Average IQ In The US.

I just read something strange online today. I forget where I read it, so I won't mention the cite. But it was a board member. So he might have been expressing an opinion too. But he said the average American has a below normal IQ.

Is that true? Because that has me confused. The word "normal" means average. Doesn't it? So if most of a population were some way it couldn't be average. So how could it be the norm? Or normal, in other word?

BTW what is an IQ score? It's a specific test. The Binet test or something. They seem to still use it. What does it measure? And what does your score mean on it?

 

I have read someplace, who knows where, that 50% of the population has an IQ below 100. Funny, nearly half the population voted for Trump, too. Methinks there be a connection....

 

Don't forget about the rest of the world.
If the thing you referenced is correct it may be saying that average American has an IQ below the global norm.

I make no comment on its validity.

 

Also, I might as well post all of this here. In some places like Japan, if you don't succeed in school, you're life is finished at that point. Unless that's changed. I don't mean you're not successful, I mean you wind up in poverty. Success shouldn't be linked to intelligence, and a reasonable standard of living shouldn't be either.

And, I think actually on that last one MLK, Jr. had a good idea. Universal basic income. We should all have the same basic standard of living to begin with. I guess some might choose not to work if we did that, though I've always doubted that. But the solution to that is to have a two-tiered system. Basic income, maybe just call it welfare benefits, if you don't work. Just enough to live on. And when you work, work anywhere, you get universal basic income. Unless you're legally disabled and entitled to that of course. There aren't many people who are legally disabled, so I don't think their not working would ever be a drain on the economy. And a doctor determines if you are disabled too.

And I also think that we should do away with status or prestige jobs. Or at least people getting paid a lot for them. Doctors, lawyers, CPA's and master chefs in fancy restaurants. They should get for how hard they paid, like B. F. Skinner pointed out. Not just for their status or position. Like professors emeritus at universities. Professor emeritus is an honorary title awarded for distinguished service to the university. Emeritus professors have retired, but they keep a connection to the university. Some may be very active, continuing their research or teaching, while others may be less involved. I just read online that they are typically no longer paid a salary because they are not expected to fulfill the same duties as active faculty. I was about to tell you that it is wrong for them all to stay on the payrolls and get paid with public and student money if it is a public university. But why are any of them getting paid at all? I could look into their salary. But I guess there are very few professors emeritus, so that shouldn't be a big issue. But there are some jobs that are more honorary than others. And there are some jobs where people just get paid for things like their education and position. And I think most people would agree with me that's wrong.

 

70% of Americans believe in angels.
42% of Americans believe in UFO's.
21% of Americans believe in magic.
23% of Americans approve of Donald Trump.

America ranks 17th in average IQ.
21% of adults in the US are illiterate. 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below a 5th-grade level).

This is why we can't have nice things.

 

That is truly frightening.

 

Pretty good example follows--

 

Yes, folks, that is the spiritual advisor to the leader of the free fucking world... God save us.

 

Average IQ is 100, because it is the average. So naturally half will be below average, half above. And the majority of people will have an IQ of 100, out of all scores. Interestingly, 10% of the population is 80 or lower, and 10% 120+. In every ten people you speak to, 1 is mentally challenged, one is highly intelligent. 8 are somewhere in between. In every 100 people, 1 is actually retarded (-70) and 1 is a genius (130+).

 

OK, you found me out..

 

Not quite correct. Whether half are below and have are above will be determined by their individual scoring. For example 1 person at 200 and 10 people at 20, will give the average of 100. That's not half being above and half below.

Also, see post #3

 

Maybe this is kind of circling the difference between 'average' and 'median'.... but not quite?. or something else in between or in a subset? Average is a total of all individual scores divided by the number of individual scores but median is a midpoint between the lowest and highest scores.

Ok maybe that was a little bit crazy and totalty off point.

Maybe one BIG reason why Americans compare so unfavorably is because out public school system as a whole stopped emphasizing the most vital basics plus STEM and started putting way too much emphasis on .... . wtfever.

 

But Intelligence Quotient (indeed plain intelligence), hasn't much to do with education systems.

Intelligence is innate- it's within us all to a greater or lesser extent. Education is regulated learning, which is why it doesn't work for all. I consider IQ to be a measurement of a person's ability to learn within that regulated education. More IQ means a person will be able to learn more quickly and easily. Lesser IQ means a person may struggle to learn or understand.

 

But it has to be guided and excercised. If no real basis is provided to develop from..... IQ can exist but never be realized.

 

IQ is a math 'quotient' that has had a lot of varying history behind it and they're still debating it.

With due respect to whoever you were reading I think the sources of that kind of 'information' should be revealed, and then the exact processes that were used to arrive at numbers such as '17th' and so on. And even the political leanings of the people within or behind those sources.

But because 'IQ' is still debated, I think that should be the very first question to have answered completely and empirically. What exactly is 'IQ' and exactly how must it be measured so that it's meaningful and useful? And also they say that 'IQ' test results can be affected by a large number of factors, even social environments and influences, and who would want to even try to empiricize or rationalize something like that.... especially in the USA.

 

Yes, this is why the dept. of education is being destroyed. Can't let people know how dumb they are....

Other societies recognize the need to educate everyone. In America now, it's only the elite who can afford a proper education, especially since they're removing a lot of federal student aid.

 

I think the dumbing down of Americans has been going on for decades. Now we can blame it on "woke" schools and common core everybody gets an "A" curriculum.... Oh, wait, it's really from fluoride, right?

 

Well...............it is not just US?

Just the average as hole..........humanity/planet.............finding a f balance as a freakin planet/humanity/ect.



Mzzls