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Is it culture or genetics? Nature or nurture? I think it's a little of both. Much like certain animals are bred for their temperaments by lineage, I think that human beings have the same propensities.
Jews are smart. So are Asians. Black people are athletic. White people are somewhere in between. Unfortunately, I have none of the athleticism or drive for intellectual or career achievement of any of the races.
OP, do you personally know any Jews that you consider academically gifted? Have you been to their homes? I don't think you are going to find a fast answer on the internet especially if you are trying to benefit from this knowledge.
Is it culture or genetics? Nature or nurture? I think it's a little of both. Much like certain animals are bred for their temperaments by lineage, I think that human beings have the same propensities.
Jews are smart. So are Asians. Black people are athletic. White people are somewhere in between. Unfortunately, I have none of the athleticism or drive for intellectual or career achievement of any of the races.
Keep in mind that you are subjected to certain selection biases.
For example, where I live...most of the Indian and Pakistani people are recent immigrants with advanced tech degrees. So basically they are the upper 2% or so of a billion plus people....and as a result their kids value education and so on and so forth and do very well. Fortunately, I do not draw any racial distinctions since I understand I'm dealing with sampling bias.
This is what makes it so fascinating. And partly why this thread is 5 pages. Jews are a tiny percent of the population. Yet they are over represented in hollywood, in finance, on wall street, nobel laureates, etc. The question of "Why" doesn't have to be offensive to jews that don't succeed (who call their parents for money every month).
Why do blacks dominate basketball? There are probably 10 or 12 reasons.
A. Not much opportunity in black inner cities. Basketball (and sports) is seen as a way out.
B. Poor schools. Not much opportunity for education.
C. Sports figures (and making money) is highly valued in american culture. D. It might be genetic (this could be controversial, or not politically correct). Its similar to why kenyans are great at running. Or why baseball players come out of the dominican republic.
If this is the case, then I must have missed that gene, as I couldn't hit a free throw to save my life. The problem with generalizations like these is not so much the observation of certain cultural patterns, but the concomitant implicit delimitation of any given individual's character and ability, especially if the individual happens to be a member of a group you have already generalized.
With these generalizations, you really have to be aware of what's left unsaid, but perfectly understood. If a black person is deemed genetically superior in the arena of athleticism, then one is led to assume that he is genetically inferior in intellectual capacity, because "you can't have it all." By subscribing to this racist generalization, you have basically already shaped this individual's being and potential, without even getting to know him or allowing him the opportunity to develop his true talents and attributes. Just imagine the deleterious effect judgments like these can have on the psyche of a black child trying to find his way to his true potential.
A certain subsection of Jewish people are known to have some of the highest IQ's in the world. I can't help but sometimes think that it could be genetic.
Ugh. This is why I sometimes wish that everyone be required to take some basic science courses. IQ is not inherited. Athletic ability is not inherited. Prodigy is not inherited. Earning potential is not (genetically) inherited. These traits, among numerous others, are based on environmental factors, not genetics.
Give us some proof that tells us that IQ and athletic ability is not inherited. I am sure it is. The Jewish people are academic elites because their parents are smarter and they inherit their brains and pass it on to their kids. Of course their success is cultural also.
Quote:
Originally Posted by K-Luv
Ugh. This is why I sometimes wish that everyone be required to take some basic science courses. IQ is not inherited. Athletic ability is not inherited. Prodigy is not inherited. Earning potential is not (genetically) inherited. These traits, among numerous others, are based on environmental factors, not genetics.
Give us some proof that tells us that IQ and athletic ability is not inherited. I am sure it is. The Jewish people are academic elites because their parents are smarter and they inherit their brains and pass it on to their kids. Of course their success is cultural also.
OMG you HAVE to be kidding me!? I am no more or no less intelligent than anyone else in my synagogue (I am not a born Jew; I'm Black, I converted)! And on many topics people in my synagogue actually consult me in that I have a formal education in business. What in the world....."academic elite"? My oh my...this is laughable! Oh and several families in the synagogue have children in special education classes. I guess they are just "exceptions to the rule". Strange, because I haven't seen so many Black children with these various disabilities that I see in Jewish children (Asperger's syndrome, Down's syndrome, severe ADHD, Tourette's). Yet it is pointless/counterproductive to make statements like "Jewish children are more prone to be special needs than Black children." I wouldn't dare even THINK that!
I'm sorry; I've been in the Jewish community for 15+ years in 3 different states. I do not see any first hand evidence of "academic greatness" among them that I don't see replicated across the non-Jewish population who are in similar environments (middle-class, college going, etc.).
Hmmm, interesting statement. Where did THIS come from now?
Granted, I would say that eastern and central europeans are more philosophically-oriented and more contemplative than their western counterparts (on average, of course); but I am not at all sure about "smart", as in IQ. and as in all that myriad of factors that add upp to intelligence.
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