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?

@Collectivethoughts I'd say it has more to do with their inability to think critically than lack of intelligence.
We don't teach kids how to think critically nor to question any narrative that teachers, adults, friends or the Internet tells them.
They are only taught what they need to pass exams instead of why these things are correct and given a full understanding of the subject and it has seriously harmed them. The only subject that kids are taught is their rights and entitlements.
Whole generations have been failed as their education has been watered down as the concentration on exam results has become more important than a functional knowledge of the subjects.

Its not exactly genius level thinking to believe that education is the same as intelligence.

😂😂 love a meerkat

I feel we are slightly doomed. Its been ever since covid I feel.

People are missing my point. These are a few examples. It would take me ages to list loads of various daily examples! These are cherry picked.

Do you shop in Asda

Maybe you should have used more intelligence in picking your examples then?
If people are missing your point has it not occurred to you that perhaps you didn't make it clearly enough?

Speak for yourself.
In my experience all intelligent parents make sure their children are taught to think critically at home

Wow I didnt actually know that. I just googled and it said the Sun newspapers reading age is 8 and the Guardians is 14.

I think blocking the supermarket aisles comes down to being inconsiderate, as in they haven’t thought about how that impacts others, or simply not caring about the impact on others. Both of those things do seem to be on the rise in society. I don’t think either are connected to intelligence.

Use of swearing is just a shift in society where swear words are more socially acceptable. Again, nothing to do with lack of intelligence. I know my mother would say “people who swear do it because they can’t think of a more intelligent word to use” but I disagree as it becomes a normal part of people’s vocabulary with more widespread use.

How is 'age 9-11' determined? Surely if it's the 'average national reading age' that means more adults read at that level than not, so it should be the 'average adult reading level' not a 'reading age of 9-11'.

There seems to be a lack of emotional intelligence and ignorance of social norms here on MN. I don’t know whether it’s just that people are desperate to prove the OP wrong, or whether it is a real societal shift. Some people just don’t seem to know how to behave, how to be polite and considerate any more.

There are people around who are self-absorbed and rude but that doesn't mean that they are not intelligent.

Your opinion about parents needing education is misguided if you think it is all down to intelligence and not circumstances.

Your frustrations about people is not down to them being intelligent or not. Perhaps you should question why you think it is down to intelligence and not other factors.

I think thats what it is, ignorance. People unable to look at different points of view.
Even my parents are this way. They believe Reform and what they say is true in their eyes. They dont question if what they are told in life is a lie.
Plus yes I feel your pain. The job I work in I speak to alot of parents and the lack of common sense to keep children safe is staggering.

And the extreme far left.
Anyone who thinks that Farage is more dangerous than Zachary polanski (sp) is failing to hold the far left to the same standards as the far right. Antifa are behaving more like the racists that they claim to fight than anyone on the far right. The Overton window has been pushed so far to the left that straight middle class white men are considered more vulnerable than women and children all because he claims a special identity.
No im not a fan of Farage (odious little toad of a man) in just recognise that the left are just as dangerous as the right.
Look up horse shoe theory and you'll have a better understanding of the harms of both the far left and right

I'd say it has more to do with their inability to think critically than lack of intelligence.

This is exactly what I was trying to put into words but @Hoardasurass put it perfectly.

I've noticed a huge rise in thoughtless, oblivious social behaviour since covid. People blocking aisles and footpaths in a big group stopping and having a conversation and then looking astonished and put out when you say excuse me to try and get past. Phones on loudspeaker on public transport and in the street etc. There were always some people like this but it's definitely worse now. It's as if the couple of years of lockdown led many people to just forget how to behave in public.

I don't think it has anything to do with intelligence/education though.

Also agree that some elements of life are now spoon fed and people haven't developed skills or been prompted to use their initiative to solve problems. So much of life can be serviced by the internet/technology. I am crap with directions for example but in the early 90s I had to do lots of driving from work. Would study the road atlas and understand the route and surrounds (in case of diversions). Now I don't even think about it. I just stick the sat nav on. Today I need to get my gel nails taken off but I can't seem to get the booking app to work and my brain is freaking out at the idea of having to actually phone up the salon and speak out loud rather than just press a few buttons on my phone.

Some of the most intelligent people I know (absolute boffins with PhDs) have little common sense, self-awareness, spatial awareness, etc. I think they’re so focused on their subjects that they don’t waste precious brain power noticing what’s going on around them.

But in general, I agree with your post. I’m no longer shocked by how low average intelligence is. I always told my DCs “Don’t worry. The average person isn’t that smart. As long as you work hard and you’ve got half a brain, you’ll still be head and shoulders above most people in the average workplace”. Now they’re working, they completely agree.

yes, the other day I was out shopping with my ds and there was a little girl with her parents, they had their backs turned ignoring her and she was struggling to put something on the shelf. I helped her and her parents didn’t even notice could easily of kidnapped her.
The supermarket thing drives me nuts! So many people stopping dead in the middle of the aisles at the end when they can see people qeueing to go down them! It’s very frustrating.

It's not the lack or decline of intelligence that worries me, more the lack of kindness.

Surely things like aisle blocking and swearing loudly in supermarkets, is more about lack of manners than intelligence?

Intelligence is different to common sense or good manners. Plenty of highly intelligent people lack both manners and common sense. 🤷‍♀️

Farage is more dangerous, he appears in the Epstein files. We exiled Andrew, yet Farage is basically a n*nce and it’s acceptable. It is very worrying how dim people can be supporting a person like that, yet if one lived in their street they would set fire to their house!

No i agree and I am open to debate too.

I agree with you around different types of intelligence. You can also add emotional intelligence in too. I think perhaps what I meant was I find is frustrating for those people who lack any kind of skill to be aware of anything around them or to think of different points of view.

When i said think critically to me I just mean to take different opinions/views to come to their own conclusion and not just blindly follow a group because thats what other people say.

I feel your pain with the 13 weeks holiday. I work in a school.

Yes I also agree with your other example. Alot of people will argue the toss and refuse to read to see if they are correct or not.

Nah I like to pick my own fruit and veg so they don't give you all the bruised/near date ones. Doesn't make me dumb, just discerning!

And yet you are doing the same thing by claiming that the poster is "probably right wing", as a dyslexic person I see the same superiority over grammar, spelling and punctuation from all political sides and would say it has more to do with looking down on those you deem unworthy and the righteousness of denigrating them because anything is acceptable if you're "on the right side of history" than political leaning.

YANBU. I came across a clip last night of a man who called in to explain that during jury service they knew the person on trial was guilty of rape but decided the 'consequences' would be too much so going him not guilty. Under the belief that he would now appreciate what a serious crime it was and simply not do it again. And if he did they he would be brought back and then get guilty. The man had absolutely zero awareness. No understanding when the host pointed out there could be another victim.

Which means not only this man, but the entire jury thought it was their place to decide on the suitable punishment for a guilty man. They all completely failed their simply jury duty to simply decide on guilt or innocence. Thought it was for themselves to act as judge. The man completely stood by his decision. Showed a complete lack of a understanding for the gravity of what he said and thought he was completely in the right.