Are some of us destined to be dumb and is there anything we can do about it?

Summary

Humans now have greater access to knowledge than ever before, yet people keep doing and believing stupid things. For instance, an alarming number of people believe that vaccinations are part of a giant global conspiracy to take control of our minds using micro-implants and 5G. But why is this? Those who study human intelligence say it's not a lost cause, but we need to rethink our assumptions about intelligence and ignorance. For instance: 

• Don't equate IQ with intelligence. We need to discard the belief that a high IQ and rationality go hand-in-hand; they cannot gauge a person's common sense.

• The difference between lies and 'bullshit'. US philosopher Harry Frankfurt's 1970s theory of bullshit was that the truth-teller and the liar both care about the truth. The bullshitter, in Frankfurt's sense, doesn't care.

• Develop critical thinking skills. If people lack critical thinking skills, they find correcting misinformation very difficult.

• Beware of judging others too quickly. What may seem ignorant to one person may be entirely rational to another.

• Self-reflection goes a long way. It can be troublesome to think for yourself, but it's important not to follow others blindly.

So, while it may be easy to laugh at those we find ignorant or gullible, it can be difficult to admit to our participation in the cycle of stupidity. And while we may wonder if the world can get any dumber, the fact is that it doesn't have to.

References

Recent Runway Posts related to this topic

• TED TALKI…This tool will help improve your critical thinking | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
• Becoming a More Critical Consumer of Information | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
• 3 Activities to Enhance Your Analysis in Critical Thinking | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
• 5 Critical Thinking Skills to Use at Work (And How to Improve Them) | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)

References from the Web:

• Jun 2021 The Conversation IQ tests can’t measure it, but ‘cognitive flexibility’ is key to learning and creativity
• Jul 2021 The New Daily Conspiracy theorists lack critical thinking skills: New study
• Nov 2021 ABC News Artificial intelligence has probably already made decisions about you. Here's why that matters

Source Information ABC Australia

• Article Source:  ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
• Media Check: ABC News Australia - Media Bias/Fact Check (mediabiasfactcheck.com)
• Learning Outcomes: RUNWAY TOPICS: LEARNING OUTCOMES | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)