Firstly I would say that judging the whole population based on the people who appear on Celebrity Juice probably wouldn't meet the requirements of a good Audit.
Secondly basing intelligence on a person's knowledge of celebrities and popular culture is probably not great either.
I saw an episode of Celebrity Juice and some bloke on that didn't know who Prince, Ricky Gervais, or Elton John were, yet he was about 20. Then another show the other day Chelsee Healey said she thought English was every countries first language, and she is also about 20.
How can people be so daft ? I am hardly the brain of Britain, but how can you get to 20 and not know such things ?
Is this a worry for the future or have many people always been like this ?
The first example is a puzzling choice, to be honest.
Apart from your last example, I'm not sure lack of intelligence can be measured by knowledge of pop culture! Some of the brightest people in the world probably couldn't tell you who those people are!
Beat me to it Pop culture really isn't a measure of intellect. The English language example's a doozy, though!
I think the brighter are getting brighter and the thicker are getting thicker; on account of a lack of State-led dilution. We should stop all the vacuous mating with each other and ban the unversity-bound from matching up with their intellectual equivalents or, pretty soon, we'll have to build a wall between the book readers and the fake tanners.
I have only heard accounts of this astonishingly low intellect. I find it very difficult to believe, from those accounts, that it isn't affected as some sort of comedic characteristic.
I did wonder that, too ("Richard and Judy - are they the people created the world?"). But my not-botheredness led me to just enjoy pointing and laughing, then moving on. I don't even know what he's known for. Singing? Acting? Modelling? Big Brother? Presenting? Just being a celebrity?
I saw an episode of Celebrity Juice and some bloke on that didn't know who Prince, Ricky Gervais, or Elton John were, yet he was about 20. Then another show the other day Chelsee Healey said she thought English was every countries first language, and she is also about 20.
How can people be so daft ? I am hardly the brain of Britain, but how can you get to 20 and not know such things ?
Is this a worry for the future or have many people always been like this ?
The answer is YES.
It has been happening for sometime but it is very non-PC to mention it and a real hot potato to try to tackle.
The trouble is that intelligence is hereditary. It's nothing to do with education. Education helps people use what intelligence they have to the best advantage but it can't make a thick person clever.
Generally bright and clever parents have bright and clever children. There are exceptions of course both ways - throwbacks in the genes - but that is the general trend.
Before there was any sort of birth control both the cleverest people and the dimmest had about the same sized families. However, now it is possible to limit the size of famiies it has been the trend that the the more intelligent people have fewer children and the least intelligent have huge families. (again there are exceptions but that is the general trend).
Therefore, for a few generations now there have been far more dim children born than clever ones so the average intelligence of the countries with the advantage of birth control is steadily diminishing.
Nothing can be done about it though because people won't admit it and any possible solution is totally unthinkable!
The trouble is that intelligence is hereditary. It's nothing to do with education. Education helps people use what intelligence they have to the best advantage but it can't make a thick person clever.
Generally bright and clever parents have bright and clever children. There are exceptions of course both ways - throwbacks in the genes - but that is the general trend.
Before there was any sort of birth control both the cleverest people and the dimmest had about the same sized families. However, now it is possible to limit the size of famiies it has been the trend that the the more intelligent people have fewer children and the least intelligent have huge families. (again there are exceptions but that is the general trend).
Therefore, for a few generations now there have been far more dim children born than clever ones so the average intelligence of the countries with the advantage of birth control is steadily diminishing.
Nothing can be done about it though because people won't admit it and any possible solution is totally unthinkable!
You're saying that people are getting thicker but according to the situation you've outlined it's just that more thick people are being born. It's not like clever people are an endangered species even if the average level of intelligence is diminishing.
I saw an episode of Celebrity Juice and some bloke on that didn't know who Prince, Ricky Gervais, or Elton John were, yet he was about 20. Then another show the other day Chelsee Healey said she thought English was every countries first language, and she is also about 20.
How can people be so daft ? I am hardly the brain of Britain, but how can you get to 20 and not know such things ?
Is this a worry for the future or have many people always been like this ?
Not sure if I'm thick or not.
I know who Prince, Ricky Gervais and Elton John are, but not Celebrity Juice or Chelsee Healey.
Some people have always been thick. Others are not but there is so much information out there being blasted at them all the time they can't handle it and take it all in.
Could it be that these thick people are now getting more exposure on tv/social media etc?
Thick is funny? Jade Goody made being 'thick' funny, and made a name for herself (and providing an income) on that basis. People jump on the bandwagon to become rich and famous.
Priorities change, interests change. A group of Primary kids I taught didn't know who Princess Diana was - and that was about the time of William/Kate's wedding. Does that make them thick?
A friend of mine complains that her sister in law is thick because she doesn't know the difference between the A1 and M1. Yet said friend comes 'home' and can't find her way to the nearest retail outlet.
I saw an episode of Celebrity Juice and some bloke on that didn't know who Prince, Ricky Gervais, or Elton John were, yet he was about 20. Then another show the other day Chelsee Healey said she thought English was every countries first language, and she is also about 20.
How can people be so daft ? I am hardly the brain of Britain, but how can you get to 20 and not know such things ?
Is this a worry for the future or have many people always been like this ?
It is a bit strange because I'm not sure how you can avoid (not purposefully though) seeing anything on TV that would tell you that English wasn't actually the first language of some countries. I can only imagine that these people mustn't buy newspapers or watch TV at all. They mustn't bother with anything that provides you with information about what's going on around the world.
A friend of mine complains that her sister in law is thick because she doesn't know the difference between the A1 and M1. Yet said friend comes 'home' and can't find her way to the nearest retail outlet.
This would make me thick then. I've no idea of the difference between the A1 and the M1. Saying this though, I can't drive.
You're saying that people are getting thicker but according to the situation you've outlined it's just that more thick people are being born. It's not like clever people are an endangered species even if the average level of intelligence is diminishing.
Yes you are quite right.
It's not that people who were bright kids get thicker as they get older, it's that there are fewer clever people being born in proportion to the very un-clever ones. So that the average intelligence now is lower than it was 60 or so years ago.
But if more and more thick people are being born, and fewer and fewer really clever ones, then clever people WILL become an endangered species but no-one will realise it because by then they'll nearly all be too dim.
The answer is YES.
It has been happening for sometime but it is very non-PC to mention it and a real hot potato to try to tackle.
The trouble is that intelligence is hereditary. It's nothing to do with education. Education helps people use what intelligence they have to the best advantage but it can't make a thick person clever.
Generally bright and clever parents have bright and clever children. There are exceptions of course both ways - throwbacks in the genes - but that is the general trend.
Before there was any sort of birth control both the cleverest people and the dimmest had about the same sized families. However, now it is possible to limit the size of famiies it has been the trend that the the more intelligent people have fewer children and the least intelligent have huge families. (again there are exceptions but that is the general trend).
Therefore, for a few generations now there have been far more dim children born than clever ones so the average intelligence of the countries with the advantage of birth control is steadily diminishing.
Nothing can be done about it though because people won't admit it and any possible solution is totally unthinkable!
This is surely another reason why something has to be done about welfare dependency which successive governments have allowed to build up over the past two or three decades. Clever parents understand that it makes sense not to have more children than they can comfortably afford, whereas this doesn't apply to those who just pass the bill on to the taxpayer. If this isn't reversed the long term prospects for our society don't look too promising.
Joey Essex is another name which is new to me by the way!
But if more and more thick people are being born, and fewer and fewer really clever ones, then clever people WILL become an endangered species but no-one will realise it because by then they'll nearly all be too dim.
If heredity was the only significant factor in intelligence and social factors didn't play any part I'd be more worried. Perhaps we should wait for the results to come in first.
I'm not entirely sure that intelligence is on the decline, and I feel it is more likely that the type of show that has it's basis in so-called 'reality' rather than anything of substance is on the rise, and as such, it gives a platform to the sort of person who thinks it is cool or funny to say things that are completely daft.
That being said, when I was at school, intelligence was seen as a sign of weakness, and something to be denigrated, rather than something to be encouraged, or celebrated.
That might be more to do with where I was educated, rather than a statement about society, but sometimes I do wonder..
It's probaby already been hypothesised, but I don't think people are becoming more stupid as such, more that, unlike in the past, stupid people are more likely to be in the public eye, hence we hear zelebs come out with nonsense that, in days of yore, would've been confined to the village green.
The same thing happens on here (and other social media sites) too. There's people who's laughably stupid views and comments are available for the whole world to see, and that just wasn't the case before.
I don't mind young people not knowing who the Beatles, Aretha Franklin or Prince are. What annoys me is when they dismiss them BECAUSE they've never heard of them. It's that which makes them look thick.
Until I worked with the general public in retail I never believed we had so many utter morons walking about .My daily questions are actually unbelievable ."Will that fit in my car ?" is a favourite .How do I know ? I normally respond with "What colour is it ?" which REALLY confuses them .They "can't" see aisle numbers that are 3 foot high in bright lettering .They can't follow a series of 2 digit numbers .And these people DRIVE to my establishment .How they manage that I dread to think .
I saw an episode of Celebrity Juice and some bloke on that didn't know who Prince, Ricky Gervais, or Elton John were, yet he was about 20. Then another show the other day Chelsee Healey said she thought English was every countries first language, and she is also about 20.
How can people be so daft ? I am hardly the brain of Britain, but how can you get to 20 and not know such things ?
Is this a worry for the future or have many people always been like this ?
A contestant on 'Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old' couldn't spell the word 'berserk', even though she had graduated from a Liverpool university with an English Literature degree.
:eek:
For me, being a mathematician, that is like not knowing what 5x5 is, namely 25.
The answer is YES.
It has been happening for sometime but it is very non-PC to mention it and a real hot potato to try to tackle.
The trouble is that intelligence is hereditary. It's nothing to do with education. Education helps people use what intelligence they have to the best advantage but it can't make a thick person clever.
Generally bright and clever parents have bright and clever children. There are exceptions of course both ways - throwbacks in the genes - but that is the general trend.
Before there was any sort of birth control both the cleverest people and the dimmest had about the same sized families. However, now it is possible to limit the size of famiies it has been the trend that the the more intelligent people have fewer children and the least intelligent have huge families. (again there are exceptions but that is the general trend).
Therefore, for a few generations now there have been far more dim children born than clever ones so the average intelligence of the countries with the advantage of birth control is steadily diminishing.
Nothing can be done about it though because people won't admit it and any possible solution is totally unthinkable!
Well said there Arty.
I'm an only child and my dad has said to me, you have to tone it down a bit with some people and realise that most people are not as intelligent as you.
I know who Prince, Ricky Gervais and Elton John are, but not Celebrity Juice or Chelsee Healey.
Not knowing who Joey Essex or Chelsee Healey are is definitely not the same as not knowing who Elton John is, given one has been around for decades and the others 2 minutes
A contestant on 'Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old' couldn't spell the word 'berserk', even though she had graduated from a Liverpool university with an English Literature degree.
:eek:
For me, being a mathematician, that is like not knowing what 5x5 is, namely 25.
Yes. that reminds me, when I used to watch that show I felt quite happy as I could answer a lot of things that people who went to university on there couldn't, and also those with endless A levels, and I dropped out when I was 15.
TBH I think a lot of people 20 and under will likely know Elton John more from his personal life this his music
Yes. I think the worst thing about it was not knowing 3 big names in a row, the only one he knew out of 4 names mentioned was Michael Jackson. Sure, I guess I could understand Prince not being known these days by some, but Ricky Gervais for instance has been current for his generation. Then to also say Richard and Judy created the world.......
Comments
Secondly basing intelligence on a person's knowledge of celebrities and popular culture is probably not great either.
Apart from that...:D
The first example is a puzzling choice, to be honest.
Beat me to it
I think the brighter are getting brighter and the thicker are getting thicker; on account of a lack of State-led dilution. We should stop all the vacuous mating with each other and ban the unversity-bound from matching up with their intellectual equivalents or, pretty soon, we'll have to build a wall between the book readers and the fake tanners.
I did wonder that, too ("Richard and Judy - are they the people created the world?"). But my not-botheredness led me to just enjoy pointing and laughing, then moving on. I don't even know what he's known for. Singing? Acting? Modelling? Big Brother? Presenting? Just being a celebrity?
The answer is YES.
It has been happening for sometime but it is very non-PC to mention it and a real hot potato to try to tackle.
The trouble is that intelligence is hereditary. It's nothing to do with education. Education helps people use what intelligence they have to the best advantage but it can't make a thick person clever.
Generally bright and clever parents have bright and clever children. There are exceptions of course both ways - throwbacks in the genes - but that is the general trend.
Before there was any sort of birth control both the cleverest people and the dimmest had about the same sized families. However, now it is possible to limit the size of famiies it has been the trend that the the more intelligent people have fewer children and the least intelligent have huge families. (again there are exceptions but that is the general trend).
Therefore, for a few generations now there have been far more dim children born than clever ones so the average intelligence of the countries with the advantage of birth control is steadily diminishing.
Nothing can be done about it though because people won't admit it and any possible solution is totally unthinkable!
I know who Prince, Ricky Gervais and Elton John are, but not Celebrity Juice or Chelsee Healey.
Priorities change, interests change. A group of Primary kids I taught didn't know who Princess Diana was - and that was about the time of William/Kate's wedding. Does that make them thick?
A friend of mine complains that her sister in law is thick because she doesn't know the difference between the A1 and M1. Yet said friend comes 'home' and can't find her way to the nearest retail outlet.
It is a bit strange because I'm not sure how you can avoid (not purposefully though) seeing anything on TV that would tell you that English wasn't actually the first language of some countries. I can only imagine that these people mustn't buy newspapers or watch TV at all. They mustn't bother with anything that provides you with information about what's going on around the world.
This would make me thick then. I've no idea of the difference between the A1 and the M1. Saying this though, I can't drive.
Yes you are quite right.
It's not that people who were bright kids get thicker as they get older, it's that there are fewer clever people being born in proportion to the very un-clever ones. So that the average intelligence now is lower than it was 60 or so years ago.
But if more and more thick people are being born, and fewer and fewer really clever ones, then clever people WILL become an endangered species but no-one will realise it because by then they'll nearly all be too dim.
Joey Essex is as thick as shit and he seems proud of it too.
This is surely another reason why something has to be done about welfare dependency which successive governments have allowed to build up over the past two or three decades. Clever parents understand that it makes sense not to have more children than they can comfortably afford, whereas this doesn't apply to those who just pass the bill on to the taxpayer. If this isn't reversed the long term prospects for our society don't look too promising.
Joey Essex is another name which is new to me by the way!
http://www.nature.com/news/chinese-project-probes-the-genetics-of-genius-1.12985
That being said, when I was at school, intelligence was seen as a sign of weakness, and something to be denigrated, rather than something to be encouraged, or celebrated.
That might be more to do with where I was educated, rather than a statement about society, but sometimes I do wonder..
The same thing happens on here (and other social media sites) too. There's people who's laughably stupid views and comments are available for the whole world to see, and that just wasn't the case before.
A contestant on 'Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old' couldn't spell the word 'berserk', even though she had graduated from a Liverpool university with an English Literature degree.
:eek:
For me, being a mathematician, that is like not knowing what 5x5 is, namely 25.
Truly shocking.
=
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/berserk
Well said there Arty.
I'm an only child and my dad has said to me, you have to tone it down a bit with some people and realise that most people are not as intelligent as you.
Not knowing who Joey Essex or Chelsee Healey are is definitely not the same as not knowing who Elton John is, given one has been around for decades and the others 2 minutes
Yes. that reminds me, when I used to watch that show I felt quite happy as I could answer a lot of things that people who went to university on there couldn't, and also those with endless A levels, and I dropped out when I was 15.
Yes. I think the worst thing about it was not knowing 3 big names in a row, the only one he knew out of 4 names mentioned was Michael Jackson. Sure, I guess I could understand Prince not being known these days by some, but Ricky Gervais for instance has been current for his generation. Then to also say Richard and Judy created the world.......