Aibu to worry about general public intelligence

[Collectivethoughts]

Aibu to be worried about the intelligence of the general public?
I know intelligence is generally a bell curve with most people falling in the middle with minoritys falling either side.
Im in no way saying im extremely intelligent because im not but I would say i use critical thinking.
For example hearing other people in the supermarket over the weeks. People swearing at each other, stopping dead in the centre of an aisle so no one can get through and actually being oblivious to themselves blocking others. Some of the conversations I hear.
Then in my job, having to tell people how to parent when thats not really my job. Parents actually being clueless on what to do I.e seeking further help.
Recent political things. Some people think if they just shout loud it means they're correct without any critical thinking and weighing up sides, policies and mandates.
Im finding the general public harder and harder to be a part of and overly frustrating to be apart of as in finding most dont want to engage with any critical thinking.
Aibu?

Romanes eunt domus?

Common sense really isn’t that common.
However that isn’t to do with intelligence.

I personally dislike the term "critical thinking". For me, in many discussions it's a red flag.

I am sure we can all agree, intelligence and knowledge are not the same thing. And intelligence has nothing to do with manners, cultural differences, indoctrination etc. And if we say intelligence is the ability to "figure things out", as opposed to repeating or learning by rote (although that forms skill), then I reckon we can split intelligence into separate types We see how it works- fantastic at applying maths but can't work out how to assemble a flat pack cupboard.

So we have intelligence, knowledge, and skill. Memory can be slotted into knowledge here I think, but memories work different from person to person.

And these are all intertwined, categories sub divided, linked in different ways, in a pretty much infinite amount of combinations.

"You're all individuals"

"Yes, we are all individuals"

"You are all different"

"Yes we are all different"

"I'm not"

:-)

So for me, when I think of the premise of " critical thinking" and I apply "critical thinking" to my thought process of thinking about it, taking into account the variations mentioned above, I reach my conclusion that it is only a valid premise where the data input is complete and irrefutable, and the natural laws applied to the data are proven.

So, "critical thinking" works when debating a flat earther. But it appears to me to be practically useless for more abstract stuff, like economics.

And that is why I do not like the term " critical thinking". I think, but I am open to debate on it :-)

Critical thinking re blocking supermarket aisles ? Hmm. I need to think about that.

Trying to take the OP down a peg or two because she's dared to do a bit of sociological / analytical thought. Probably a right winger.

I’m starting to realise that anyone that uses the term “critical thinking” in regards to themselves, are in fact not that intellectual at all.

Since you commented... extending the verb helps you to understand the pronoun to be used. So you would say - 'more than I am pedantic' and not 'more than me is pedantic'.

I'm with @genesis92

You are probably getting a very skewed sample of society at the supermarket. Anyone with half a brain has booked a delivery or click and collect to avoid the hell that is supermarket shopping.

Maybe OP you’ve just reached that grumpy old man/woman age.
50% of people are more stupid than average. That doesn’t change. People are more confident and visible in their stupidity now though.

I don't think the op's post is especially good but I agree with her basic premise.

On fb threads about education, the inability to understand quite simple concepts like INSET days coming off what were teachers holidays, not term days or teachers being paid in 12 equal installments does not mean we're paid for 13 weeks holiday is quite infuriating. I appreciate someone might post not knowing those things, but I've ended up in arguments where I have very simply explained both those things to no avail.

I've been having a debate with a male poster on another thread about whether the bar for mens' parenting is really low. I've directed them to various boards / threads to see evidence, I've given lots of examples. He just keeps saying "I can't believe most sensible people would praise bad parenting" " it seems unbelievable to me" Well go do some reading then! Your lack of credulity is not an actual argument.

The average reading age in the UK is 8. To put that into context, my 7 year old’s reading age is already higher than this. It doesn’t mean how many words you can read, it’s how well you comprehend what you just read. I think that speaks volumes.

About a third of the population is degree educated but if you look on a map, it’s nearly half of Londoners compared to a quarter of people in the north east.

Also, critical thinking is dying because the humanities have been underfunded and undervalued for many years. This coupled with people’s over reliance on smartphones,
social media and now AI.

This is a much better to way to measure intelligence than what OP is grumbling about.

OP, what you seem to be irked about is a lack of social awareness and this is separate to intelligence. Some people I know with multiple advanced degrees between them are the worst for being utterly clueless on the real world.

I do think we are getting more stupid, however. The average attention span has now dropped to below that of a goldfish.

Listening to the callers on the Jeremy vine show I would say yes .

You are general public though.

Oh dear..

I don’t think people should care about things like grammar because I think it’s more the content of what people say that’s important, but saying actual general knowledge and maths skills are being taken now because people google a single fact instead of actually reading around a subject/ figuring it out. I’m scrabbling to try not to fall into ‘can’t really explain anything’ territory.

A woman stopped right in the entrance to the aisle in Home Bargain yesterday with her trolley and just stared down the aisle for a few moments, completely oblivious to her positioning and that there were people trying to get past her.
It did make me wonder how others brains work. I have this strange in-built thing where I’m aware of my positioning and how I might block others. I don’t really have to think about it, it sort of happens instinctively.

I wonder if it’s a spatial awareness thing. Like when people have no idea how wide their vehicle is when driving. It just comes naturally to some and yet others have no awareness at all.

Well let's look at your examples:
People swearing at each other, I'd say that sounds like stress

stopping dead in the centre of an aisle so no one can get through and actually being oblivious to themselves blocking others. Lack of Self awareness and consideration.

Then in my job, having to tell people how to parent when thats not really my job. I'd love to know what do you! Most people do they best they know. If they don't know, it's usually because of their own upbringing.

Parents actually being clueless on what to do I.e seeking further help. In the first instance you need to know that something is a problem, and that help can be sought. Finding your way around various public systems you don't understand takes energy. If you get fobbed off by one person you may either believe them or just think that was that.

Recent political things. Some people think if they just shout loud it means they're correct without any critical thinking and weighing up sides, policies and mandates. Again, depends on upbringing or who you've got around you. But yes this is a lack of critical thinking.

A good many people don't know how to resolve conflict because they've never been taught. Many professionals don't go the extra mile to actually help not because they don't want to but because they don't have time or understand the need for it. I'm quite highly educated but critical thinking didn't really hit home until my mid thirties. A great many people feel powerless, don't know what to believe and so along comes a charismatic man like Farage and suddenly they seem him as the answer.

Quote: " Also, critical thinking is dying because the humanities have been underfunded and undervalued for many years. This coupled with people’s over reliance on smartphones, social media and now AI."

Why is it connected to Humanities ? I would have thought it applied better to STEM subjects. it is based on evidence and logic after all. And that is what STEM is about.

Economics for example. A boundary humanities subject. Application of evidence and logic depend on the desired outcome surely, the ideology. So a socialist and a capitalist can both apply critical thinking, and reach very different conclusions.

But give a bridge design to different groups of bridge engineers, with the remit "is it safe? " then those groups will apply the same data and same logic and more than likely make the same conclusions.

For evidence and logic led thinking, I think of STEM, not humanities.

You can say what you like about Tommy Robinson and many do, but he seems to be the only person to come and publciy speak about the plight of poor Rhiannon white and her family. Not a peep from the Starmer and his acolytes 😡

You're coming across as part of the problem you were talking about in your OP here! If you can't see how, you've got bigger problems than you realise...

Social awareness does not equate to intelligence.
You will get some very smart people who stop dead in doorways for example.
As for whole families going shopping together, that does not equate to lack of intelligence. Perhaps mum is unable to drive, and is going stir crazy sat in this house. Perhaps dad is a controlling AH who insists on going everywhere his wife does. Perhaps they just don’t give thought to what others think.
I’ve known people with several degrees who perform top level jobs with zero self awareness. They think of themselves not their impact on others.

I live rurally, and the older generation here seem uniquely thick.

I reckon they were taken out of school early and worked on the farms, and it shows.

You define intelligence as critical thinking. Yet the examples you give, being inconsiderate of others, being aggressive and swearing, are measures of personality traits not critical thinking or intelligence. Similarly, not knowing certain things about parenting indicates lack of knowledge, education, motivation not necessarily intellect.
Intelligence is difficult to measure as there is no real consensus on the definition, or the testing criteria, and its hard to see it in isolation from personality traits and behaviours that may mask it or conversely artificially elevate perception of it. So we're not in a position to know whether its falling in the UK, or whether at a population level its of concern.

Yes this!!!! This is exactly what happens. Its a busy weekend and 4 people decide to stand at a bottom of the meat section aisle and have a catch up! Whyyyyy! Sometimes its not always what people say, but what they do.
Ive also seen a large number of people in PJs shopping recently. I dont get it.