Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well, the answer to the question is very easy.
Just put a regular American with a regular education and with no money in any Third World country, say in India.
Let's see for how long he/she survives.
Well, the answer to the question is very easy.
Just put a regular American with a regular education and with no money in any Third World country, say in India.
Let's see for how long he/she survives.
I agree
Someone is deff underestimating people in other countries.
If anything your the one with the low IQ as i said before.
I'd love to see you over seas and live like they do and see how long you would last.
Your biggest problem is your assumption that these folks are miserable with their way of life. You operate under the assumption that what "we" have is better. I like my life, but I also see the greed, corruption and consumption that eats away people all around me. I much prefer to live below my means and keep things in check. I don't assume that my life is any better or worst than anyones elses because I can't walk in their shoes. How do you know people in these supposed countries you have visited are unhappy? Did you poll the nation?
I have actually traveled quite a bit (real travel to real countries, not just my backyard) and my best times in some of these places were wandering backroads that probably look today like they did 100 years ago and occasionally meeting someone out in the front of their shack willing to greet me with a smile and probably more than willing to give me a place at their table if I needed it. I never assumed they are unhappy or unfortunate.
Last edited by Reads2MUCH; 07-26-2009 at 06:17 PM..
Reason: Leave the personal comments out of your posts
[quote=Uconn97;9936323]Your biggest problem is your assumption that these folks are miserable with their way of life. You operate under the assumption that what "we" have is better. I like my life, but I also see the greed, corruption and consumption that eats away people all around me. I much prefer to live below my means and keep things in check. I don't assume that my life is any better or worst than anyones elses because I can't walk in their shoes. How do you know people in these supposed countries you have visited are unhappy? Did you poll the nation?
Some nations in the Third World really are developing. India and Indonesia have both seen a good deal of development. Some of the worst declines in development have been seen in former Soviet Republics which likely do better in standardized tests than India. In Sub-Saharan Africa the island nations of Cape Verde, the Comoros, and Mauritius are all developing. Botswana seems to be slowly bouncing back after HIV/AIDS related declines in the 1990s. Ghana is developing some.
Still I'd say having a high percent who can speak and read English is often beneficial to a nations development. That doesn't really have anything to do with IQ, but it's the closest I'd get. Things like low corruption and stability are more important, but fluency in English is still important in the global economy. Failing that just general literacy and math literacy likely helps.
Your biggest problem is your assumption that these folks are miserable with their way of life. You operate under the assumption that what "we" have is better. I like my life, but I also see the greed, corruption and consumption that eats away people all around me. I much prefer to live below my means and keep things in check. I don't assume that my life is any better or worst than anyones elses because I can't walk in their shoes. How do you know people in these supposed countries you have visited are unhappy? Did you poll the nation?
I have actually traveled quite a bit (real travel to real countries, not just my backyard) and my best times in some of these places were wandering backroads that probably look today like they did 100 years ago and occasionally meeting someone out in the front of their shack willing to greet me with a smile and probably more than willing to give me a place at their table if I needed it. I never assumed they are unhappy or unfortunate.
EXACTLY! I agree w/ the bolded part. in fact, the bolded part is one reason why Americans are hated outside of america. folks here get this assumption that our way of life is the best and only way to live and they often have the nerve to pity those they deem to be below them.
I've met some sweet, pleasant farmers and workers in Haiti that are happier than a random person you pick off the streets of NYC. they may live in an oppressive, unstable country, but many of them enjoy the simple things in life: good food (not everyone there is starving. many own and run farms), family, dance, lots of rum for those special times, etc. they greet you w/ a giant smile on their faces and kisses on your cheeks regardless if you look like a native or an obvious tourist. it looks like a poor life to the average American w/ their iPods, cable TV, SUVs, and other trappings of first world luxuries, but many of these people are happy. me personally, I would love this simple life (hell, I may even buy a little house and a little bit of farmland down there one there if I had the cash. grow some mangos and sugar cane and just chill by a river/ocean/waterfall. okay, gotta stop daydreaming!). I've heard very similar things of other countries as well
I still don't buy you (Weekend Traveler) being this worldly traveler. part of being a good traveler and not looking like another idiot American is being able to learn and appreciate other cultures. I can't imagine how you'd fare in a foreign nation
Last edited by Reads2MUCH; 07-26-2009 at 06:19 PM..
Reason: no personal comments please
Every time we travel the world we are shocked when we see how people live in third world countries. Even though these countries are called developing countries, I see very little development and if anything things are getting worse. You could blame it on a variety of things but I have to think much of it is a cultural and intellectual issue. The people in general are not to smart and do not have the intelligence, drive or creativity to improve the life of their country.
If a magic drug could be found and it raised the IQ of everyone in the country 40% wouldn't they start to prosper?
South Korea and Singapore went from complete poverty after the war to prosperity due to the intelligence of their people.
I think they're wired differently. Some are more emotional and they have different values. Don't forget that it was Western culture and its Christian roots that brought the world-- out of the dark and into the light--to today's standards.
People who are less intelligent tend to be less well educated? People who are less intelligent have less mental capability? People with less intelligence are less able to achieve what those with more intelligence are able to achieve? Duh!
I don't understand people's reluctance to see what role intelligence plays in life outcomes. Intelligence is the single most accurate predictor of how well one will do in life. These things have been studied by many people over many years. There is an extremely high correlation between intelligence and life outcomes. This is not in dispute. People who score low on IQ tests are subsequently found to have worse outcomes in life than those who score higher on IQ tests. This is not somebody's opinion. This is a fact.
People with low IQs are more likely to be unemployed, more likely to have illegitimate children, more likely to live in poverty, more likely to be incarcerated, more likely to be chronic welfare recipients and more likely to be less educated.
What is seen in poor neighborhoods in this country is seen in many undeveloped countries. People in most undeveloped countries have lower average IQs than people in more developed countries. This is not in dispute.
The only thing that is in dispute is what determines IQ. Is it environment as some suggest or is it inherited as others suggest. But that is a whole different topic for discussion. The OP is correct. People in most undeveloped countries do indeed have lower average IQs than people in more developed countries.
I think they're wired differently. Some are more emotional and they have different values. Don't forget that it was Western culture and its Christian roots that brought the world-- out of the dark and into the light--to today's standards.
not everyone was in the dark. their lifestyle may have been simpler but that doesn't mean everyone on the planet who wasn't european was in some dark and dreary existence. i would say that's more europeans in the dark ages. even historians agrees that is the worst place any soul could have been at that time in history, it was that miserable, dangerous and oppressive. your perspective is WAY off and western biased.
this idea is also kind of stupid because when people think of paradise and when they have the means to achieve it, they return to a simpler way of life. who wouldn't want that kind of paradise. buying fresh food at the local market (true fresh food), plenty of natural flora and terrain as surroundings (truly beautiful view) not artificially created, friendly laidback local people. nonpretentiousness, etc.
all the modern advancements and lifestyle is necessary and also another way of living that appeals to some people but not to everyone. there have been also important discoveries in modern medicine which benefit the world but you have to look at an individual's quality of life comprehensively, it's all a give and take and compromises. sure, in a modern society, if i get sick i can get rushed to the hospital and all the modern conveniences are there but so are all the stresses and pollution etc. others may live without all these other types of bounties but they are blessed in other ways.
that said, it's all about perspective and being realistic. extreme poverty or disease isn't going to make anyone happy but neither does extreme opulent wealth necessarily either. it's usually a combination of emotional and physical needs met. the rest is superfluous.
If these folks are so happy in their life in the third world hell hole then the United States can stop sending them billions through the foreign aide and the world bank. OK.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uconn97
Your biggest problem is your assumption that these folks are miserable with their way of life. You operate under the assumption that what "we" have is better. I like my life, but I also see the greed, corruption and consumption that eats away people all around me. I much prefer to live below my means and keep things in check. I don't assume that my life is any better or worst than anyone's elses because I can't walk in their shoes. How do you know people in these supposed countries you have visited are unhappy? Did you poll the nation?
I have actually traveled quite a bit (real travel to real countries, not just my backyard) and my best times in some of these places were wandering backroads that probably look today like they did 100 years ago and occasionally meeting someone out in the front of their shack willing to greet me with a smile and probably more than willing to give me a place at their table if I needed it. I never assumed they are unhappy or unfortunate.
Last edited by Reads2MUCH; 07-26-2009 at 06:24 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
