X-Message-Number: 17206
Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2001 10:45:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: IQ versus common sense

Message #17199 From: 
Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 11:24:50 EDT
Subject: Free will and responsibility

>It is a never-ending source of amazement that bright people can make the 
>simplest and grossest mistakes--and that, no matter what you say or how 
>clearly you say it, someone will misunderstand it.
>
  I used to be a member of Mensa, an organisation where even the village
idiot has to have an IQ in the top 2% to join. People on welfare showed up
at meetings. People who were apparently mentally ill showed up. One even
boasted about how crazy "it" was. In short lots of people showed up who
could not add two plus two and reliably get an answer of four. I am no
longer a member of Mensa.
  This experience forced me to make a clear distinction between IQ and
common sense. If the entire population suddenly acquired ten extra IQ
points, nothing much would change. If the entire population suddenly was
gifted with 10 extra common sense points, our society would be
transformed overnight. 
  Bums in the street would vanish, because begging is a harder way to
acquire funds, than working a job. Crime would plummet, because in the
long run crime usually really doesn't pay. Strife at the office, at home,
and at school would be reduced because it is pointless. The economy would
boom, everybody would be happy, there would be no more wars, etc, etc. 
  The business world knows this. An analog of common sense called
Emotional Quotient (EQ) has been found to be correlated with business
success, while IQ is not. In the real world nothing can substitute for
good sound judgement. Unfortunately some people have it, while others do
not.

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