On A Scale Of One To Ten: How Smart Do You Think The Average American Is?

[DistressedAmerican]

With all of the corruption and greed that seems to go completely unnoticed by the American public, I am left wondering just how smart Americans are.

I suspect that as a culture our IQ is pretty damn low!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. I wish we could regionalize our answers.

South Carolina, Kansas and parts of Alabama certainly deserve their very own grade.

[Mnemosyne]

8. I'm sure our DUers fron "those" states

will greatly appreciate THAT comment! I sure did.
:sarcasm:

Is this an idea you are trying to plant?

And welcome to DU.

Sorry if I'm taking this wrong.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

17. I apologize. I did not mean to offend

But, Kansas is about to drop kick the study of evolution and replace with intelligent design.
South Carolina has a growing population wishing to secede and become a theocracy.
Alabama has several counties where creationism is now taught in biology class. Most of the efforts to bring the crucifix and the bible into grade schools are centered there.

For me, that strikes me as pretty awful stuff.

[Mnemosyne]

23. I agree anti, just there are so many good people

here and sometimes their feelings get hurt quite a bit when these kind of comments get made.

Don't worry about it, just make sure you really think before you post. I'm sorry for jumping you. Some days get grumpy!

Welcome to DU antifascist!
Don't want you to feel unwelcome here :hi::hug:

[jhawk_tim]

41. WOW

You don't want him to feel uncomfortable but it's okay if I feel like an idiot because my moniker identifies me as being from Kansas. Guess I'll quit posting and go back to lurking so I don't show my intellectual inadequacy.

Quite frankly, equating the state someone lives in with their relative IQ is no different than relating their IQ to their race, religion, etc.

Sorry, I'm not grumpy, just hugely offended.

[Mnemosyne]

47. Where did I offend you?

It is insulting for someone to equate a state with an IQ and I stated so. I don't want anyone uncomfortable to be here.
I just thought I may have misunderstood him. I wasn't condoning his statement, pay attention.
Geez.............

[ChairmanAgnostic]

49. can someone delete my original post, please?

I am not here to start any fights. I simply want to learn and to communicate.
If I offended anyone because of where they live, well, I just don't know what to say. So, I'd rather not say anything at all.
Tis better to be quiet and be thought a fool, than to type a poorly thought out message and remove all doubt.

[Mnemosyne]

58. I just reread my post, I can see why you got angry,

I didn't make myself clear at all.
I meant to state I was disturbed by the anti-science movement in Kansas, not with what poster was implying about those states. Sorry for not making myself clear.
Some days I really need to focus better.

Once again sorry.

Peace

[Mnemosyne]

56. I did NOT agree with the post, did not make myself clear.

I was agreeing with being upset over the bullcrap anti-evolution movement going on in Kansas.

Sorry if anyone misunderstood.

[RaleighNCDUer]

27. I know what you're saying.

So many of the red state averages are below average, while the blue state averages are above average.

As a long-time red state resident (MO, NE, now NC) I sometimes wonder "When did I move to Crazytown?" and hope that it might be better elsewhere.

[libhill]

38. Bear it in mind

that not all Red States are completely Red - I live in Williamson County, Tx. (to my distress- but I can't afford to relocate) which is redder than Red. But right next door to us is Austin and Travis County, which is basically blue and liberal. Go figure.

[comsymp]

50. One (not so) minor point regarding your SC comment

SC's "growing population wishing to secede..." is due to emigration, not from native SC'ians~

Those Christian Exodus assclowns who want to move to upstate SC and secede are:

a) from all over the country

b) not doing it at South Carolina's invitation.

/just sayin'

[ChairmanAgnostic]

51. very true. I did not think of that when I posted.

BUT I REALLY do not want to start a battle about anything.

[comsymp]

55. The whole (generalizing here but you *undoubtedly* get the drift)

Red State - Blue State thing here is a pretty delicate topic due (in part) to some pretty appalling generalizations, often made by long-time members who should know better.

You can usually count on at least one good anti-South flamewar every week or 2, sometimes more often.

This thread should blow over soon so don't sweat it. And BTW, welcome to DU!

[XemaSab]

59. As a Californian,

lemme tell ya, there are parts of California where teaching recycling to grade schoolers is considered a crime tantamount to communist indoctrination or homosexual recruitment.

don't be fooled: there are morans everywhere.

[Hippo_Tron]

71. I'm from the south, but I love a good southern joke myself

I have a feeling that the poster didn't seriously mean that everybody in those regions is stupid, I think that it was all in good humor.

[Bridget Burke]

11. You regionalized your answer.

Now supply your data.

[Greyhound]

76. Would a map of Jesusland suffice? n/t

[jhawk_tim]

33. I am from Kansas

Please clarify your position and tell me why you view me as intellectually challenged?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

40. I thought I made my point earlier

Please understand that I am not calling you anything. Not even late for dinner.

I am simply stating that if the majority of the population of Kansas decides that teaching creationism and Intelligent Design in lieu of real sciences, then I have a complaint about the majority of people in that state. I also pity the children who suffer because of them.

What will naturally flow from such thinking will include:

teaching that astronomy and physics are evil, because the good book claims that the universe is about 6,000 years old. Any thoughts to the contrary must be eradicated.

research into stem cells, cancer prevention, replacement of amputated limbs and regrowth of damaged spinal tissue will be replaced by faith healing. Don't bother with your insulin, either. Rely on higher powers to cure what ails you.

critical, creative thinking, the kind which drives discoveries in science, new strides in philosophy, ground-breaking literature and other arts, and which is the stuff that life is truly made of, will be deemed inappropriate and not biblical enough.

[jhawk_tim]

43. I must have missed an election

"the majority of the population of Kansas decides that teaching creationism and Intelligent Design in lieu of real sciences" - when was this up for a general vote by the population? When did the majority of Kansans decide this? This is a decision made by a group of people that stand very little chance of ever being elected again, even at the dog-cather level.

[libhill]

44. And then

we can pillory anyone who doesn't go along with the program, or have a good old fashioned witch burning. Welcome to the Dark Ages.

[mitchtv]

64. Lol, Kansas, the land that evolution forgot

At least those Gays can't get married.

[Drifter]

2. Imagine how stupid the average person is ...

Now realize that half the people are dumber than that.

Cheers
Drifter

[Mnemosyne]

10. Stop, you're scaring me! Just stop it!

Somethings are truly frightening.
:scared:

[jojo54]

3. It depends if the "average" is a freeper.

Right about now, their IQ level seems to be catatonic.

[blue sky at night]

4. Nice work on the poll..........

but am convinced most folks I argue with are just mis-informed to begin with, then they are so intellectually lazy they never can recover. Face it, we as a country are just plain lazy, we want everything handed to us, no work involved. Until we are forced by something that happens directly to us, we will not act. The time to act is swiftly passing us by...........

[progressivebydesign]

5. I gave them a 6

I don't think people are as stupid as they are clueless. There is a big distinction there. The US citizen's priorities are screwed up and they are distracted from reality. It's not that they CAN'T read a newspaper, it's that they don't have to.. they can get their news (or so they think) by watching that slickly produced Faux News or if they fancy themselves intellectuals they watch CNN, and think they are informed.

A majority of Americans are running around like hamsters on a wheel every day, just trying to keep up with the technology and opportunities they thought would make our lives easier and more simple. We are suffering from a cultural void, where shopping and technology have replaced reading, thinking, socializing, and common sense. Look at the decline in newspaper readership over the years. Newspapers are where you can usually find actual journalism, yet Americans are not sitting down to read them every day, as they did in the past. They want instant gratification. Our need for instant everything is killing our culture and our democracy. So I offer my assessment: The majority of Americans are not dumb, just midguided.

[DistressedAmerican]

7. Not Dumb. Just Deaf And Blind.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

54. But their willingness to follow the commercial culture and

stay on the treadmill instead of simplifying their lives (I'm talking about middle class people here, not the working poor) in turn feeds their ignorance.

I forget who it was that pointed out that people are willing to spend a long time learning about and having long, involved, sometimes quite perceptive discussions about sports or celebrities or video games but claim not to have time to worry about politics.

[Village Idiot]

6. Nothing higher than six... Interesting appraisal...

[fhqwhgads]

9. well...

...it would be a little weird to rate the average American as a seven or better (though i realize that "average" and "median" aren't the same thing).

i think the points being raised are valid - we're intellectually lazy, and maybe a little tired from everyday hassles. the average american is probably about a five as far as daily life goes; most of us are able to live our lives without regularly setting ourselves on fire. in terms of intellectual curiosity, being informed, etc. the average person is probably not better than a 2 or 3. there are plenty of people who would probably rate an eight on the "smart" scale, but they may not necessarily have a clue on what's going on around them.

[Mnemosyne]

12. Welcome to DU,

you may be close in your assessment fhqwhgads. :hi:

[annabanana]

20. well howdy there

strongbad fan..
Welcome to DU!
:toast:

[fhqwhgads]

26. thanks...

...for the welcome. glad to be here. :)

[dogday]

13. People do not want to believe that their

government is giving them the shaft. It is hard to accept....

[libhill]

42. I don't know why

because the Government has been shafting us since Nov. 22, 1963. We're still being lied to about the Kennedy Assassination 42 years after the fact. And that is the single event from which all of this other crap continues to flow.

[Bucky]

14. Dumb is not a useful concept here. Willfully ignorant

You can be dumb as a post and still have the character to follow the rule of law. You can be brilliant and rationalize any wickedness done in your name. It's not about IQ; it's about character and morality. We have leaders walking our country away from those ideals. The question is whether we have the sense to resist and lead our country back in the right direction.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

19. this post makes the most sense

But why have we allowed ourselves to become willfully ignorant? Is it TV? our MSM? our politicians?

[Bucky]

24. Thanks, I wish I knew the answer to why

Partly, yes, it's corporations' use of tv to dumb us down--focus more on American Idol than American hegemony. They want 50,000 people to buy tickets to the local baseball game, not 50,000 people out getting the excercize of actually playing a game.

As Chomsky says, you don't need a conspiracy when you have a collusion of interests. They all feed on each other. Pols like unquestioning voters; businesses like docile viewers; tv likes big ratings; and people who've lived without the threat of oppression for generations like to get their oil cheap, no questions asked, and are willing to ignore whatever the TV news lets us ignore.

I don't know the solution, other than those who care speaking and acting out. Frankly, apathy has never been my problem.

[Lorien]

15. My father said about a year ago that the National average IQ

is no longer 100, but 90. He works as a psychologist for a state prison and was told that by another psychologist in the field, so I don't know how accurate the information is-but I wouldn't be surprised if it were true.

[Mairead]

18. I think your dad was joking..or the other one was

or else he's talking about the prison population.

Because IQ is a number bound to time, place, and class--there are no universal IQ tests that work across time and culture.

So if there'd been IQ tests 250 years ago, and we gave one of them to people today, the people today would seem moronic. But give one of today's tests to people of that time and it's they who would seem moronic.

Garrison Keillor's joking about 'all the children are above-average' aside, the average IQ of USAians is 100, same like it always has been.

[Lorien]

68. He was referring to the standard 100 score

of today being equivalent to a 90 score 30 years ago-using the same tests (prison population IQ IS lower-about 85. So much for "brilliant" criminals). In other words, the bell curve has shifted slightly.

[Mairead]

69. Yes...but it only reflects an unchanged test, not a lowering of IQ

The schools are no longer emphasising as much the things being measured by the test, so people aren't doing as well.

I can recall taking the Miller Analogies for psych grad school and thinking how unabashedly class- and culture-bound it was. Some of the questions required a knowledge of English and European painters who worked during the period 1700-1900. Who would be likely to have that kind of knowledge? Someone growing up in the sort of 'old money' family that values a passing acquaintance with 'the finer things', maybe, or someone interested for professional reasons in painterly art of that period and area. Probably not many people who'd grown up without access to top art museums and instruction, or people interested in science rather than fine art, or poor people generally. If I got any of those questions right, it was pure luck because my expertise in art is centered on a completely different period, and it's not one that's popular with the wealthy.

[Lorien]

81. He believes that IQ's ARE actually being lowered

possibly due to environmental-not cultural-factors. We can all bemoan the grim state of the media and television programming, or our lackluster educational systems, but the chemical soup that we're currently living in may be doing something more to our systems beyond increasing cancer and other illness rates. A recent study showed that human fetuses are soaked in industrial chemicals before they are even born. What does this do to brain development?

And, BTW, the tests my father uses are so general that they have been used to measure Koko the gorilla's IQ, so class/ culture isn't a factor. If you understand concepts like "circle", "tree", "day", and basic math, then you can manage the test as well as anyone.History and art have no place in a standard IQ test.

[KitSileya]

74. Just had to comment here

That those criminals in prison are those stupid enough to get caught. The brilliant criminals are the ones who go free.

As for intelligence in general, my father used to say that intelligence is a constant in the universe - there's justmore people demanding their share. As a teacher, I'm not sure if the decline in my students' work is due to less intelligence rather than less self discipline and more self indulgence. I'm inclined to believe the latter, as most do have knowledge about things that interest them, whether it be how cellphones work, or exactly what has happened in the 4000 episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful. They simply aren't interested in knowledge that helps their community any longer, such as politics.

[Lorien]

82. Lol!

Good point!

[seemslikeadream]

16. IQ means nothing without intuition

awareness to what is really happening, high IQ does not necessarily mean anything.

[two gun sid]

21. I think the average American has average intelligence...

however, The problem is they are uninformed about the world at large.

[Mairead]

22. Not to have a go at you, DA, but did you notice your scale isn't balanced?

It should start at zero or end at 9, if 5 is to be the midpoint.

[napi21]

25. Here's an interesting IQ analysis I found.

AVERAGE
POP PRESIDENT
LIST STATE IQ ELECT
1 Connecticut 113 John Kerry
2 Massachusetts 111 John Kerry
3 New Jersey 111 John Kerry
4 New York 109 John Kerry
5 Rhode Island 107 John Kerry
6 Hawaii 106 John Kerry
7 Maryland 105 John Kerry
8 New Hampshire 105 John Kerry
9 Illinois 104 John Kerry
10 Delaware 103 John Kerry
11 Minnesota 102 John Kerry
12 Vermont 102 John Kerry
13 Washington 102 John Kerry
14 California 101 John Kerry
15 Pennsylvania 101 John Kerry
16 Maine 100 John Kerry
17 Virginia 100 George Bush
18 Wisconsin 100 John Kerry
19 Colorado 99 George Bush
20 Iowa 99 George Bush
21 Michigan 99 John Kerry
22 Nevada 99 George Bush
23 Ohio 99 George Bush
24 Oregon 99 John Kerry
25 Alaska 98 George Bush
26 Florida 98 George Bush
27 Missouri 98 George Bush
28 Kansas 96 George Bush
29 Nebraska 95 George Bush
30 Arizona 94 George Bush
31 Indiana 94 George Bush
32 Tennessee 94 George Bush
33 North Carolina 93 George Bush
34 West Virginia 93 George Bush
35 Arkansas 92 George Bush
36 Georgia 92 George Bush
37 Kentucky 92 George Bush
38 New Mexico 92 George Bush
39 North Dakota 92 George Bush
40 Texas 92 George Bush
41 Alabama 90 George Bush
42 Louisiana 90 George Bush
43 Montana 90 George Bush
44 Oklahoma 90 George Bush
45 South Dakota 90 George Bush
46 South Carolina 89 George Bush
47 Wyoming 89 George Bush
48 Idaho 87 George Bush
49 Utah 87 George Bush
50 Mississippi 85 George Bush


http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/US-Election-IQ2004.htm

I realize this was done based upon the 2004 election, but it looks pretty accurate to me. I've lived in quite a few of these states!

[Deja Q]

29. Average IQ is ranged between 90 and 110.

Still, that's a terrific list you'd put up...

[napi21]

30. Interesting, but quite a slam to the South, don't ya think?

I really have found that to be the case though. I was born and lived in Pa. until I ws 42, and was relocated to SC in 1987. Most of the people there really didn't care about education. Most believed "just get those kids out of school and get 'em to work and earning some $$.

I found a similar situation in TX and in GA where we live now.

It's NOT ALL the people, but it sure seems to be the majority!

[fujiyama]

36. What's amazing about that list

is that there isn't a true bright red state on that list until number 25 (Alaska).

VA, CO, NV, and OH were all pretty close states (though VA was around 8% and CO was around 5%).

[OneBlueSky]

28. Crystal: "They say we only use ten percent of our brains" . . .

Rosanne: "That much, huh?"

[devinsgram]

31. Maybe not dumb, just blind

It kind of reminds me of a horse with blinders on. All they see is one direction. They are not getting the full view.

[Sparkly]

32. By definition, wouldn't the "average" person be 5?

:shrug:

(Although when I listen to C-Span callers, I wonder whether that "5" equals an IQ of 80.)

[Mairead]

53. Yes.

But it would have to be on a 0-10 or 1-9 scale. DA made a 'fencepost error' by defining a 1-10 scale.

[libhill]

34. I selected dumb as a a rock, but

I think that's a little too optimistic. If the average American had anything between their ears other than a vacuum, Bush would never have been elected a second time - and with the revelations about the lies that got us into Iraq, the treasonous outing of Plame by elements of his Administration, the torture and abuse of Muslim prisoners, and all of the unanswered questions pertaining to 9/11, the son of a bitch should have been impeached long ago. Face reality - the average American is a fucking simpleton. End of story.

[hippiegranny]

35. I went with 4

because I think about 60% of all adult Americans are below average.

[McCamy Taylor]

37. "Average" is "average", dude. Give a frame of reference.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

39. Wow, what a pro-American bunch.

:sarcasm:

According to DU'ers, Americans are apparently the stupidest people on the planet.

[libhill]

46. Actually

we are very pro- American. Which is why we are so upset about the direction our country has taken. America is better than this, we deserve better than Bush and his thuggish mal- administration. The only real patriots I encounter any more are here at D.U.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

48. I agree!

But -- just look at these poll results. Americans may be ignorant politically for the most part, but that doesn't mean they're stupid.

[slaveplanet]

45. very high

the average Amercian , can tell you how to use the right spice to make that burger go BAMM. They can quote you the most meaningless historic obscure sport stat on demand, Or inform you on just the right tweak to make your car or computer run faster. As for the Women, you'd think they were MD's as they can give great advice on plastic surgery. They can recite off who the hottest designer is, or just about anything from a gossip magazine. And in general most Americans are pop culture PHD's.

So,smart,is all relative... it's just a question of where they place their priorities, and whether they'd rather hunt or be fed shit & kept in the dark like a mushroom.

[leveymg]

52. Smart enough to survive long enough to reproduce.

But, the same can be said about every other species that isn't yet extinct. I think the question should be, how long do we have?:eyes:

[kerry-is-my-prez]

57. The avg iq is 100- so avg american's must be 80-90 (due to lack of use)

Since a majority of Americans do not read, and watch crap on tv and/or play video games all day - they have to be a bit lower than Europeans. Also, our educational system is quite a bit lower than theirs.

[pitohui]

60. average is by definition average for all nations

the average brain is not quite satisfactory to meet the challenges of this complex world but our culture seems to object to any research into performance-enhancing tech

[Gemini Cat]

61. Most of us aren't stupid, we're over worked.

Most of us don't have the time to get educated about issues. I think that's by design. Keep us busy and we won't have the energy to ask why, much less the time to find out why and do something about it.
It's easier to watch faux and the other crap there is on the tv, then to actually think and find out. Also the daily tv dose of fear and hopelessness helps keep the slaves in check.

Of course, some of us are rock stupid. That can't be changed.

[KitSileya]

77. But the question remains,

did it not take stupidity to be tricked into the hamster wheel? Yes, perhaps they're too overworked to get educated about issues, but that wasn't always the case. Why were people so stupid as to let their bosses and leaders force them into this existence?

Honestly, I think that the US, as with most countries, has a huge number of intelligent citizens, only the culture of the country is deliberately channelling that intelligence into useless channles, such as sports, etc. Knowing the most obscure minutiae of baseball is encouraged, while knowing about politics, or spending an hour a week improving your community is deplored.

[Im_Your_Huckleberry]

62. frank zappa sez...

"The most abundant element in the universe is not hydrogen. It's stupidity."

[Maru Kitteh]

63. It's not really a matter of how smart they are...............

It's how lazy and complacent they've become.

[geek tragedy]

65. Wow, a lot of anti-Americanism here.

I'm sure that if the question asked the same of black-skinned people or Hispanics or Arabs or Muslims, people would be outraged if even one person voted below a five.

Proof that people can be bigoted against their own ethnicity or nationality.

[Catholic Sensation]

66. There's a huge difference between intelligence and giving a shit

Most Americans simply don't give a shit anymore about what's going on in Washington since they realize that, quite frankly, this is the best America has to offer in terms of leadership. In the last 13 years we've gone through non-stop hatred of opposite views, non-stop arguing, and bullshit coming from both conservatives and liberals. To the average American, there's no need to focus on politicians as intently as one should if it's 100% vitriol and unpositive. Noam Chomsky even said that if you listen to any sports talk show you can see that the average American is incredibly intelligent. There's just no reason to become passionate about the government when it's 98% fighting.

[Stinky The Clown]

67. Just a little south of your 'global average'

[Warren DeMontague]

70. Judging by the last election results...

the glass is half empty, or half full.

[Hippo_Tron]

72. To answer this question, we need to look at Bush's approval ratings

My equation is...

For every percentage point that approves of Bush, multiply by one (or hell, multiply by zero if you wish)

For every percentage point that disapproves of Bush, multiply by ten. For every person that is undecided/doesn't know, etc. multiply by five. Add all together, average out and you have jour answer.

[T Town Jake]

73. Most Americans are plenty smart...

...but too many of them are exclusively self-interested. Therein lies the rub -and the ongoing political problem.

[Greyhound]

78. Then why would they consistently vote against those interests? n/t

[Swamp Rat]

75. HAHA! Love the Phreeper pic

:rofl:

[DanCa]

79. I say four .......

But they are to damn busy or over whelmed with thier own daily survival to think about whats going on in the world.

[rndmprsn]

80. If 5 was th global avg...i gave us a 3 sorry.