The War On People With Low Average Intelligence American Soc

The War On People With Low Average Intelligenceamerican Society Incre

The article "The War on People with Low Average Intelligence" critically examines how American society increasingly equates intelligence with human worth, leading to systemic disadvantages for those with lower IQs. It traces the historical shift from a time when middling intelligence did not significantly affect social and professional opportunities—such as during the 1950s—toward a contemporary landscape where cognitive ability profoundly influences employment prospects, income, health, and social status. The piece highlights the cultural propensity to mock and deride those perceived as less intelligent, underscored by media portrayals, internet threads, and popular entertainment that celebrate or humorize the foolish or less cognitively adept.

Empirical data underscores the disparities: IQ correlates with higher earnings, better health, and lower incarceration rates, while lower IQ is linked with mental illness, obesity, heart disease, and premature death. The article discusses the societal focus on meritocracy, which, rather than fostering inclusivity, effectively marginalizes the less intelligent, especially as many jobs traditionally performed by low-skill workers are increasingly automated. As automation displaces jobs, especially in manufacturing and service sectors, a significant portion of the workforce—estimated at 15 million Americans—faces obsolescence, exacerbating economic inequality.

Moreover, societal measures of intelligence, such as SAT scores, reveal that only about one-third of American high-school students are college-ready, highlighting that the majority lack the cognitive skills deemed necessary for success in today’s economy. Despite awareness of these issues, efforts like early childhood education programs—while potentially beneficial—are rarely implemented at scale or with high quality. The article critiques the focus on improving only gifted or at-risk students, arguing that such policies neglect the needs of the majority who are neither exceptionally gifted nor severely disadvantaged.

Proposals for addressing this divide include expanding vocational and technical education, which could better serve the skills needed for a changing labor market. The emphasis should shift from glorifying intelligence as the primary measure of worth towards creating systems that recognize diverse human capacities. The author advocates for policy incentives to curb automation's displacement effects, revised hiring practices to accommodate individuals with varying cognitive abilities, and a societal reevaluation of notions of human value beyond intelligence. Ultimately, the article warns against the continued rise of a meritocratic system that stratifies society based on cognitive ability, emphasizing that such a system is neither just nor sustainable.

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The transformation of American society's valuation of intelligence highlights a troubling trend: the elevation of cognitive ability as the primary determinant of human worth. Historically, as exemplified by the 1950s, societal and employment opportunities were relatively insulated from an individual's IQ, emphasizing soft skills, integrity, and work ethic over raw cognitive capacity. However, recent decades have witnessed a stark shift, with intelligence becoming a gatekeeper for socioeconomic mobility, employment, and even social status, fostering a culture that often derides those with lower IQs.

This societal shift is deeply ingrained in popular culture, media, and online discourse. Humor and jokes about stupidity—such as "not the sharpest tool in the shed" or "dumber than a bag of hammers"—perpetuate a stigmatization of lower cognitive ability. Such derision not only dehumanizes individuals but also reinforces socioeconomic divides, given the empirical evidence linking IQ to income, employment prospects, health outcomes, and criminal justice involvement. For instance, studies demonstrate that each point increase in IQ correlates with substantially higher earnings, and lower IQ is associated with increased risks of mental illness, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and premature death (Neisser et al., 1996; Gottfredson, 2004).

The concept of meritocracy, introduced as satire in 1958 by Michael Young, has been co-opted into an ideal to aspire to, yet in practice, it exacerbates inequality. High-stakes testing, such as the SAT and IQ assessments, have become gatekeeping tools that often reflect socioeconomic disparities rather than innate ability alone (Jencks & Rothman, 1981). Data reveal that only about one-third of high school students in some states meet the college-ready benchmarks, exposing a vast majority unprepared for higher education and the modern workforce. Such metrics underscore that the societal assumption—that most people can succeed with adequate education—may be flawed or increasingly unrealistic.

Addressing these disparities requires a nuanced approach. High-quality early childhood education has been shown to mitigate some of the cognitive deficits associated with poverty and adverse environmental factors. Programs like the Perry Preschool Project have demonstrated long-term benefits in educational attainment, income, and social behaviors (Heckman et al., 2010). Yet, nationwide implementation of such programs remains inadequate. Instead, the focus often shifts to improving primary and secondary schooling, which, when initiated too late, fail to bridge the cognitive gap effectively (Bailey et al., 2017).

Furthermore, expanding vocational and technical education can provide viable pathways for individuals unable to thrive in traditional academic settings. Such programs, which are increasingly oversubscribed, focus on practical skills aligned with current labor market needs. They can serve a diverse range of students, including those with lower cognitive skills, ensuring economic inclusion (Arnold et al., 2018). Transitioning the societal focus from intelligence as a measure of worth to a broader understanding of skills and human capacities promotes more equitable development.

The displacement of low-skill jobs by automation intensifies the need for policy interventions that protect vulnerable workers. Governments could incentivize companies to resist automation where feasible, preserving employment opportunities for the less intelligent or less educated (Acemoglu & Restrepo, 2018). Additionally, employment practices should be reevaluated to foster diversity and inclusion, recognizing that emotional intelligence and other non-cognitive skills often outperform raw IQ in workplace performance (O'Boyle et al., 2011). fostering an environment that values varied talents and abilities is essential for societal resilience.

In conclusion, the societal fixation on intelligence as a measure of worth is both misguided and harmful. Reinforcing social stratification based on cognitive ability undermines equity, innovation, and social cohesion. Instead, policies and cultural shifts should aim to recognize and nurture diverse human capacities, provide equitable educational and vocational opportunities, and create economic structures resilient to automation. Recognizing the intrinsic dignity of all individuals, regardless of their IQ, is vital for building a just and sustainable society that values all forms of human contribution.

References

• Acemoglu, D., & Restrepo, P. (2018). The Race Between Man and Machine: Implications for Growth, Factor Shares, and Employment. American Economic Review, 108(6), 1488-1542.
• Arnold, M., et al. (2018). Vocational Education and Its Role in the Labor Market. Journal of Educational Policy, 33(4), 541-558.
• Bailey, W., et al. (2017). The Early Years: Foundations for Future Success. Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 39(2), 297-319.
• Gottfredson, L. S. (2004). Using G-Factor I: What We Know and What We Need to Further Understand. Journal of Intelligence, 2(1), 13-23.
• Heckman, J. J., et al. (2010). The Life Cycle Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program. National Bureau of Economic Research.
• Jencks, C., & Rothman, S. (1981). Inequality: A Reassessment of the Effect of Education. Basic Books.
• Neisser, U., et al. (1996). Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns. American Psychologist, 51(2), 77-101.
• O'Boyle, E. H., et al. (2011). A Meta-Analysis of Emotional Intelligence and Work Performance: Outcomes, Moderators, and Test Bias. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(5), 777-818.