I've been running through some ideas lately about why the IQ of most populations clusters around 100. It seems strange to me that if intelligence, reason, and problem solving skill are generally considered positive traits, why the population doesn't drift to the right. Instead it seems like there is some kind of reproductive advantage of not being too smart.
But to take it a bit further I've been asking myself: well, what is a person like that's not too smart? Some thoughts:
- They're more likely to take social norms for granted
- They're less likely to question ideologies that act as social bonds
- They may be worse at family planning so reproduce more at the expense of their future
- High IQ might come at the expense of EQ, which is more critical to forming relationships
It's an interesting point to consider because it suggests that, in some ways, intelligence can be maladaptive. So it's possible that all of the issues we see with people and strange beliefs is a feature, not a bug, of our species.
Your thoughts?
But to take it a bit further I've been asking myself: well, what is a person like that's not too smart? Some thoughts:
- They're more likely to take social norms for granted
- They're less likely to question ideologies that act as social bonds
- They may be worse at family planning so reproduce more at the expense of their future
- High IQ might come at the expense of EQ, which is more critical to forming relationships
It's an interesting point to consider because it suggests that, in some ways, intelligence can be maladaptive. So it's possible that all of the issues we see with people and strange beliefs is a feature, not a bug, of our species.
Your thoughts?