Should I stay or should I go?

[Nowler]

Not that it's a consolation or even of general interest but I have been interested to to observe that there's a great majority of human behaviour which is completely predictable.....especially behaviour that we often consider to be individual and particular to each of us. When it comes to skill sets and skills acquisition generally, the distribution of two "attitudes" would bring a smile to the face of Signor Pareto. At one end you get people who are quite skilled (or have convinced themselves that they are) and look down on the those they perceive to be less skilled with disdain and/or contempt and at the other end you have people who believe (with varying sincerity) that as they themselves have not been able to acquire the desired/desirable skill then nobody else can possibly do so and by extension the task is impossible and pointless to pursue. Between those two extremes there is a not very exciting area which is neither black nor white being instead comprised of an infinite number of shades of grey. Monochrome 80/20.

We can all get onto that boring spectrum with the right kind of education and training and it's only the positioning which is uncertain.

For those who familiarize themselves with human behavior - namely our autonomous behaviors - there is probably more that's predictable than unpredictable. Which can give a massive advantage.

I certainly agree that we can all get closer to the middle of the spectrum you mention. Granted some may have a harder time than others. Then other factors will help/hinder others more/less than others also.

The major problem I see is:

"Most people would die sooner than think: in fact, they do so. — Bertrand Russell "

 

[timsk]

. . . "Most people would die sooner than think: in fact, they do so. — Bertrand Russell "

True, but 'most' don't have Bertrand Russell's brains!

 

[Nowler]

True, but 'most' don't have Bertrand Russell's brains!

Perhaps.
But does what he was referring to require anything special in the domain of IQ?

Working on being a more independent thinker would certainly move one away from being such a person. And that would be fuelled by asking the most powerful question in the world.... "why?" This wouldnt be massively linked to IQ, surely.

The majority of people rely an awful lot on social learning and social cues. Most people will disregard what should be obvious just because of group think. Then you also have the other phenomena of the nail that stands out gets hammered

 

[timsk]

Perhaps.
But does what he was referring to require anything special in the domain of IQ? . . .

Hi Nowler,
You're right, of course: my comment was just a quip. That said, if I was to make a very broad generalisation, I'd say the most content people I know are the ones who keep their thinking to a bare minimum, usually confined to their jobs. For example, take my local chippy Paul who's just built and fitted a new kitchen for us. He's a delightful chap (and excellent carpenter) who, at 51, admits he's never read a book in his life. He likes listening to Radio 2 (as do I) - except the Jeremy Vine show as he's not interested in Brexit and the other political issues of the day. But he's by no means stupid and his IQ is probably higher than mine (as is most peoples) - but he's definitely not one of life's big thinkers. As with many others like him that I know, he appears all the more happier for it. IMO, thinking is overrated. I do a lot of it and I can't say it's really got me anywhere or made me any happier.
Tim.

 

[cantagril]

...... thinking is overrated. I do a lot of it and I can't say it's really got me anywhere or made me any happier.
Tim.

It's a nasty useless habit and you should be ashamed of yourself.

 

[Nowler]

Hi Nowler,
You're right, of course: my comment was just a quip. That said, if I was to make a very broad generalisation, I'd say the most content people I know are the ones who keep their thinking to a bare minimum, usually confined to their jobs. For example, take my local chippy Paul who's just built and fitted a new kitchen for us. He's a delightful chap (and excellent carpenter) who, at 51, admits he's never read a book in his life. He likes listening to Radio 2 (as do I) - except the Jeremy Vine show as he's not interested in Brexit and the other political issues of the day. But he's by no means stupid and his IQ is probably higher than mine (as is most peoples) - but he's definitely not one of life's big thinkers. As with many others like him that I know, he appears all the more happier for it. IMO, thinking is overrated. I do a lot of it and I can't say it's really got me anywhere or made me any happier.
Tim.

Yeah, I've noticed the same myself. Ignorance really is bliss.
We can't worry about how perilously close we are to running out of effective antibiotics if we are oblivious to it

Then again... a lot of my frustration is not due to how much I think and what I know.
It's because of other people who swan around not thinking or acting on these things.

Take having children for example.
I hate waiting in queues, I hate getting stuck in traffic, I hate having long waiting lists on thing such as hospitals what whatnot. This is a massive annoyance for me, and it could easily be reduced by changing our view on having kids.

I've actually stopped congratulating people who say they are about to have a kid. Apart from it adding to my frustrations, there is nothing special about it!

Trillions of people have done it before us... animals do it... it can even happen accidentally. In fact, if people were honest, a very large proportion of pregnancies were accidental.


Back on point a bit.
Isn't there a very strong correlation between mental illness (namely, depression) and academics?
Particularly those closer to PhD level

 

[cantagril]

..........
Isn't there a very strong correlation between mental illness (namely, depression) and academics?
Particularly those closer to PhD level

I like to think that I'm in the clear with my single 'o' level - Woodwork. People will always need tables.