The Handicap Principle Applied to the Human Mind

Author: 7000series
Psychology
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Life
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human

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#1
7000series
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Why are people smart? More specifically, why are some people driven to be smart? Well, humans are social creatures, people want to be intelligent because others admire intelligence.

Looking to nature, we can ask a similar question. Why do peacocks spread their feathers? They do it to attract mates. But that begs the bigger question. Why do other peacocks admire a peacock that can make a big feathery display?

Tying this back to humanity, why do other humans admire a human who can always win at scrabble, or make a witty joke?

There is one thing that connects the tail of a peacock, and a game of chess, and that thing is waste. Male peacocks attract females by showing them that they are genetically successful enough to waste resources on bright plumage and elaborate dances. Humans do this too!

Humans waste money on expensive fashion to show other humans their success. In a similar way, many humans waste extreme mental effort on fruitless labors like art and debate to convince other humans that they are cultured.

The average human brain hogs up about twenty percent of the body’s daily energy. You may say that intelligence is practical, but Humans actually show more brain activity when socializing than when solving problems.

Basically, humans primarily use their brains to woo other humans. With this in mind, could it be possible that problem solving is a secondary function of the human brain? Tell me what you think.
#2
WyIted
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@7000series
I think for midwits problem solving is secondary. By midwits I don't mean dumb people. I am thinking of an IQ around 115 to 125.

Their primary concern is with social hierarchy and they actually mimic true learn by memorization of facts. Because being able to pass tests is more valuable to them than knowledge. Unfortunately geniuses have to attend the same schools as them but geniuses should honestly be forced to go to school but be in charge of solving their own problems.



For example a kid tells you he wants to solve world hunger. So now he has to learn how to read to become capable then he starts looking at how supply routes are built and has to learn math relevant to organizing supply lines. He might have to look at weather patterns etc. so the kid is naturally going to be inclined to problem solve if the teacher isn't putting him in classes with midwits and forcing him to learn stupid shit that is far beneath him.
#3
TheGreatSunGod
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@7000series
Why are people smart?
They are not. Maybe I am, but the rest of humanity is just slightly above apes.

many humans waste extreme mental effort on fruitless labors like art and debate
Debating is necessary to reach the truth on moral issues which are crucial for making society function. Even kings had people who debated to give them better advice.

Art is also necessary, at least some forms of it, because people cannot just work all day. They need to rest, relax and enjoy as well.
#4
zedvictor4
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@WyIted
How to solve World hunger.

Eradicate the cause of hunger.

Kid needs to learn how to be  a practical psychopathic global tyrant with a globally effective super-weapon.

Fuck supply routes.


#5
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@zedvictor4
Yes killing off all hungry people would work as well. You are right there is more than one way to skin a cat
#6
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@WyIted
A Zedku for Wylted


Hymn sheet sing song,

Screeching Cat,

Skin him,

Stew him,

Sat on his mat.


Short term response to a long term situation,

Protein packed population,

Skin on,

Dehydrate em,

Make biscuits and bake em.


Feed em to the hungry,

Feed em to the poor,

And when they're gone,

Kill em

And bake some more.
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#7
7000series
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@TheGreatSunGod
Debating is necessary to reach the truth on moral issues which are crucial for making society function.
Debating is necessary to reach moral truth, however moral truth is not necessary for success. The relationship actually goes the other way. Genghis Khan took a sixth the globe using mass imprisonment and psychological warfare.

Art is also necessary, at least some forms of it, because people cannot just work all day. They need to rest, relax and enjoy as well.
People do not need art to relax or entertain themselves. For proof of this, just turn your brain off, and turn on Netflix. I would generously estimate that four percent of the shows on Netflix are art by any metric.
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#8
7000series
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Their primary concern is with social hierarchy and they actually mimic true learn by memorization of facts. Because being able to pass tests is more valuable to them than knowledge. Unfortunately geniuses have to attend the same schools as them but geniuses should honestly be forced to go to school but be in charge of solving their own problems.
Here's the thing. . . Every week, I hold conversation with approximately two dozen different people while not online, and all of them are undoubtedly "midwits". Where is this mysterious genius class that you talk of, and where can I find them? I mean, I can reason that they exist, because otherwise we wouldn't have atomic warheads or algebraic topology, but I still cannot find them.

By the way, this is a response to Wylted's post. For some reason, I cannot mention him up top because I get the error message "Wylted is not active"
#9
TheGreatSunGod
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@7000series
Debating is necessary to reach moral truth, however moral truth is not necessary for success
It is if you consider reaching truth as success.

People do not need art to relax or entertain themselves
Many people would disagree, as they do need it, and art is usually payed for by people who want it.
#10
Shila
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@7000series
Basically, humans primarily use their brains to woo other humans. With this in mind, could it be possible that problem solving is a secondary function of the human brain? Tell me what you think.
Problem creating is a secondary function of the human brain. Planting the seeds of disagreement.