Interesting study that shows how cultural values determine how the intelligence of children is assessed. Probably has applications to Mormon society and how Mormons judge each other.

"Because innovation is part of the American culture, adults in the United States may be less likely to associate children's conformity with intelligence than adults from other populations, according to research from developmental psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170309132305.htm

So, children of parents with less education are reared to believe that conformity means being both intelligent and well-behaved.

Wow. That explains a lot.

The oft-stated goal of TSCC is to keep their flock completely ignorant of religion, even their own.

Arrogance and ignorance - we mention it often.

Children with higher IQ's who are left to their own devices without being given opportunities to stimulate their minds through education appropriate to their levels of understanding, rather than the standardized norms, have a tendency to lose interest in their schooling by around age 12, or 6th grade.

They may be the ones to rebel in their families, and become what some Mormons and other fundies ascribe as the "black sheep" of the family.

Rebellious teens are mistakenly assumed to have something wrong with them. When studies have conversely shown they rebelled against the conformity within their families or peer structure (including their church and school,) that they found to be dysfunctional or oppressive and otherwise unsuitable to accommodate their maturing faculties.

Their rebelliousness is actually a healthy sign, according to psychological studies, that show they were able to think independently and be their own person even at the expense of conformity ie, fitting in the mold that was expected of them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2017 10:38AM by Amyjo.

Your words describe my upbringing perfectly and its how I viewed it while going through and now looking back at it. I still have a little bit of it in me at times ;)

Have you been spying on my youth, Amy? :)

My best friend, who was in Mensa, lost interest in school even earlier -- about the middle of elementary school.

The 12-year-old drug dealer at my junior high was brilliant. He'd ace exams even though he was rarely at school.

Then there's that old story about Einstein failing math. How many Einsteins are there? It's time we valued the few as much as we value the many.

Sadly, the people who are best at surviving are often the best at being average. Strength in numbers and all that.

the story about Einstein failing math is false.

https://theeconomyofmeaning.com/2013/07/27/science-myths-did-einstein-failed-his-fourth-grade-math-class/

Thanks. I can't believe this hasn't been widely debunked.

My point about the few vs. the many still works, though.

Average IQ people don't stand out, and since the majority of people in any given society are "average," that may be why they blend in so well with peers and society in general.

Although a well known study done of higher IQ people discovered that throughout the course of their lives they actually excelled in their chosen fields, and many from that pool become leaders in their communities.

That was the Terman study, based on the Stanford-Binet IQ test from the early part of last century. It tracked the highest IQ people it could find (male and female,) from age three on.

Regarding Einstein's childhood, while he didn't actually fail at math he had an early childhood teacher tell his mother that he was a "slow learner," some of his teachers thought he might even be retarded based on his school performance. While his mother balked at the instructor, even his parents worried about his development in his early years. He didn't even attempt to talk until he was past three (based on his self-bio.)

It was his mother being his fiercest and most loyal advocate that advanced young Albert's learning, because she knew his potential that his early teachers did not have a clue.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2017 12:33AM by Amyjo.

I try to conform to be like everyone else but it still ain't happening.

Next time you visit BUY, look at the sign that stands at the entrance.

The Glory of God is Conformity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugK40wZtbxw

Jesus that's not mind control it should be intelligence

What I find interesting is how different societies/times define intelligence. Even today we still don't have a set definition for either consciousness or intelligence.

Any number of mental attributes can be beneficial, depending on the circumstances. Once a culture sets a standard for what it means to be "smart" that standard can be self-reinforcing if those who demonstrate particular attributes are given preference.

The miracle of human survival is based, I think, more on our diversity and the adaptability that springs from that diversity, than from any one given set of mental traits. The more accepting we are of different modes of thought, the better we all will be. The paradox is that conformists will reject that and insist that their mode is the superior one.