What is intelligence? (Thomas Sowell)

Jewish World Review ^ | October 2, 2007 | Thomas Sowell

[buwaya]

I am sure that would be the case. There are many possibilities if we obtain a better understanding of the mind. That is why the value of this knowledge makes it the ultimate technological prize, the greatest potential for material payoff.

[buwaya]

I would have thought Ashkenazi Jews would have been your choice, but that will do as well. There are lots of others of course - Parsis, non-Muslim Indians in general, Armenians, Koreans, Japanese, etc., as well as most European groups, lets not forget.

The fact that there are so many of these groups, and that they are so ethnically and culturally diverse, leads me to think that it should be relatively easy to find a common success factor, and I am tending to the possibility of some humble, simople cultural trait, perhaps some parental behavior in early childhood.

[NewRomeTacitus]

I agree. Buyawas’s observation in post #39 back up the point you’ve made, wheras Chinese tend to succeed regardless of their circumstances and/or backgrounds or ideology. That the Chinese tend to score higher than all other groups in inherent intelligence probably has everything to do with that. That they continue to do so despite Communism: amazing.

[NewRomeTacitus]

Creeping mandarism (a class that knows the real deal) can only contribute to China’s inevitable failure if that country continues to pretend to be Communists. They’re too tied to commercial interests all over the planet to continue that facade for much longer.

It’s their distaste for social disruption that has prevented this before now. Their government has grown comfortable with a self-perpetuated illusion of “ultimate power” and a conflict will be required before such people will relinquish that illusion - despite the fact that their ideological Communism has been thrown over for practical Capitalism for a long time now.

[donnab]

“What is intelligence?”

The antonym to democrat.

[okie01]

It's a vicious cycle, since the way to get out of the poverty is through education, but being poor leads to less cultural emphasis on education.

And a good education is increasingly harder to achieve in the public schools.

It is as if the government wants to maintain your "vicious cyle". Which, of course, liberals do.

[SauronOfMordor]

They run commerce in the Caribbean basin for all intensive purposes

Being a merchant does not need strength, health, and endurance as much as it needs being smart. A smart merchant could afford to feed many children, while a stupid merchant would get cheated and be unable to support a family. Over time, ethnic groups that were primarily in a "merchant" niche would select for intelligence

[wardaddy]

Ahkhenazim is not as represented in the developing world as are Sephardic or “Oriental” (near Asian types)Jews I think of Matalons of Jamaica and that super powerful Jew in Haiti whose name escapes me (?)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“The eugenics movement of the early 20th century was based on the fear that, since people of lower mental ability tended to have more children than people of higher mental ability, the average level of the nation’s intelligence would tend to decline over time.”

Mr. Sowell! That theory works perfectly for Liberals, LOL! The best we can hope for is some sort of “kick-back gene” that produces Conservatives from those scary “love matches.”

Anyway, Love you! :)