Hey xkcdHatGuy. Great video on the socialization of intelligence, I really enjoyed it and I always like hearing your thoughts and ideas on everything. Here are a few of my thoughts on just a couple of the major concepts you touched upon.
On Psychology
TLDR - I agree that improving the psychology, intelligence, practical knowledge, and life improvement skills of everyone throughout their life may be crucial.
- I agree that it is always worth getting ideas and opinions from everyone, and listening to everyone, as great ideas for ways of living and different perspectives could ultimately come from anyone or anywhere.
- I agree that improving the overall intelligence, memory, learning ability, and psychological functioning of everyone will always be very beneficial and worth pursuing instead of only focusing on or relying on tools and technological advancement.
- I agree that we can and should continue to improve the tools and ways in which we come up with, debate, organize, implement, simplify, and teach new ideas, policies, habits, practices, and ways of living which could make life and society easier, better, fairer, and happier for everyone.
On Specialization
TLDR - I wonder if having the option of specialization and using the different strengths of different people has advanced and improved civilization.
- A goal of everyone focusing on psychology or teaching everyone to truly think for themselves, on the level of being a lifelong scholar and intellectual who can come up with new ideas and practices for living, seems admirable and worth trying on some level or to a degree.
- I wonder, though, if we may underestimate how few people will ever have the time, energy, ability, and most importantly the desire, to read, learn, and ideate consistently and in depth. Many people are busy working, living, playing, socializing, and following their own interests, and may have trouble simply learning the required policies and recommended practices that they need to follow or that may make their life better or happier.
- I wonder if different people have different strengths, aptitudes, and proclivities, and that many people will always prefer to do something different, or might even find it difficult to be learning and thinking all of the time.
- I wonder if everyone can have a different purpose, role, objective, or inclination if they so desire and that every area of expertise, skill, willingness, or aptitude can contribute towards the betterment of life and society as a whole.
On Scholars
TLDR - I wonder if certain people may have a great strength as a scholar or teacher, and that it may be beneficial for different people to follow their own interests and desires.
- I wonder if it is the role of the scholar, philosopher, educator, teacher, thinker, intellectual, activist, and even politician idealistically, to specialize in forming, learning, debating, creating, and teaching ideas, policies, habits, practices, and ways of living that can improve our life and society. Like all roles, it is certainly an important one, as we know how a single idea, change, practice, or way of living can make life and society better, fairer, easier, and happier for all of us.
- I wonder if the role of both a thinker and a teacher are extremely important, but so may be the role of a person who doesn't want to think much at all, and as a general example would actually prefer to use their hands to help build homes, infrastructure, tools, or technology for everyone and feel in their element and like they are contributing.
- Therefore, I'm not sure that psychology needs to be the primary driver, be more important, or win over technology any more than physical healthcare needs to win over mental education, or enjoyable entertainment needs to win over exciting athletics, or factual scientists need to win over psychological therapists, or caring for children needs to win over building construction.
On Services
TLDR - I agree that psychology and philosophy are very important, and I wonder if scholars and educators are one important piece of a large and diverse puzzle.
- I agree that psychology and scholars may be underrated as you said, especially in our current society as it stands, and that we could certainly have more and better scholars and thinkers who have an aptitude and desire for independently or collectively thinking, learning, teaching, and implementing potentially helpful and new ideas, practices, and ways of living.
- In particular, I wonder if simplifying our ideas, best practices, long books, and mountains of information could be what leads to huge advancements and improvements in our future lives, precisely because everyone does not have the energy or time to be a scholar, the ability to learn things quickly, or the desire to spend time reading and learning constantly.
- However, I'm not sure that only psychology and philosophy, by themself and exclusively, will always lead to better improvements and happiness in our life than technology, science, healthcare, education, construction, engineering, electricians, maintenance and repairs, food and beverage production, transportation, law, journalism, history, literature, entertainment, arts, leisure, and any other social and economical activities or services which people have created or create in the future.
Thanks again for sharing another great talk with many different ideas to think about. More than anything, it's really a joy to listen to all of your different thoughts. I think you are doing an excellent job of following your passions and trying to help make your life, the lives of others, and the world a better and happier place.
The socialization of intelligence - xkcdHatGuy YouTube
September 9th, 2023