The Secrets of Jewish Genius: It’s not about having higher I.Q.s.

NYT ^ | 12 27 2019 | Bret Stephens

[yesthatjallen]

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Sarah Bernhardt and Franz Kafka; Albert Einstein and Rosalind Franklin; Benjamin Disraeli and (sigh) Karl Marx — how is it that a people who never amounted even to one-third of 1 percent of the world’s population contributed so seminally to so many of its most pathbreaking ideas and innovations?

The common answer is that Jews are, or tend to be, smart. When it comes to Ashkenazi Jews, it’s true. “Ashkenazi Jews have the highest average I.Q. of any ethnic group for which there are reliable data,” noted one 2005 paper. “During the 20th century, they made up about 3 percent of the U.S. population but won 27 percent of the U.S. Nobel science prizes and 25 percent of the ACM Turing awards. They account for more than half of world chess champions.”

But the “Jews are smart” explanation obscures more than it illuminates. Aside from the perennial nature-or-nurture question of why so many Ashkenazi Jews have higher I.Q.s, there is the more difficult question of why that intelligence was so often matched by such bracing originality and high-minded purpose.

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But as the story of the Lithuanian rabbi suggests, Jewish genius operates differently. It is prone to question the premise and rethink the concept; to ask why (or why not?) as often as how; to see the absurd in the mundane and the sublime in the absurd. Ashkenazi Jews might have a marginal advantage over their gentile peers when it comes to thinking better. Where their advantage more often lies is in thinking different.

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[Ezekiel]

Jewish genius operates differently. It is prone to question the premise and rethink the concept...

Pretty much what Jackie said.

Now take the tradition that Esav was born appearing as a mature man. What are people thinking? He was a complete fuzzball -- the classic appearance of a preemie (as twins often are). So it's the opposite of maturity.

Jacob wan't described that way, and history shows that he was mature for his age, unlike Esav who for example, flew off the handle about his blessing.

It makes sense of his name, because the immature Esav still had a lot of work to do to catch up.

Everything in its time. No wonder Rivka concocted that dress-up scheme involving the very first Purim costume.

[Hildy]

I’m Jewish. Although we had money, there was never a focus on material things. Anything to do with learning was freely given. While my friends were getting cars, I was traveling learning about the world. After High School, I didn’t know what I was going to do. My Father said you either get a job, go to school or go live in Israel. I went to Israel, by myself when I was 17, with my guitar and lived on a kibbutz for six months. I think about it now and seems crazy. But I learned a whole lot those six months.

[justa-hairyape]

Yeah well we were, earthlings in general that is, shown some very advanced organic technology and taught very important relationships between the ethereal and physical realms. You would not show or teach that to a pack of donkeys expecting much.