower class people with credit card debt up the wazoo). As for ignorant, I wouldn't say that they are really any worse, I'd say that ignorance generally has more to do with education level or intelligence (intelligent people tend to be less ignorant).

Education does affect many skills, but general intelligence (Not the technical term but rather my own vagueness, principally rapid problem solving/ability to understand complexity) is ultimately inherited in my opinion. Genes provide the potential, then environment, and an element of chance, the results.

As you later said, education level is determined by intelligence (more intelligent people are going to have higher ceilings and thus more educated people are on average going to be more intelligent). That said, I agree that genes are the first and most important factor but that environment is also extremely important but that people with better genes also tend to have better environments.

On rich vs middle class, I believe that intelligence is less important. Many of the most wealthy people I know are no smarter, and usually less so, but are in careers with specific trait and skill sets that bring in the cash. Some of these traits appear to be confidence, perseverance and chiefly, good judgement. Again, they have a certain level of brains, required to understand complex problems. Direct inheritance of wealth is a different matter.

Intelligence is a factor but I agree that it isn't the only factor. Still, as income increases so does average intelligence, to a point at which it levels out. I'll see if I can't dig up a study I read about the correlations between education, income, and intelligence.

See, this is something I don't understand. Why do people take subjects at university they DON'T LIKE? I mean, I hear all the time people moaning about this, including a lot of friends of mine, and it simply baffles me. Im doing International Relations because that has always fascinated me since like 15 or so, especially history, politics, and its application in the international arena. As a result, I am thoroughly enjoying and intend to complete my course.

Do you guys not get to chose what degree you will take? Or is it just that you didn't really put much thought into what you would do at uni until its too late (some friends of mine have done this).

Because the most important thing in life is money and money buys everything else. Once you reach a certain income level you're pretty much set so some folks target degrees that will grant them access to highly profitable careers which will make them happy (even if they don't like the job). There are also a lot of whiners and idiots as well but I totally understand the rationale of people who target a degree for money.

That being said, the poor people I know and the dumb people I know are groups that overlap almost completely. I know a few smart, poor people, but they're poor by choice.

Same here, though I've met a handful of rich, average intelligence folks who are rich due to inheritance. Still, I've never met a rich person as stupid as the dumbest poor people.

 

[Ausdoerrt]

That being said, the poor people I know and the dumb people I know are groups that overlap almost completely. I know a few smart, poor people, but they're poor by choice.

Hmm, I guess than it really depends on where you come from. In my country the "intelligentsia", and all the more educated and smarter people - artists, teachers, etc, - are in the lower middle-class range, while the rich do nothing but dick around.

Garlic, it's true that there's still a lot of poor people who dick around, everything completely depends on the person. Now, on the other hand, I am yet to see a single rich guy (who is not reach as a result of his work but for some other reason) who is well-rounded, smart and works hard.

 

[Snackpack]

Most people are stupid.
Most people are poor.
Solved.

Statistics showing intelligence of various segments of any population wouldn't mean much to me, as IQ tests are pretty wonky in my experience. I've taken three in my life and received a different score on each one, they weren't even close either. A 97, a 157, and a 123, so what am I? a part time idiot savant?

I think intelligence isn't so much about being able to deduce the right answers, but knowing the right questions.

 

[SkynetV4]

I saw a comedy video with Paris Hilton yesterday that actually impressed me. I don't really know anything about her but she didn't appear to be as stupid as I expected, and can at least act a little, at least once.

That is a very interesting coincidence. I saw that video a while ago and had the same impression. That is the one time I saw her and though 'Wait a minute... maybe she isn't really as stupid as the lets out to be' ... or that maybe she only pretends to be stupid.

I mean, all the rest i've seen/heard/read of her is awful, but that one that one part that got me thinking.

I actually tried to finish university twice, but I quit both times because I felt it didn't have anything really useful to offer me besides some stupid fucking paper which makes me look smarter in some people's eyes. Now I have harder time finding a job because of this, yet I still don't regret it. I preffer increasing my intelligence on my own, by reading whatever I choose to read.

See, this is something I don't understand. Why do people take subjects at university they DON'T LIKE? I mean, I hear all the time people moaning about this, including a lot of friends of mine, and it simply baffles me. Im doing International Relations because that has always fascinated me since like 15 or so, especially history, politics, and its application in the international arena. As a result, I am thoroughly enjoying and intend to complete my course.

Do you guys not get to chose what degree you will take? Or is it just that you didn't really put much thought into what you would do at uni until its too late (some friends of mine have done this).

What if the University doesn't offer the degree you are interested into? I wanted to get into Biomedical (not for maintaining medical equipment, not interested in that crap really) to research implants, improving the human brain and all that. I have had to settle for Electronics with Telecoms and hope I can get a Masters Degree in Biomedical.

Third world countries don't offer cutting edge careers...we do very little R&D.

Regarding the intelligence vs skill debate, I have found (at least in my workplace) that rather than knowledge or intelligence, what matters the most is cunning and socializing. Who you talk to, who do you eat lunch with, who are you friends with. Asskissing and all that. Sad but true.

 

[quietfanatic]

In my country the "intelligentsia", and all the more educated and smarter people - artists, teachers, etc, - are in the lower middle-class range, while the rich do nothing but dick around.

Do you live in a totalitarian state, or lost feudal kingdom by any chance? If you break into the Party's castle, you might find that the Premier's daughter is an excellent journalist, can play hockey well and runs several charities.

Well-rounded is iffy. Everyone has flaws and gaps in their skills, personality or knowledge. However, someone who is very clever in a number of areas is likely to be clever in others as well. Potential flaws may have advantages for the generation of wealth, such as never seeing your family.

Intellectual curiosity is different to intelligence, although they are related.

Networking and power play can even be important for promotion in a uni academic setting. Politics can be depressing (as well as amusing).