From: Iain Strachan \(asa\) (iain.strachan.asa@ntlworld.com)
Date: Sat Aug 23 2003 - 15:01:39 EDT
----- Original Message -----
From: RFaussette@aol.com
To: iain.strachan.asa@ntlworld.com ; abeaujean@ureach.com
Cc: asa@calvin.edu
Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2003 1:08 PM
Subject: Re: Creativity, genius and the science/faith interface
In a message dated 8/23/03 7:34:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time, iain.strachan.asa@ntlworld.com writes:
> Genius is most certainly NOT a disadvantage. While other factors
> can lead to instability in this population, having abnormally
> high cognitive ability (there is more to genius that just a
> "high IQ", but it is a minimum threshold), in and of itself, is
> an great advantage, especially in the technological society we
> now live.
It depends on what you mean by "advantage" and "disadvantage". Sure, being
smart may get you a good job, make you rich and content and so forth. But
from an evolutionary perspective, "advantage" means you are more likely to
produce offspring. But if the tendency to genius leads to instability, then
this will inhibit your ability to have children, for instance if you are
depressive. It's not difficult to think of people regarded as "geniuses"
who committed suicide, e.g.
Ahkenazi-Jewish populations have the highest mean IQs in the world. Their communities also have the highest birth rates in the world.
They also demonstrate a markedly higher degree of communal cohesion (achieved though greater religiosity) and carry neurologically based genetic diseases (Niemann Pick, familial dysautonomia, Tay Sachs) due to excessive inbreeding.
see The Bell Curve (Hernsteinn and Murray), A People That Shall Dwell Alone (MacDonald)
Isn't this more to do with being a persecuted people, and with parental attitude, rather than the population as a whole getting smarter? IQ is not a reliable indicator of intelligence; I suggest you can score higher on an IQ test if you've had lots of practice at IQ test type questions - if you're in a family where your parents are very keen for you to succeed and continually challenge you with word games, puzzles and the like, then you will score higher on an IQ test because you've had practice, rather than any innate superior intelligence. And does anyone here seriously believe that Marilyn Monroe was more intelligent than Einstein?
The pressure on Jewish children to succeed is tremendous; because they are a persecuted people who have to put up with racial prejudice, and a group of enemies determined to destroy them. When I was at school, my greatest rival in class was a Jewish boy. It was usually a battle between us who came first and who came second in class with the honours fairly evenly divided. Then one term, I trounced him in every single exam. Not by much, but enough to matter to him. He just couldn't take it; burst into tears in front of the whole class at being beaten like that. Well, if it had been me, I've no doubt I'd have been disappointed, but I don't think it mattered that much to me; not enough to make a fool of myself in front of everyone. It immediately provoked a most unfortunate racist outburst from another boy in the class, who exploded "You are an old Jew, X!!!". Such prejudice makes you all the more determined to succeed. It has nothing IMHO to do with evolution, which is about change over the generations and inheriting traits. It's simply that it's more important to realise your own potential to the fullest extent if you're in a persecuted minority.
Iain
rich
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Aug 23 2003 - 15:04:19 EDT