bluedeath
As a historian, I read a lot of primary documents from people who come up with amazing arguments for any number of ideas. They range from religion to science to politics to travel. In every case of the best documents, once I figure out the basic questions about those documents (who wrote it, why was it written, who was the audience, when and under what circumstance was it written), I wonder if future historians will look at us and think the same thing, or be disappointed in our ignorance and folly.
So, all things being equal, are we smarter today than in the past? Are we just as ignorant? Or Are we dumber?
Yes, well today the oppression stems from stupification of the new generations.. the stupification comes directly from our educational system. Men were not necessarily smarter in history simply because they still had a source of oppression which was the church. The smartest men were generally not churchgoers. Imagination is the key element to finding your true intelligence, and unlocking your genius within. We are far too distracted as a whole to be truly intelligent, this is a goal of the powers that be. To keep true intelligence a secret in order to maintain power.
Nevertheless, there are those that have found that by ignoring the system, they can unlock their genius and imagination much easier.. by simply not following authority. This is the first step to spiritual evolution. Finding yourself. All is lost in the system of patterns and habits, habits that are formed from as early as kindergarden.
11 Answers
ed shank
Schools are failing our young people and parents are failing their children. How can they be smarter? Academic standards have been lowered to even the playing field. Parents either not know or care enough to assist in the development of their children not just on an intellectual level but on a moral level as well.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 2 | |
Ms Sinclair
It seems as if people are dumber today than in my parent's generation. They knew more with just a high school diploma than most people nowadays know with a college degree. I suspect that spending too much time in front of the idiot box instead of reading a good book has something to do with it. There's a big difference between the quantity of information and the quality of it. Sure, people have access to more information now because of computers and TV, but this does not mean that they're getting the right kind of information. Plus, when I was growing up, we were taught penmanship, grammar, music, art, etc. There doesn't seem to be the same emphasis put on these subjects anymore in the school system even when they are taught at all, which is not always the case anyway.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 2 | |
IamPamela313
<a href="/users/1635/leeroy/">@leeroy</a> - Why would you say...don't waste your time arguing the obvious? What is the obvious to you? I think bluebeath post an interesting question.
Each generation is getting slightly smarter than previous generations. The complexity of the world is increasing, and people today are possibly using their brain in different ways.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 1 | |
<a href="/users/1635/leeroy/">@leeroy</a> - You have a good point, I agree. TU back at you!!!
Wow, someone noticed, t.u. Pam, The reality may be the general population is less educated, when compared to the graduates of earlier generations in the U.S.. While as a society, people believe that we have acquired more knowledge. It's a difficult question to answer. We are more advanced in some areas, such a technology, while some of the past civilizations had extensive knowledge in other areas.
mom
We are certainly evolving but you have to look back at the intelligence of past generations. Look at the ancient Mayans, The lost Inca's, the Egyptians. We are still looking at the Mayan calendar today and trying to figure out what they knew generations ago. Up to this date we still can't seem to build anything that comes close to the strength and ingenuity of the Macchu Picchu ruins.The ancient machines they are discovering in Egyptian ruins. I have to question if we were all put on a planet with nothing but the skin on our backs...would we be able to figure out how to survive without today's technology at our finger tips. I think we are getting more intelligent with technology but at the same time way to dependant on it.I guess it all depends what your depiction of smarter is.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 1 | |
banksizit
i read that what a person living today learns in 15 mins is more than a person living 500 years ago can learn in 15 years
| 13 years ago. Rating: 1 | |
Sorry I missed your particular comment/answer earlier on...I totally agree with you! You're definitely making an old, old misplaced hippie happy with such answers as you give...thank you!
daren1
leeroy
adversus solem ne loquitor Obviously.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
But is it really a wast of time to argue what might only appear obvious?
By the way, for those of you that don't know the translation of "adversus solem ne loquitor" is in Latin for, "Don't speak against the sun." Which in other words, don't argue against the obvious.
So what is the obvious, that we are smarter, not smarter, or just the same?
zorro
People should be able to make better decisions with all the information available. For instance , why would a person vote for obama when you know his close friend and advisor ( ayers ) is a terrorist. Its because people dont care about making intelligent decisions. PERIOD. People are born democrat, only the gifted and talented overcome it. Some people just cant make good decisions in life .
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
Oh yeah. I've seen the "intelligent" decisions the Republicans have made. Give me a break will ya. And what do you mean by "people are born democrat"? I don't think people are born anything. Human beings are influenced by circumstance and environment. For you to assume that only those people who agree with your political agenda are gifted and talented is ridiculous.
So if people are apathetic, as you claim, does that indicate the majority of people (the people who voted for Obama) are not talented, gifted or as smart as people of the past? Or is the act of apathy something else?
There is the idea of the blank slate or the empty cabinet philosophy that everyone is born without any baggage about religion, politics, or whatever else, but each empty cabinet gets filled with baggage in life. I'd agree with Ms Sinclair on that.
bigben
More intelligent? NO. Better educated? yes.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
Yes definately better educated. As brilliant as those historical figures were, we have improved on there knowledge to an incredable degree and there are people in the world today every bit as intelligent as any of those. People blazing trails in physics, astronomy, medicine, genetics, mathmatics, art and literature. While famous figures from the past have definately povided a base of knowleddge on which to build, it's not the whole picture. There people formulating concepts today that are mind boggling precisely because of the hugh educational apportunities currently available. Genius evolves.
Better educated than Egyptians, the Babylonians, Pythagorus, Democritus, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, the thousands of Chinese who calculated the stars, the world, the oceans. How about the genius of Copernicus, Galileo, Halley, Hooke, Bohr, Einstein... I could go on and on. Just because we have at our disposal most of the learning from all of history, does that make us better educated too?
Gabalis
If you mean do more people have an education, knowledge in this time, we would have to answer yes. But if you are refering to understanding, we must say no, for in most cases, refering to that higher mental plane, they have yet to understand what it is they have knowledge of. For knowledge is but the tool given in the education. Understanding, is the skill in using that tool or tools. This is most particularly applicable to Philosophy and all the traditions it has spawned.
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
cherry
now days people become over smart . they start using their (whatever) knowledge for a bad reasons . when they suppose to use it for good . every year,everything changes for worse . when one day everything goes out of control,they all gonna relise,then will be too late .
| 13 years ago. Rating: 0 | |
Not sure what the heck you were attempting to say, but it seems that the word pessimist would come into play for you. That mean you not happy with people who got edzukated. :-))) Sorry, could not resist. I know I'm bad, but I just got home from school and I'm a little punchy.
We are on an evolutionary track; but the problem is, people in some parts of the world evolve slower because of the circumstances of their environment. It seems though like scientists and religious leaders often view technical progress or advancement as a good thing, rather than spiritual evolution. Spiritual evolution can certainly be synonymous with true wholesome intelligence.. low vibrations are a disaster for your mind body and spirit, and there is plenty of fear in the world.. for that reason many people are not smarter.