Why humans are unintelligent: it's all about belief

[lunaflare]

Well, I am of the belief that humans are intelligent. Our bodies certainly are, and so is the astounding creative intelligence of the Natural world...we are just in a type of game/experience that seems to require forgetfulness...

[Ashiris]

People are not unintelligent. They are brainwashed

[pueblo]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
This is a serious thread. For years I've pondered why (e.g.) someone with a PhD and a measured IQ of 180 might be just really dumb and unaware outside of their specialist field. We see this ALL the time.

It's not about EQ (Emotional Intelligence) or SQ (Spiritual Intelligence). I think it's about the predominant vulnerability of almost all humans, whatever their IQ, EQ, SQ, age, culture, or level of education, to be victims of belief.

And there may be two components to that:

1. The susceptibility to being initially influenced to form a belief.
2. The resistance to letting go of it once it's entrenched.

A high intellect can paradoxically be a handicap, as extremely clever people are often very skilled at self-justifying whatever beliefs they have. A smart and articulate person will defend their beliefs strongly, self-reinforcing all the time.

I'd be most interested in other members' views (and experiences!) about this.

Perhaps some of the explanation for the seemingly inexplicable tendency for some people to become "victims of belief" can be explained by the difference between right and left brain dominant thinkers.

The below is a quote from a book 'The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World'.

"When confronted with a deadline, insight solvers will simply not complete the task if the answer has not come in time.

However, when analytic solvers run out of time, they tend to guess, often incorrectly, before the deadline, offering the hypothesis they were busy evaluating at the time.

Don’t forget that, to put it bluntly, the left hemisphere is overconfident and is prone to bull****.

Creative intuitions frequently begin with not knowing, with the recognition that the obvious does not apply, that something here does not fit.

If you are engaged in narrowing down to the most likely, are less inclined to doubt what you believe you know, and are inclined to preserve the current paradigm at all costs, rather than take seriously a finding that requires its modification, it is clear that you will be less likely to find something new – or accept it when it is pointed out to you."

So, these "victims of belief" may simply not be able to access the creative power of "not knowing", unable to see that "something here does not fit". Further, when presented with something which challenges their current paradigm they are unable to accept it.

This neatly explains the phenomenon we have all experienced when trying to explain something non mainstream to a mainstream mind....namely that no matter how much proof/evidence or support for your argument you present the person remains unmoved from their original position.

I am guessing, but I don't know, that those high IQ PHDs mentioned in the OP are predominantly left brain thinkers.

For reference on Left v Right brain thinking....

The concept of "left brain" versus "right brain" thinking suggests that individuals have a dominant side of the brain that influences their personality and cognitive abilities. Left-brain dominance is often associated with logic, analysis, and linear thinking, while right-brain dominance is linked to creativity, intuition, and spatial reasoning. However, it's important to note that the brains of most people are not entirely dominated by one side and both hemispheres are active in most cognitive tasks.

Link to a PDF of the book quoted above.
https://dokumen.pub/the-matter-with-...914568053.html