Simoneaugie, Choux , Wondergirl :

Humanity in general gets over time more intelligent. But if they get more happy and mentally stable I doubt...

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by simoneaugie

Humans have designed computers, etc. We drive cars instead of horse-drawn wagons. We can call our parents in Wherever, whenever we feel like it. But are we smarter than we were 200 years ago?

Invention is fantastic and 200 years ago there was "nothing" that was dependent on electricity. Now we can watch the news and see what's new. Does that mean that we are more inventive?

Before electricity became commonplace, 90% of women menstruated together when the moon was new. Is this change positive or negative? Is it careful or smart?

Are we more intelligent or simply more able to tell each other how great we are? I live comfortably with both electricity and the rest of today's world. Am I just accustomed to these or would I be better off, living off the land with candles and fat-burning lamps?

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As a whole I think we are " smarter " in terms of our lives in Western society being easier.

We don't have to grow our own food [ we go to the grocery ] or build our own house [ contrators] or start our own fire for warmth or stay in the shade to get away from the heat thanks to central air. We are pretty secure - we don't have to kow how to use a weapon or gun to defend ourselves.

I think we have lost something though. My wife's greatgranfather 84 yo, can grow a garden, fix things, build things, fish, hunt... that is he can survive without electricity, [ that generation lived through the great deppression ] I could not.




I also think there are different types of "smart"

- book smart
- street smart
- business smart
- emotionally smart

etc...




Good question:)

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Originally Posted by inthebox

As a whole I think we are " smarter " in terms of our lives in Western society being easier.

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Smarter? Is exploiting others "smarter" in your book ?
I thought you claim to be a Christian. Did Jesus not teach his version of socialism in his time? Did Jesus sell bread and fish, or share bread and fish ? Did Jesus exploit others by letting them sell or share that bread or fish ?

Just asking...

:D ;) :p :rolleyes: :D

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[QUOTE=Choux]simone.. I think you missed my points.

Illiterate and uneducated people are ruled by superstition, magical thinking, and assorted nonsense. That does not mean that they are not happier in their interpersonal relationships... they need each other to survive and perhaps, they work better together in that common goal of survival. I don't know. [quote]

I find your attitude somewhat arrogant. I definitely believe in The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and yet I am certainly not illiterate, and am not ruled by superstition, magical thinking and assorted nonsense! Your statement is nonsense and your refusal to admit that you are ruled by your beliefs (just like everyone else) shows how blind you are in some ways.

Ps 111:10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
(KJV)

Prov 9:10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
(KJV)

What is the difference between wisdom and intelligence?

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Originally Posted by simoneaugie

What is the difference between wisdom and intelligence?

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According to some psychologists:
* A wise person can discern the core of important problems.
* A wise person has self-knowledge.
* A wise person seems sincere and direct with others.
* Others ask wise people for advice.
* A wise person's actions are consistent with his/her ethical beliefs.

Intelligence is having knowledge, smarts, abilities, skills.

I'd say the difference between the two is discernment. I could be intelligent but not wise. On the other hand, I could be wise without being very intelligent--or could I?

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Originally Posted by Choux

simone..., I think you missed my points.

Illiterate and uneducated people are ruled by superstition, magical thinking, and assorted nonsense. That does not mean that they are not happier in their interpersonal relationships.....they need each other to survive and perhaps, they work better together in that common goal of survival. I don't know.

There is no doubt that a villager in a primarily illiterate society is not as smart as Oxford and Cambridge graduates. However, you can bring up the point that intelligence can be culture specific, but, by definition of intelligence as scope of knowledge and rationality, I don't buy it.

Best wishes, I wasn't trying to irritate you. :)

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So how do you account for someone with a 138 IQ, a college degree,and follows Jesus?

Yes, discernment.

Discernment is paramount to making decisions that help others. Some discern that Jesus is the Way, Truth and Light. Others seek concrete proof before placing steadfast belief in anything. Among those two groups some decide that it's important to help their fellow human beings. The ones who choose only to help themselves live in fear. Of course they deny that the fear exists within themselves, because it's mixed with shame. Shame is pretty tough to admit... The truth will set you free?

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Originally Posted by Credendovidis

Smarter? Is exploiting others "smarter" in your book ?
I thought you claim to be a Christian. Did Jesus not teach his version of socialism in his time? Did Jesus sell bread and fish, or share bread and fish ? Did Jesus exploit others by letting them sell or share that bread or fish ?

Just asking ....

:D ;) :p :rolleyes: :D

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Just asking... but what the heck are you asking?

Jesus took a boy's lunch, and after He blessed it, He broke it and fed thousands of people, then took up basketfuls that were leftover for the boy to take back home.

And yes that's just what I believe, that's my belief, it's not a proven fact. It is based on faith, which without faith it is impossible to please God, so I am glad I cannot 'prove' it to you, because I would rather please God than man.

The puzzle of learning new things and gaining more knowledge, is laid out before us, we just have to fit the pieces together.

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Originally Posted by 0rphan

The puzzle of learning new things and gaining more knowledge, is laid out before us, we just have to fit the pieces together.

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Doesn't learning new things gain us more knowledge? How is it a puzzle?

What I meant was every thing that give us more knowledge, is around us but not always obvious... therefore a puzzle, we just have to find the pieces, to reveal the answers.


Hope that makes better sense to you.

I kind of took it as a whole different aspect...

I personally don't think we're smarter. We're as smart as we are in that moment... if that made any sense?

I'm sure the first caveman that invented the wheel... their society thought they were brilliant. When the lightbulb was introduced, they hailed Edison a genius and thought that innovations could NOT get any better. We think we're really brilliant now, but I'm sure people 200+ years down the road will think that we were actually cavemen.

Leave it to sneezy to put it into a nutshell. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by ISneezeFunny

....but I'm sure people 200+ years down the road will think that we were actually cavemen.

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If one sees the US bull run amok in porcelain cupboards all over the world, I know who presently the actual cavemen are...

"Will there be any civilized people left in 200 years from now"? Is the real question...

;)

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Now, civilized is wiping, instead of shaking it all over the walls... Isn't it?

Civilized! I'm hoping the proverbial pendulum will swing back to the days of Palmer Penmanship and diagramming sentences and sending thank-you notes and not texting while walking or driving and being parents (not buddies) to children... I could go on and on.

I think we have enough new inventions now for a while. Let's stop inventing things and enjoy what we have.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Are we smarter? I don't think so. There are many more opportunities in 2008 to show off our smarts. Hundreds of years ago, musicians composed "pop music"--symphonies and cantatas and oratorios that we still listen to today. (How many people 100s of years from now will be humming "Viva la Vida"?) Thousands of years ago, people built pyramids that we still aren't quite sure about how they did it. Being smart is relative to what one needs to accomplish using available tools.

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Good response Wonder... :)

Ok than : if current natural developments continue on the same scale : "will there be any (civilized) people left in 200 years from now"? Is the (real) question...

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

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The work of Aristotle, Plato, Socrates or Archimedes are almost general knowledge to people today. The cutting edge things that Newton did are learned by 16 year olds. But can anyone really say that they are smarter than these people? I don't think so.

The difference between us and them? We have greater technology and further build up of knowledge from previous generations. It's like a snowball. Plato's the little tennis ball sized ball at the top, Newton's a bigger ball part way down, we're a bigger still ball even further down.

And look how much hill we still have left to roll down!