Aibu to worry about general public intelligence

The Telegraph has definitely dumbed down of late. I am reluctant to end my subscription having fond memories of reading Dad's copy as a child. But I may have to soon, particularly due to the obsession with flattering Meghan Markle stories. AND that they kept that horrendous picture of Andrew MW on the top of their website for two days!! Only to replace it with a picture of Mandleson in his underpants.

Rant over.

It is due to the education reforms. They didn't extend to Scotland hence why England's standards rose but Scotland's haven't.

Relevant in this particular case though, no?

To my mind publications like The Telegraph and Guardian are writing for the average age 9 - 11 so obvious and grating is their slant. Anyone with any comprehension is bored by the relentless drumming home of a message by the second headline.

@quantumbutterfly The reading ages attributed to newspapers is not new. It’s clearly about who buys them and depth of language used within the papers. They are quite different so attract different readers.

My big issue is critical thinking in this country is woeful. We have too many pushing an agenda but no understanding of what might happen in the future. A classic one was RR increasing NI for employers. It’s never going to stimulate employment or growth. She says she wants both. Rhetoric and understanding of the wider topic must go together but too many people don’t do the latter. It makes no one worthy of my vote. Yet, most people seem happy with rhetoric and we get Brexit, Boris Johnson and Starmer! I can only summise that we aren’t the brightest and our politicians are woeful,

We have Reform supporting “friends”. Friends no more really. Way too easy to point out problems, as they see them, far more difficult to have workable solutions. We have knee jerk policies from loud politicians. We are fools to believe it, but people do. So yes, much more dangerous than supermarket aisles. We need much higher calibre politicians because they wield power,

Nope.

I'm not sure that isn't, at least in part, to other nations going down.

I don't know your parents obviously, OP, but have you considered that your parents beliefs reflect their experiences? Which are probably differernt than your own experiences?

One of the things I notice is that there are quite a lot of people who look down on people like your parents, people who like to read the Guardian, for example, which has become a really completely poor quality news publication, but don't seem to be able to think outside their own bubble. That maybe different experiences have a lot to do with why different demographics tend to skew toward different politics.

The vast majority of us humans were always just happy, average bumblers leading small lives.

There's less tolerance of that now we're all fed a diet of social media, advertising and 24 hour news designed to make everything seem urgent and important.

Everything is whipped into a frenzy, we're all meant to be experts, everyone is in a rush. Political agitators and the commercial world create a spin and the ordinary person struggles to keep up (however much they think they're 'in the know where the people they look down on aren't).

We're not less intelligent, we're more intolerant (for no reason) and you have to question what has actually improved.

Years ago humans would have a nice little chat in the queue at the local shop.
Now we're seething FFS if Doris talks to Mavis and blocks the dairy aisle.

I think this could be one of the most ridiculous posts I've ever read on here,and that's saying someting!
So stopping dead in the aisle of a supermarket is a sign of stupidity?!!!
Your comment about parents seeking advice on how to be a parent....?
That depends on your job role and your level of empathyŕ?
I would assume that your job title would give these people confidence to ask for your help,and you sneering at them and saying "that's not my job",probably makes them feel great!
Even if it isn't "your job", these people are reaching out to you as they think you are in a position to help them. It may be an inconvenience to you,but your attitude is awful. And even if you're not able to help,if this is a question you're asked often, why don't you Google a few local places that ARE able to help,so you can give out details,when asked?
Even if it's not in your job description, it doesn't cost anything to be a decent human being.

Thank you so much for not pointing out spelling mistakes, well done. I hate it when people do this, it's a bit sad on their part.

Bloody hell🤯🤯how's that even possible!!
Not that I don't believe you ,it just makes we wonder how we arrived at this stage?

The Uk has gone up massively in the World league tables for English and Maths so hopefully the crop of kids coming up from school will raise general standards!!

I don't think there's sufficient emphasis on achieving proper competence in literacy and numeracy in schools. Prior to 1973, primary schools concentrated almost entirely on the three Rs. Pre-decimalisation (and yes, it was sensible) everyone had to understand the rudiments of mental arithmetic to work in retail, or calculate how many fence posts and yards of wire were needed, or be able to follow plans and diagrams, even to measure twice and cut once. Now all that is generally unnecessary.

I think common sense is getting less and less common. I had to explain the difference between wood and plastic yesterday.

Anonymity and lack of real life accountability?

@Hoardasurass I respect your opinion,I'm left wing to a degree but there are issues in Britain that need dealt with.
Sturgeon was in a class of her own with her deluded musings it was definitely her way or the highway.
So much things got swept under the carpet during her tenure.
Far too many too list.

Is Google an authoritative source?
(History is written by the winners and all that.)

I have no problem with people being ignorant but I have a real problem with people being proud of being ignorant

You are just transposing your own political views and values on others. And judging them if they don't comply with what you see as best for them. Perfectly normal. I find women supporting a party that doesn't know what they are, counter-intuitive for example. Or someone voting for a breast hypnotist who wants open borders and legal heroin.

I find sectarian politics the most scary for the UK rather than Reform actually. What do you think about the wisdom of Muslims voting for the Gaza Independents? On one hand sectarian politics would be hugely damaging to the UK social fabric and therefore an unwise vote. On the other hand, a Muslim may wish to have an MP chosen according to their faith (Islam being political as well as social) and feel it a completely wise choice.

Anyone who has ever worked in retail, hospitality or any other customer facign role will tell you a big section of the general public are thick as shit.

I agree with you that both are bad however nobody talks about the harms of the far left only the far right.
People talk about how harmful and dangerous far right retoric is whilst spouting the exact same bs only directed at the otherside.
If we taught people about the harms of both the far right and the far left perhaps we wouldn't have protestor holding placards with kill tories, decapitate terfs on our streets whilst the police do nothing and politicians (SNP ones in this particular example) have their photos taken in front of said signs.

I guess I'm just sick and tired of the left being able to spouting harmful racist, misogynistic classist bs whilst claiming moral superiority over the right as the left believe that they're on the right side of history so anything they do in the name of the cause is acceptable yet denigrating anyone who disagrees with or pushes back against them as "transphobic, homophobic misogynistic and probably racist too" (quote from nichola Stergeon). If im honest its the hypocrisy of the left and far left that really pisses me off

yep society really does seem to be struggling. I read a lot and often think what the F* are you on about - how can you be so stupid. There is absolutely no common sense now, i often wonder if people say things because they want to seem to different to everyone else as in look at me. Kind of like people making up weird spelling of baby names because they want theirs to be different - no you just look flippin' stupid and illiterate.

I chose lack of wisdom rather than thick, not to be polite, but because the two things are entirely different and I chose the one that expressed the meaning I intended.
You are quite correct, I have no means of assessing the intelligence of people I don't know. It's a complex area and not easily identified. As I said before, it can be masked or pervieved incorrectly due to observations of behaviour that has other causes.
The excercise of wisdom however is observable. For example, if a person is late for a crucial meeting because they chose to drive up the M6 rather than take the train, they have shown a lack of wisdom. Just as my neighbour who claims benefits and is heavily reliant on a free health service is unwise to vote for a party who will threaten these things because she doesn't like the idea that in some areas there are immigrants being put up in hotels.

I don't think it's intelligence per se. People are capable of learning and engaging with this stuff, but don't or haven't had the exposure to do so.

But yes, some people have been poorly raised themselves so haven't learnt how to parent. Some people like the sound of their own voices and don't care to listen to others. Some people are selfish and ignorant. Thus it is, thus it ever was.