I didn't used too, but considering all the support Ron Paul has gotten it's has become very clear, People are Stupid.

 

Yeah.. way to prove your point...


-madmike

 

I voted yes. At first I thought it was something in the water, but now I'm thinking it's somethign in the Kool-Aid.

Realisticly, when you have things like cellphones that answer your questions, GPS to tell you where to go, small robots that sweep the floor for you, and a whole political party that says successful people owe unsuccessful people money.
What's the motivation to strive? To get more facebook thumbs up?

LOL things are turning into a joke.

 

I don't have a GPS for the simple reason that some of the best times in my life happened because I didn't know where I was going. Same reason I won't take I-95 unless I'm under a time constraint.

To think of all of the interesting people I would never have met and all of the things I never would have seen if I had had a GPS is reason enough for me not to get one.

In all fairness, though, the Roomba robot is pretty cool. Doesn't work worth a hoot, but it's a great idea.

 

Technology is great, but unfortunately it does not force people to think for themselves anymore. With the internet and gps, no one has to open up a dictionary or map anymore. I know a few people who use the gps in their car just to go somewhere local.

 

"Other" here.

As to politeness, we as a nation, have lost many of the social norms we once had. Personally, I've become more polite in the last 10 years or so, but I tend to believe that, in general, people are ruder.

Although I can't articulate the whole concept that well, I think we are at the point where entire generations have not had a lot of interaction with others. All of the techie stuff we have available to us has allowed less person-to-person interaction. Consequently, people don't interact the same way they did 40 years ago. More parental disconnect also because many of our current folks who are parents were also from the same environment. IMO, it's worse in and around major cities, but it's spreading pretty fast into more rural areas.

Maybe I'm just mis-remembering my youth though.

 

All of the techie stuff we have available to us has allowed less person-to-person interaction. Consequently, people don't interact the same way they did 40 years ago. More parental disconnect also because many of our current folks who are parents were also from the same environment. IMO, it's worse in and around major cities, but it's spreading pretty fast into more rural areas.

:thumb: This, and just think where we will be in another 10, 20 years, if we last that long.

 

Unbelievable as to what passes for intelligence these days. I have two daughter, 20 and 19, both in college part-time, and I am thankful that they are as well-spoken as they are.

I meet some of their friends, and look at people in their peer group up to around 30, and I am astounded that they can manage to get dressed in the morning!

How did they get out of high school? Oh yea, "adjusted" test scores due to "socio-economic indicators of existence" and other b.s.

 

I work at a university. You should see the written statements I get.
And those are from "college students".

 

People used to think the earth was flat, and burn people alive for being witches....

I think we are doing ok.

 

I'll loan you a teenager and let you see for yourself!

 

I wouldn't say dumber necessarily, since most people out there have the same basic brain power. It has more to do with laziness and apathy.

The blame falls on disintegrating communities, the loss of the multi-generational family home, television, video games, the religion of consumerism, test-focused school factories, and societal lies we've all been told (the government is here to take care of us, greed is good, and we can all be rich and famous if we work hard enough... riiiight).

 

I sure hate it when I'm standing in line waiting for my change back and the computers go down. More then once I've had to count it out for them how much is due back. Scary as heck but next time I may just add an extra hundred on my change back see what happens.

 

it troo - wee R dumm moor dan b4.

Seriously, I've lost my cool more than I can count because of the stupidity of the average joe. Sadly, I work around some of America's finest Soldiers, but dumbest citizens. I consider them enabled and cared for by their Social Network parents.

 

I went to a fastfood restaurant, to find dazed and confuzed employees baffled on how to take an order when their computers where down. My bill was $11.94, I gave her $20.04 which really baffled them when they tried to make change. The girl sheepishly looked to me for the answer so I smiled and said Ten bucks. She replied oh, and gave me a nice crisp $10 bill.

 

Err......not sure how to say this, bro. You owe this girl some money.

Unless you are saying that you did this intentionally, in which case you are a thief.

 

We've always had smart people and dumb people...and the older generation has always feared for the future of civilization when looking at the youth. Archeologists found an ancient tablet in Egypt where the author was forecasting the downfall of civilization, and one of the reasons was that kids had stopped listening to their parents.

Today's kids are incredibly smart, but in different ways.

• They're much more teamwork-oriented, which older generations view as less self-reliant.
• They're very tied into to social networks that tend to be much wider and shallower than previous generations (think Facebook friends rather than the Elks Lodge), which causes older generations to complain about the lack of interpersonal relationship skills.
• They're much more likely to know how their local environment fits into the world's ecosystem than kids in the past, but much less likely to be able to identify 5 plants in that local environment...which is obviously different from the older generations, so the sky is falling.
• They're much bigger on instant gratification, which the older generations tend to view as selfish and lazy...but once they become politically active they'll expect their government to work together (teamwork) for an answer NOW (instant gratification).

The average time spent on homework has increased from about 20 minutes a night to over two hours a night. Kids today are very achievement oriented, as evidenced by all the different ways to measure their accomplishments that we didn't have - standardized tests are much more important, having only one college degree makes you average, etc - but they need much more praise to get there than previous generations.

Read up on the "millennial generation" if you're really interested in it. If you're in any kind of supervisory position, learning how to motivate these kids in a team will probably help you be a more effective leader. Leadership is situational, and the situation is changing as the newer generations come into the workforce.

Or you can just grumble about how it's all psychobabble and not bother to adapt to changing circumstances. Clearly the hallmark of a good leader! :

The key is knowing how to balance all that with the lessons they actually need. Tough love has its place too.

 

I would have believed this up to about two or three years ago. Now I don't buy it.....they are dumber, pure and simple. Not just regular old dumb either, I mean as dumb as a bag of hammers. Now of course that's a gross generalization, and we can't paint them all with the same broad brush (my apologies to those who have got their head's screwed on straight, and are as bright as I'll ever be), but this does, sadly, apply to the vast majority of younger folks that I've encountered.

 

People have completely fogotten how to say "please" or "thank you". I filled up my truck today, it was $65 and I went in to pay for it and put the exact cash on the counter and the man just took the money and said nothing...as if he was doing me the favor No thank you for your business or even a simple thank you!

Most people (I use to but no more) would say "Thank you" after a clerk handed our change to us. Am I thanking them for patronizing their store? Heck most people working in stores cant even count change and it's an inconvenience for them to deal with cash. They like that debit/credit card machine that does all the work.

 

Idiocrasy.

 

Are people getting dumber?
Ohio Man can you rephrase the question please? I'm confused and not sure what you're asking.

 

Why for you ask him that? Ohioman patience runs thin with constant re-stating of question!

 

Yes, and they can vote.

 

Computers, Play stations, TV... Too many distractions but:

I believe we have always been stupid. Lets face it, if we were not stupid, we would not let the gap between the Cleaner and the CEO get as wide as it is today.

I believe the kids of today, don't try because of that widening gap. Also, parents have to work harder and have little time for the family unit..

Maybe I got it wrong but I don't think so...

 

Let's see -just in today's news:

two 8th grade students suspended, pending expulsion, because one had an asthma attack and the other loaned an inhaler

10-year old boy arrested for pointing TOY gun at lady

man tazed in back by park ranger for walking dogs off leash

yep - we're getting dumber

I think any time society grows to a certain point, people feel obliged to tell everyone else how to live their lives, regardless of the common sense, or lack thereof, of the policy.

 

Stupid people are being paid to breed. The money they are getting is coming on the backs of intellegent people who have to cut back, even on the ammount of kids they would have had. Its not going to get any better until darwin is allowed to get involved.

 

Darwin was a eugenicist who along with 3 or 4 other familys chose to "selectively breed" amongst themselves ONLY.. with the result being after 3 or 4 generations.. an ample amount of still births and, the ones who weren't still born, ended up being either retarded, or deformed, or both.

So yeah.. big ups to Darwin and his genius!!


Other then that, I do follow your, "stupid people shouldnt breed" mantra.

You're fixed right?


-MadMike

 

Yeah they are getting dumber.

But so are you.
You took the guy's check! :

 

but I'm too embarrassed to take it to the bank, I'm thinking night-deposit at another branch :

 

The dumb people started breeding. Thats what ruined the country.

 

We have always thought we were smarter than we really are.

 

Wasn't for some of uf us dumb/ stupid people you'd have nothing to complain about, then where would you be . lost in ciber space OOoooooOOOooo0000oOOOOooo

 

Perhaps increasing reliance on antidepressants (etc.) account for some of what we are seeing.

 

+1 and the use of over use of fluoride, aspartame and other neurotoxins in the water and food supply.

Tactical you might be on to something with your list of intelligent levels, I have heard there are actually (9) levels all of which I fail at some level in :.

1. Naturalist Intelligence (“Nature Smart”)

Designates the human ability to discriminate among living things (plants, animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world.

2. Musical Intelligence (“Musical Smart”)

Musical intelligence is the capacity to discern pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone.

3. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart)

Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to calculate, quantify, consider propositions and hypotheses, and carry out complete mathematical operations.

4. Existential Intelligence

Sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.

5. Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart”)

Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand and interact effectively with others.

6. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (“Body Smart”)

Bodily kinesthetic intelligence is the capacity to manipulate objects and use a variety of physical skills.

7. Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)

Linguistic intelligence is the ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings.

8. Intra-personal Intelligence (Self Smart”)

Intra-personal intelligence is the capacity to understand oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings, and to use such knowledge in planning and directioning one’s life.

9. Spatial Intelligence (“Picture Smart”)

(spatial intelligence is the ability to think in three dimensions.)

Exactly what I was going to bring up, thank you. I know people whom are fantastic artists and musicians both technically and creatively however their level of reading and writing is that of an 8th grader. As well I know some very talented wood workers and carpenters that are brilliant with their skill and understanding of mathematics within their field however their command of the English language hasn't changed much from when they were 18 years old, nor are their computer skills much better than your average elderly grandparent. Because of the other areas of their strengths, I would never necessarily call them dumb.

 

I think so. The primary causes of this IMO, are the breakdown of the family, the pervasiveness of technology (which is a blessing and a curse), and poor education. People sometimes think I'm smart, I tell them that I am not, I only seem that way because I read a lot. People don't read anymore and that is a huge problem. I've learned as much about history on my own as I have in school (school provided other important things like structure and technical writing though). I am dumber in a way than I used to be. My spelling is probably worse now than ten years ago because I depend on spell check. Technology is a hard bargain, it can be good and bad at the same time.

 

People don't read anymore and that is a huge problem.

It's not that they don't read any more, it's that they don't have to remember it anymore b/c they can google it on their phones whenever they want. Until they can't...

The Atlantic Monthly, July/August 2008: Is Google Making Us Stupid?

I've learned as much about history on my own as I have in school (school provided other important things like structure and technical writing though).

Me too. And some of the more interesting history lessons, at that.

two 8th grade students suspended, pending expulsion, because one had an asthma attack and the other loaned an inhaler

This is my son's school.

 

Obama was elected that should answer your question.