An interesting explanation for Political Correctness
Discussion
This makes some sense. All those bright people who study politics or social sciences, and become politicians.....
'In previous editorials I have written about the absent-minded and socially-inept ‘nutty professor’ stereotype in science, and the phenomenon of ‘psychological neoteny’ whereby intelligent modern people (including scientists) decline to grow-up and instead remain in a state of perpetual novelty-seeking adolescence. These can be seen as specific examples of the general phenomenon of ‘clever sillies’ whereby intelligent people with high levels of technical ability are seen (by the majority of the rest of the population) as having foolish ideas and behaviours outside the realm of their professional expertise. In short, it has often been observed that high IQ types are lacking in ‘common sense’ – and especially when it comes to dealing with other human beings. General intelligence is not just a cognitive ability; it is also a cognitive disposition. So, the greater cognitive abilities of higher IQ tend also to be accompanied by a distinctive high IQ personality type including the trait of ‘Openness to experience’, ‘enlightened’ or progressive left-wing political values, and atheism. Drawing on the ideas of Kanazawa, my suggested explanation for this association between intelligence and personality is that an increasing relative level of IQ brings with it a tendency differentially to over-use general intelligence in problem-solving, and to over-ride those instinctive and spontaneous forms of evolved behaviour which could be termed common sense. Preferential use of abstract analysis is often useful when dealing with the many evolutionary novelties to be found in modernizing societies; but is not usually useful for dealing with social and psychological problems for which humans have evolved ‘domain-specific’ adaptive behaviours. And since evolved common sense usually produces the right answers in the social domain; this implies that, when it comes to solving social problems, the most intelligent people are more likely than those of average intelligence to have novel but silly ideas, and therefore to believe and behave maladaptively. I further suggest that this random silliness of the most intelligent people may be amplified to generate systematic wrongness when intellectuals are in addition ‘advertising’ their own high intelligence in the evolutionarily novel context of a modern IQ meritocracy. The cognitively-stratified context of communicating almost-exclusively with others of similar intelligence, generates opinions and behaviours among the highest IQ people which are not just lacking in common sense but perversely wrong. Hence the phenomenon of ‘political correctness’ (PC); whereby false and foolish ideas have come to dominate, and moralistically be enforced upon, the ruling elites of whole nations.'
'In previous editorials I have written about the absent-minded and socially-inept ‘nutty professor’ stereotype in science, and the phenomenon of ‘psychological neoteny’ whereby intelligent modern people (including scientists) decline to grow-up and instead remain in a state of perpetual novelty-seeking adolescence. These can be seen as specific examples of the general phenomenon of ‘clever sillies’ whereby intelligent people with high levels of technical ability are seen (by the majority of the rest of the population) as having foolish ideas and behaviours outside the realm of their professional expertise. In short, it has often been observed that high IQ types are lacking in ‘common sense’ – and especially when it comes to dealing with other human beings. General intelligence is not just a cognitive ability; it is also a cognitive disposition. So, the greater cognitive abilities of higher IQ tend also to be accompanied by a distinctive high IQ personality type including the trait of ‘Openness to experience’, ‘enlightened’ or progressive left-wing political values, and atheism. Drawing on the ideas of Kanazawa, my suggested explanation for this association between intelligence and personality is that an increasing relative level of IQ brings with it a tendency differentially to over-use general intelligence in problem-solving, and to over-ride those instinctive and spontaneous forms of evolved behaviour which could be termed common sense. Preferential use of abstract analysis is often useful when dealing with the many evolutionary novelties to be found in modernizing societies; but is not usually useful for dealing with social and psychological problems for which humans have evolved ‘domain-specific’ adaptive behaviours. And since evolved common sense usually produces the right answers in the social domain; this implies that, when it comes to solving social problems, the most intelligent people are more likely than those of average intelligence to have novel but silly ideas, and therefore to believe and behave maladaptively. I further suggest that this random silliness of the most intelligent people may be amplified to generate systematic wrongness when intellectuals are in addition ‘advertising’ their own high intelligence in the evolutionarily novel context of a modern IQ meritocracy. The cognitively-stratified context of communicating almost-exclusively with others of similar intelligence, generates opinions and behaviours among the highest IQ people which are not just lacking in common sense but perversely wrong. Hence the phenomenon of ‘political correctness’ (PC); whereby false and foolish ideas have come to dominate, and moralistically be enforced upon, the ruling elites of whole nations.'
Jasandjules said:
To be frank, I would dispute that many politicians are particularly bright.
Yes, that does seem a flaw in the theory. However most of those who make it into the government/cabinet must be reasonably bright. Presclot is an obvious exception. But think of Letwin, the Millipedes, Brown (not sure), Enoch Powell (ridiculously bright), Harridan Harperson, etc.
ks to me...
There's some interesting stuff here, but the conclusion that he draws is, IMHO, dubious. There is an implied corollary that the less intelligent someone is, the more common sense they have. I don't buy that.
It also doesn't explain the many highly intelligent conservative thinkers that exist- Boris being one of them.
It also doesn't explain the many highly intelligent conservative thinkers that exist- Boris being one of them.
mr_spock said:
There's some interesting stuff here, but the conclusion that he draws is, IMHO, dubious. There is an implied corollary that the less intelligent someone is, the more common sense they have. I don't buy that.
It also doesn't explain the many highly intelligent conservative thinkers that exist- Boris being one of them.
Not convinced Boris is the best example you could have thought of.It also doesn't explain the many highly intelligent conservative thinkers that exist- Boris being one of them.
s2art said:
mr_spock said:
There's some interesting stuff here, but the conclusion that he draws is, IMHO, dubious. There is an implied corollary that the less intelligent someone is, the more common sense they have. I don't buy that.
It also doesn't explain the many highly intelligent conservative thinkers that exist- Boris being one of them.
Not convinced Boris is the best example you could have thought of.It also doesn't explain the many highly intelligent conservative thinkers that exist- Boris being one of them.
king arthur said:
s2art said:
mr_spock said:
There's some interesting stuff here, but the conclusion that he draws is, IMHO, dubious. There is an implied corollary that the less intelligent someone is, the more common sense they have. I don't buy that.
It also doesn't explain the many highly intelligent conservative thinkers that exist- Boris being one of them.
Not convinced Boris is the best example you could have thought of.It also doesn't explain the many highly intelligent conservative thinkers that exist- Boris being one of them.
s2art said:
progressive left-wing political values... over-ride those instinctive and spontaneous forms of evolved behaviour which could be termed common sense... silly ideas... systematic wrongness... not just lacking in common sense but perversely wrong...
Brilliant. So very true. Next time Broon starts banging on about A/B/C i will remember its all a product of his systematic wrongness. Althought i am not conviced he is that bright...
Aowhs102 said:
s2art said:
progressive left-wing political values... over-ride those instinctive and spontaneous forms of evolved behaviour which could be termed common sense... silly ideas... systematic wrongness... not just lacking in common sense but perversely wrong...
Brilliant. So very true. Next time Broon starts banging on about A/B/C i will remember its all a product of his systematic wrongness. Althought i am not conviced he is that bright...
What! We see instinctive, spontaneous (aka knee-jerk, ill thought out) decision making every day. And we get extremely irritated by it every day too 
I think this whole thing is debunked by the fact that the over-PC decision making is not done by what I would call high IQ people: professors, doctors/surgeons, etc. It's almost always done by white collar office workers - council pencil pushers, middle/low management decision makers and so forth.
If he is talking only about a specific 'strain' of PC within his own industry (science perhaps?) it just doesn't seem to apply to the PC decision that gets the conservative tabloids so fired up.
I think this whole thing is debunked by the fact that the over-PC decision making is not done by what I would call high IQ people: professors, doctors/surgeons, etc. It's almost always done by white collar office workers - council pencil pushers, middle/low management decision makers and so forth.
If he is talking only about a specific 'strain' of PC within his own industry (science perhaps?) it just doesn't seem to apply to the PC decision that gets the conservative tabloids so fired up.
zac510 said:
I think this whole thing is debunked by the fact that the over-PC decision making is not done by what I would call high IQ people: professors, doctors/surgeons, etc. It's almost always done by white collar office workers - council pencil pushers, middle/low management decision makers and so forth.
That could be explained by indoctrination from above.As an Engineer, I would suggest that most of of a technological bent inhabit the higher strata of Intelligence Quotient, but are far from sheep like in allowing political correctness to interfere with their thought processes. On the contrary they above all others would have a tendency to follow the common sense route - perhaps it is because they inhabit a world where things work or don't work. They also have to analyse situations.
Saddle bum said:
As an Engineer, I would suggest that most of of a technological bent inhabit the higher strata of Intelligence Quotient, but are far from sheep like in allowing political correctness to interfere with their thought processes. On the contrary they above all others would have a tendency to follow the common sense route - perhaps it is because they inhabit a world where things work or don't work. They also have to analyse situations.
I agree, the article itself referred to the social sciences, politics etc.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff