On Functional Stupidity

Feature article today on the website of Australia's national broadcaster, the ABC:

Are some of us destined to be dumb and is there anything we can do about it?

Quote:

Most of us are healthier, wealthier and better educated than ever before. We have greater access to knowledge and expertise than any previous generation. Yet, people keep doing stupid things — from rejecting the science of climate change to embracing the idea that vaccinations are part of a giant global conspiracy to take control of our minds using micro-implants and 5G. Why? Well, the late, great British philosopher and polymath, Bertrand Russell, thought he knew at least part of the answer. "The fundamental cause of the trouble," he wrote, "is that in the modern world, the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt." Add to that, the conspiratorial rabbit holes of the internet and the increasingly unsocial side of social media and you pretty much have life today. But those who study human intelligence say it's not a lost cause but we need to rethink some of the assumptions we have around intelligence and ignorance. And take a good, hard look at ourselves and the role we play in the race to inanity. So, to help you play your part in the struggle against stupidity, here are some helpful tips.

The article goes on to highlight the difference between general intelligence and IQ, and why they don't always correlate, the difference between lies and ******** (since that's a technical term I once requested that it be taken out of the autocensor but my request was denied), and advocates for the importance of skepticism and critical thinking. Should be nothing more than a primer for those of us at this forum, but perhaps you know someone who might benefit from reading it?

via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/3Fqffe5