Members intelligence

[katmobile]

Buffy fans are no different from any other group. You get some smart people and some less smart people. I think this place attracts above average posters for the most part. I think it's just more of an attractive outlet for their thoughts.

Not everyone has the time, money or inclination to complete a PhD. It's hardly a relevant scale to judge people.

I once knew a Trekker with a stupidly high intelligence who told me Trek is about philosophy. I think all genre entertainment is or pyschology so we're here to discuss that hence bright.

 

[Faith 2019]

You could say the same about science books - they are outdated quicker than anything. Even if they are written by someone with a PhD.

Where do you place the value of real world skills or alternative learning in the scheme of smartness?

Science books do change often, and they change almost as often with history books, social science books, and others too. History books, they are produced to confirm the accepted understanding of history. I can get a history book written with someone with just a undergrad degree, and he or she is just reconfirming accepted high school teachings. Instead, I choose someone with a PhD, has a big fat book with 500 pages and more, and the publisher is a university press.

Let us take a rational thought experiment, if I told a American conservative someone in politics supports taking away 2/3rd's of millionaires wealth away -- they will say that is socialism or communism. It is a rational argument. But in 1860, 2/3rd's of all millionaires were slave owners. In 1860, the total worth of slaves was worth 4.5 Billion dollars, and the only asset worth more than slaves was land. The federal government did not have a federal budget over one billion dollars until the 18880's. You will never have a high school teacher making the argument that the Lincoln Administration and the Republican Congress was the most socialist in any time in American history. But, the average American is not going to do this simple thought experiment.

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

Fun fact regarding intelligence: Flowers for Algernon was actually based on an experiment that @Spanky was a part of. 🐀

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I like flowers. Dont never knew no chick named Algebra though,

 

[Faith 2019]

Where and how does this relate to becoming more educated? My youngest only reads non-fiction - he doesn't have a qualification of any description. Have you seen the "canon" in an English Lit department? I've taught Raymond Chandler, Henning Mankell and Alan Moore's From Hell on Undergraduate courses.

Who I am is what I have read, who I will become is books I have let to read. If I did not read, then all that I am is what I see in the media and films, and the small community that I live in, and I would be a alien and a foreigner if I travel more than 100 miles from my home. If I travel 100 miles away, I can only use the knowledge I have learned from a common media source and common films. The less educate I could have been, would only make me more uncomfortable to travel more than 100 miles from my home. The more uneducated you are, the more your willing to be born and die less than 50 miles from both points.

 

[Buffy Summers]

Education does not equal intelligence.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

With current event books, they are a dead letter after a few years. What book should I read at the bookstore, a book that can have interest 10 years or 20 years out of print, or a current event book that becomes pointless when a new American administration takes over the White House.

So yes, I have a bias for someone with a PhD.

So your complaint is that current events books will no longer be current after a few years?

Not everyone can afford to go to university, that doesn't make them any less intelligent. Some people don't want to go to Uni because of the costs. If you're saying that only people with PhDs are intelligent, then you're basically saying poor people are stupid.

Are you also saying that those with a PhD were stupid before they got that PhD? Because if having a PhD is the mark of intelligence, then by your logic, anyone working towards a PhD is an idiot because they don't have a PhD yet.

Intelligence comes in many forms, academic is only one type, not the definition.

 

[TriBel]

Who I am is what I have read, who I will become is books I have let to read. If I did not read, then all that I am is what I see in the media and films, and the small community that I live in, and I would be a alien and a foreigner if I travel more than 100 miles from my home. If I travel 100 miles away, I can only use the knowledge I have learned from a common media source and common films. The less educate I could have been, would only make me more uncomfortable to travel more than 100 miles from my home. The more uneducated you are, the more your willing to be born and die less than 50 miles from both points.

The point I'm making is the canon isn't quite as canonical as it used to be. It's no longer the case that what you read is a sure indication of either "intelligence" or "education". My PhD qualifies as "English Literature" (ironically, it's a Scottish writer) but the last two books that dropped through my letter box were Lucifer graphic novels! In addition, I'm in the UK - I can only move so far from home without emigrating.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

anyone working towards a PhD is an idiot because they don't have a PhD yet.

I think they would fall into the "has the ability" camp. Either you are intelligent because you have a PhD or you have the ability to have a PhD. Everyone else is dimwitted.


But you know. I think also you need to define what branch the PhD is in, as not all PhDs are created equal. Someone with a PhD in astrophysics is more intelligent than someone with a PhD in Bakery Science. It's not good enough just to have a PhD.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

I think they would fall into the "has the ability" camp. Either you are intelligent because you have a PhD or you have the ability to have a PhD. Everyone else is dimwitted.

Then every newborn child is a genius because they "have the ability" to have a PhD. Of course a lot of factors in life could alter that such as economic status, but in the moments after exiting the womb, those kids are geniuses.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Then every newborn child is a genius

Depending on your school of thought there are many that believe that; as they have the shortest time removed from the collective knowledge (or intelligence, to use the parlance of the thread) of the universe.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Who I am is what I have read, who I will become is books I have let to read. If I did not read, then all that I am is what I see in the media and films, and the small community that I live in, and I would be a alien and a foreigner if I travel more than 100 miles from my home. If I travel 100 miles away, I can only use the knowledge I have learned from a common media source and common films. The less educate I could have been, would only make me more uncomfortable to travel more than 100 miles from my home. The more uneducated you are, the more your willing to be born and die less than 50 miles from both points.

I always thought that a degree based on what you have read is a degree in watching somebody else work. I could stand across from a new house and say "I know why they stagger the ends of bricks on each row". That doesn't make me an architect. Reading makes you a spectator. I don't see anyone saying if you watch enough football games, you become a football star. You have to get out on the field and run a few plays to see if you actually have a clue about how to play the game. And it doesn't matter if you are talking American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football or Mayan rules football, you only know something if you have done it. You don't know literature unless you have written some.

What I am is what I have written. What I will become is what I have yet to publish. I like where I live, but I believe I could establish myself anywhere - what you are willing to get used to is not really a part of intelligence.

 

[November]

There is undoubtedly a high level of education on BB by world wide standards.

Where I live, some of these people did not have the chance to finish highschool, being required to work, so grasping a tv show at depth as we do here is completely out of the question - they were never taught to study "texts". I know much of my interest in discussing shows like this comes from doing it for The Matrix in high school english class.

The gap means they are also not educated on computers, or smart phones. Mention Netflix and only 1/4 would know what you have said. And less would run it. Few have dvd players or have watched a show of this intensity, but their intelligence and stamina in other areas is admirable.

The ladies at the shop can struggle with basic maths, the man who sorts the post can struggle with reading. Living here has taught me patience and forgiveness but not without a few tantrums along the way.

Sometimes I feel their is an air of superiority to those who are entitled in their education. I mention uni kids a lot, because generally they are the best off in the world yet still go around acting as if the rest of us are uneducated on purpose, just to offend them or their childish ideals. I'd really love to host some of those people who need a reality check to life outside their bubble of wealth and resources.

 

[Nix]

I do not feel a person has any intelligence unless that person has the ability or has a PhD.

I'm so sorry, but in my "unintelligent" opinion only... I find this the most stupid comment I think I've ever come across! Apologies if it offends you but that's just my opinion.

 

[November]

Today I read this - Behaviors That Make You Seem Stupid

Do you do any of these?

• Smoke tobacco. Today, not only is smoking clearly dangerous, it's become uncool. So anyone who smokes in the face of that is widely viewed as less than Einsteinian.
• Mispronounce words, for example, "heighth" instead of "height," "nucular" instead of "nuclear," "excetera" instead of "etcetera," "irregardless" instead of "regardless," "jewlery" instead of "jewelry", "libary" instead of "library," "duck tape" instead of "duct tape," 'aks" instead of "ask."
• Make basic grammatical errors. "I don't worry about nothing." "He sings good." "He was not hardly finished."
• Frequently using a vague phrase instead of a specific, for example, I like boating, camping, and stuff."
• Starting a written message with, "My name is." Your first sentence is your first impression. Leading with "My name is..."is far from optimal. First, it seems a bit narcissistic---Your name isn't of great interest. Worse, it's redundant. Your name appears at the end of the message and, in an email, in its "From" line.
• Sound cock-sure of yourself when you often turn out to be wrong. Consider your track record. Are you often enough right or at least defensible?
• Make black-and-white statements when gray is required. That's especially dangerous when you're not an expert. But even if you are, more often than not, nuance is required. For example, it's risky to say, "This is right." Safer: "While I've seen cases in which this is wrong, for example, X, usually it's right." Of course, there are times to be definitive. Just be sure the risk/reward ratio is good.
• Rambling utterances. Smart people are usually concise and when speaking for longer than a minute, make the structure of their utterance clear, and they don't ramble off-topic.
• Insisting you're correct in response to a more intelligent counter. In such situations, it's tempting to defend your position (and self-esteem) but your listener(s) may well think you're too stupid or stubborn to realize the other person's position is smarter.
• Insisting on following the rules with too few exceptions. Intelligent people weigh the risk/reward of breaking a rule on a case-by case basis and consider possible alternatives.
• Saying you believe in fate, for example, "It was meant to be." "Things happen for a reason." "Maybe it's a sign."
• Talk about your superstition, for example, you think black cats are bad luck, Friday the 13th is dangerous, or that our fate is written in the stars.
• You admit to seeing a psychic, using tarot cards, talk about your astrological sign or horoscope, and/or that you believe in past lives.
• You gush about pop culture: adoring a celebrity, sitcom, or sports team.
• Substance abuse. Sure, many people will smile at the drunk or pothead but most intelligent people privately think you're not smart for abusing a substance.
• Buying items that clearly aren't worth the money, especially if you're not rich: Coach purses, Rolex watches, BMWs and Jags, expensive jewelry, etc.
• Appearing weird. Bizarre, too fashion-forward outfits, lots of piercings, tattoos, etc. Of course, some brilliant people are visually unusual but most people feel that avant-garde appearance doesn't appear intelligent.
• Notably spending a lot of time and money on appearance. Smart people generally think, "If you're devoting that much to your wrapping, you may be trying to hide the product inside, or at least that you use your time and money poorly. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg famously explained why he usually wears the same gray tee shirt: "I really want to clear my life so I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community,"

The last thing you want is for people to think your light's on but nobody's home. So if you do any of the above, might you want to use your intelligence to change?

I was looking for why people who have disabilities are automatically assumed to have a very low intelligence. I have come to realise that the christian community I was in a few years back was ultra accepting and unassuming and wonderful. I wouldn't go back, but the "outside" world came as a massive shock, it's still confusing to me.

When I have a good day and my words don't slur or I don't stumble and someone can understand my ideas, they look at me like a deer in the headlights - the moment of realisation that their infantisation was grossly rude and offensive. It happened the other week, I presented ideas at a community meeting, they are running with every single one of the ideas. But I don't want to go back cos they are also a bunch of racist old cows who switch from no pressure to FULL pressure in the blink of the eye once they realised I could use a computer...

 

[telperion66]

I like to think that fans of Buffy and Angel have above-average levels of "soul". Very few TV shows if any have the level of love, soul, drama and humour that Buffy and Angel had and I think a certain type of "soulful" person would revel in these qualities.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

PhD pfft, I give you a Masters in Astrophysics. Now that's intelligence.

Don't include me in your theories, a soul is the gift God gives you for achieving entry into heaven.

 

[Taake]

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg famously explained why he usually wears the same gray tee shirt: "I really want to clear my life so I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community

How annoying I am: my first thought here was is it the ”same gray t-shirt” or identical/similar gray t-shirts.

Lol, it is something that is remarked on often in language here that people will say things like ”hey, we’re wearing the same shirt”, when you really mean an identical/similar one (samma/likadan distinction). And that’s the level of nitpickiness I’m at because it’s been ingrained in me by my dad, nitpicker extraordinare. 😛

Basically, to satisfy me the author should’ve written something like ”why he only wears plain gray t-shirts”

I’m done nitpicking. Back to your regulary scheduled programming.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

What you the nitpicker extraordinaire? Well prepare to be nitpicked, as over here that colour is spelt grey. As I walked away even my plain T shirt looked happy!

 

[ashleigh]

Just looking at the 'behaviours that make you seem stupid' thing. The top point of 'smoking tobacco' hit me. I do smoke. It's something I said that I would never do. In the past I probably did judge the intelligence of people who smoke.

I started smoking at the end of last year, when I was going through a phase of drinking heavily, and basically just doing everything that I knew was bad for me.

I made some very questionable decisions. I knew they were questionable, I just did those things anyway. I chose to be 'stupid'. Choosing to be stupid isn't a lack of intelligence. It's just making the decision to ignore intelligence.