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From: Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: People Without Meaningful Lives Seek Power Over Others
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2024 20:45:49 -0400
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On 9/2/2024 3:09 PM, AMuzi wrote:
> On 9/2/2024 12:51 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>> On Mon, 02 Sep 2024 16:37:16 GMT, cyclintom <cyclintom@yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Why do you try so hard to be smart?
>>
>> To make you look dumb by comparison, to keep you entertained and
>> because intelligence tends to pay better than stupidity.
>>
> 
> Since generalities about humans are generally not all-inclusive, many 
> things can be true and not true depending on 'for whom?'.
> 
> Charles Murray has an excellent take on one type of achievement this 
> week, so well done that it is de-paywalled:
> 
> 
> https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-roots-of-stem-excellence-higher- 
> education-cognitive-ability-over-dei-df09f6c7?st=lnae1l50jqogeuv

OK, interesting article. Some observations:

First, the article strongly acknowledges the obvious (to me) fact that 
not everyone can learn everything. I've made that point here many times.

It also pays homage to the normal curves I frequently mention, which is 
another way of making the same point. Those on the extreme tails of the 
curve are far different from the great bulk near the center.

The article also touts, strongly, the value of education. Can you 
imagine the author's reaction Tom's claim that he is as good as a 
degreed engineer because he "read out" three libraries? Or the tricycle 
rider's claim that professors just sit and push papers around?

Going farther: I do agree that our nation should be devoting more 
resources to supporting and challenging those at the top of the curve. 
The societal benefits would likely be far greater than, say, helping 
those at the bottom to achieve mediocrity.

And I strongly believe the author's statement that "the students in 
these elite STEM departments will be more than 90% Asian or white and 
more than 80% male" speaks to societal conditions, and certainly not to 
genetic predispositions. I had female graduates who easily outperformed 
the men in class, and did great work after they graduated. I hope our 
culture could be changed so not only white (or Asian) males were 
supported and challenged into tech education and professional roles. 
There's too little of that happening now.

Also, not all work needs to be Nobel-worthy. We will always need 
competent STEM workers from the Nobel level all the way down to the 
technician level.

And finally: The article does mention that "hard labor" as well as 
talent is very necessary for the kinds of achievements the author wants. 
When I was in graduate school, I think all my peers agreed on who was 
the most brilliant of us. His mental horsepower was pretty astonishing - 
as in, not bothering to study much for exams, but routinely topping the 
curve.

But he ended up dropping out of his PhD program at a nationally renowned 
university. Last I heard, he runs his family's pharmacy.

-- 
- Frank Krygowski