Zone1 Why does anything matter?

[Meriweather]

Intelligence has increased in the last 120 years

Intelligence or knowledge?

 

[Woodznutz]

Aside from God, what does anything matter?

Go!!

Talking to Mr. Nye is like talking to the devil. Mr. Ham should know better.

 

[Woodznutz]

In the end nothing really matters. All the things people worry about...money, work, houses, vehicles....none of it matters at all. None of that stuff carries any relevance. Think your work defines you and that you are important? The second you retire someone replaces you easily. Its all really a crock of nothing.

Of course, you're not important when you're gone, but when you are here you are important.

 

[Hafar1014]

Intelligence or knowledge?

Intelligence is based on IQ scores.
Intelligence has generally increased over the past century, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect, with IQ scores rising by approximately 3 points per decade in many nations. This increase is largely attributed to environmental factors—such as improved education, better nutrition, and more complex, abstract, and cognitively demanding environments—rather than genetic changes.
Key Trends and Factors:

• The Flynn Effect: The long-term, steady rise in IQ scores observed throughout the 20th century.

 

[Woodznutz]

It has come to my attention that the more one focuses on the material the less he is able to discern the immaterial.

Human society is a confusing mixture of knowledge and wisdom. Sadly, most die before achieving wisdom.

 

[Hafar1014]

Human society is a confusing mixture of knowledge and wisdom. Sadly, most die before achieving wisdom.

If you dont have it early in life you never will

 

[Votto]

I feel it is better to focus on the real and not so much on the unreal.

And what is real? You think that the material universe is real? Have you ever considered that the material universe is in a constant state of change, and as such, what it was a second ago no longer is ad never will be again? In fact, the laws of entropy tell us that all that is will eventually devolve into nothingness.

So, if the material universe is so elusive and temporal, was it even "real" to begin with? After all, how can something substantive and real simply vanish into nothingness? Had you ever considered that what is really real, exists outside of the material universe of smoke and mirrors?

As has been said already, we each need to assign value to things in life to give life meaning and purpose. Without it, we have no reason to get out of bed in the morning. As the Bible says, hope deferred makes the heart sick, which is wisdom from the book of wisdom. So, for me, wisdom is simply learning to place your hope and value in things that are eternal and not temporal, that is, learning to focus on what really matters.

For me, matter is not what really matters. What matters to me is a person's character. Unfortunately, science does not address the later.

 

[ding]

The sun and moon were used for tracking seasons, not constellations.

I didn't suggest otherwise. They relied on the night sky for planting, harvesting, and navigating.

They used the stars for navigation.

 

[Votto]

Human society is a confusing mixture of knowledge and wisdom. Sadly, most die before achieving wisdom.

 

[ding]

Certainly our culture depends on technology for survival but I doubt there is Cognitive Decline. On the contrary, we depend much more on our ability to think than our ancestors did. How much brain power was required to row a ship or do menial labor?

The Social & Emotional Impact is a real issue but we have more free time to socialize and more affluence too.

Feel free to believe that technology isn't dumbing you down. I just listed some of the ways it is.

Modern humans do not necessarily depend more on their raw ability to think than people 6,000 years ago, but the nature of that dependence has shifted from immediate survival-based cognitive tasks to complex, information-driven problem-solving. While modern society requires navigating vastly more information, our cognitive capacity (brain power) is not significantly greater than that of our ancestors, and in some ways, may be less utilized due to reliance on technology.
Here is a breakdown of the comparison:

1. Cognitive Demand: Ancient vs. Modern

• 6,000 Years Ago (Early Urban/Agricultural Societies): People in the Neolithic/early Bronze Age needed to master intimate, local knowledge to survive. This included understanding seasonal cycles, botany for farming, animal behavior, and complex social negotiation within groups. Their "intellectual" demand was high in terms of practical, survival-based critical thinking.
• Modern Humans: We operate in a highly abstract, globalized environment. We rely on complex, specialized knowledge (engineering, economics, law) that is accumulated, rather than individually invented. While a modern office worker may feel more intellectually stressed, the cognitive load of navigating a dangerous, untamed environment 6,000 years ago was equally, if not more, demanding.

2. The Myth of Higher Intelligence

• No Evolution in Brain Size: There is no evidence that human intelligence has increased in the last 50,000 years. In fact, some studies suggest average cranial capacity has decreased slightly over the past few thousand years, potentially due to the invention of writing, which freed humanity from needing to memorize massive amounts of data.
• "Cognitive Malleability": Modern humans are not inherently smarter; we are just more educated and exposed to more information. If a human from 6,000 years ago were transported to today and educated, they would likely be as smart as the average person today.

3. Shift in Dependence: Knowledge vs. Tools

• Dependence on Accumulated Knowledge: Modern humans depend heavily on systematized knowledge rather than personal insight. We stand on the shoulders of giants (the scientific method, written records, digital databases).
• Cognitive Offloading: Modern technology has led to "cognitive offloading"—relying on GPS, calculators, and search engines for memory and problem-solving. This means we often use our brains less for remembering or complex calculation than our ancestors did.
• Declining Critical Thinking? Studies suggest that over-reliance on AI and digital tools can reduce critical thinking skills, making modern humans passive consumers of information rather than active, deep thinkers.

Conclusion
People 6,000 years ago were just as intelligent and likely more reliant on their own, immediate critical thinking for daily survival. Modern humans rely on a much larger, collective, and externalized knowledge system. While we deal with more complex information, our innate cognitive ability has not increased, and our dependence on external, automated, or technological thinking may actually be decreasing our individual intellectual effort.

 

[ding]

Thanks for proving my point. You focus on the similarities and dismiss the differences.

That's what you took away from that? Amazing. Talk about dismissing defeats.

Dogmatic (form of religion) and cultural difference do not outweigh the common core beliefs in a power greater than man and the need for ethical behavior.

 

[Woodznutz]

If you dont have it early in life you never will

I dunno. I was pretty stupid as a young man. I'm wiser now. The problem is that few actually seek wisdom. Wisdom mostly comes to those of great age that have experienced what the lack of it does.
In the past the earth could tolerate our stupidity, but with the increase in population I fear an ecological collapse might be on the way due to the lack of wisdom. We've have already suffered an intellectual and moral collapse.

 

[ding]

If you have children it does matter to you. If you don't have children ....... then nothing really does matter at all. If we die of "old age" or at the traffic crossing in an hour from now, it makes no difference if our computer hard disk is filled with passages from the bible or a thousand pornographic photographs.

Is that what your "One God" told you?

 

[Hafar1014]

Feel free to believe that technology isn't dumbing you down. I just listed some of the ways it is.

Modern humans do not necessarily depend more on their raw ability to think than people 6,000 years ago, but the nature of that dependence has shifted from immediate survival-based cognitive tasks to complex, information-driven problem-solving. While modern society requires navigating vastly more information, our cognitive capacity (brain power) is not significantly greater than that of our ancestors, and in some ways, may be less utilized due to reliance on technology.
Here is a breakdown of the comparison:

1. Cognitive Demand: Ancient vs. Modern

• 6,000 Years Ago (Early Urban/Agricultural Societies): People in the Neolithic/early Bronze Age needed to master intimate, local knowledge to survive. This included understanding seasonal cycles, botany for farming, animal behavior, and complex social negotiation within groups. Their "intellectual" demand was high in terms of practical, survival-based critical thinking.
• Modern Humans: We operate in a highly abstract, globalized environment. We rely on complex, specialized knowledge (engineering, economics, law) that is accumulated, rather than individually invented. While a modern office worker may feel more intellectually stressed, the cognitive load of navigating a dangerous, untamed environment 6,000 years ago was equally, if not more, demanding.

2. The Myth of Higher Intelligence

• No Evolution in Brain Size: There is no evidence that human intelligence has increased in the last 50,000 years. In fact, some studies suggest average cranial capacity has decreased slightly over the past few thousand years, potentially due to the invention of writing, which freed humanity from needing to memorize massive amounts of data.
• "Cognitive Malleability": Modern humans are not inherently smarter; we are just more educated and exposed to more information. If a human from 6,000 years ago were transported to today and educated, they would likely be as smart as the average person today.

3. Shift in Dependence: Knowledge vs. Tools

• Dependence on Accumulated Knowledge: Modern humans depend heavily on systematized knowledge rather than personal insight. We stand on the shoulders of giants (the scientific method, written records, digital databases).
• Cognitive Offloading: Modern technology has led to "cognitive offloading"—relying on GPS, calculators, and search engines for memory and problem-solving. This means we often use our brains less for remembering or complex calculation than our ancestors did.
• Declining Critical Thinking? Studies suggest that over-reliance on AI and digital tools can reduce critical thinking skills, making modern humans passive consumers of information rather than active, deep thinkers.

Conclusion
People 6,000 years ago were just as intelligent and likely more reliant on their own, immediate critical thinking for daily survival. Modern humans rely on a much larger, collective, and externalized knowledge system. While we deal with more complex information, our innate cognitive ability has not increased, and our dependence on external, automated, or technological thinking may actually be decreasing our individual intellectual effort.

Intelligence has generally increased over the past century, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect, with IQ scores rising by approximately 3 points per decade in many nations. This increase is largely attributed to environmental factors—such as improved education, better nutrition, and more complex, abstract, and cognitively demanding environments—rather than genetic changes.
Key Trends and Factors:

• The Flynn Effect: The long-term, steady rise in IQ scores observed throughout the 20th century.

 

[Hafar1014]

I dunno. I was pretty stupid as a young man. I'm wiser now. The problem is that few actually seek wisdom. Wisdom mostly comes to those of great age that have experienced what the lack of it does.
In the past the earth could tolerate our stupidity, but with the increase in population I fear an ecological collapse might be on the way due to the lack of wisdom. We've have already suffered an intellectual and moral collapse.

Wisdom doesnt come with age. I know a lot of old dumb people.

 

[ding]

Intelligence has increased in the last 120 years

Based on current scientific understanding, individual human genetic intelligence (cognitive potential) has not significantly increased—and may have even slightly declined—in the last 10,000 years. While modern humans possess vastly more accumulated knowledge, technology, and formal education, the raw cognitive capacity of individuals from the Neolithic era was similar to today's.

• Genetic Potential: Experts generally agree that humans 10,000 years ago had the same brain capacity and intelligence potential as modern humans.
• Accumulated Knowledge vs. Intelligence: The apparent rise in intelligence is actually an explosion of accumulated knowledge and tools, not an evolution of the human brain. A person today is not inherently smarter, just better equipped with information passed down through generations.
• Survival Pressures: Some researchers, such as Gerald Crabtree, suggest that since the advent of agriculture, natural selection pressures that once favored high intelligence in hunter-gatherers have relaxed, potentially allowing for a slight decrease in genetic intelligence.
• The "Flynn Effect": While IQ scores have risen over the last century (the Flynn Effect), this is attributed to better nutrition, education, and environmental factors, not genetic evolution.

In summary, 10,000 years ago, humans were, at an individual level, likely just as bright as we are today, but they lacked the collective knowledge base built over the subsequent millennia.

 

[Hafar1014]

Based on current scientific understanding, individual human genetic intelligence (cognitive potential) has not significantly increased—and may have even slightly declined—in the last 10,000 years. While modern humans possess vastly more accumulated knowledge, technology, and formal education, the raw cognitive capacity of individuals from the Neolithic era was similar to today's.

• Genetic Potential: Experts generally agree that humans 10,000 years ago had the same brain capacity and intelligence potential as modern humans.
• Accumulated Knowledge vs. Intelligence: The apparent rise in intelligence is actually an explosion of accumulated knowledge and tools, not an evolution of the human brain. A person today is not inherently smarter, just better equipped with information passed down through generations.
• Survival Pressures: Some researchers, such as Gerald Crabtree, suggest that since the advent of agriculture, natural selection pressures that once favored high intelligence in hunter-gatherers have relaxed, potentially allowing for a slight decrease in genetic intelligence.
• The "Flynn Effect": While IQ scores have risen over the last century (the Flynn Effect), this is attributed to better nutrition, education, and environmental factors, not genetic evolution.

In summary, 10,000 years ago, humans were, at an individual level, likely just as bright as we are today, but they lacked the collective knowledge base built over the subsequent millennia.

Intelligence has generally increased over the past century, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect, with IQ scores rising by approximately 3 points per decade in many nations. This increase is largely attributed to environmental factors—such as improved education, better nutrition, and more complex, abstract, and cognitively demanding environments—rather than genetic changes.
Key Trends and Factors:

• The Flynn Effect: The long-term, steady rise in IQ scores observed throughout the 20th century.

 

[ding]

If you dont have it early in life you never will

No, that statement is not true. Wisdom is not a fixed trait determined early in life, but rather a, lifelong, intentional pursuit developed through experience, reflection, and learning. While early wisdom is advantageous, it is entirely possible to gain wisdom later, as it is a continuous, active process, rather than a passive byproduct of aging.
Key points regarding wisdom:

• Not Linked to Age: Old age does not guarantee wisdom. It is possible to be young and wise or old and unwise.
• Active Pursuit: Wisdom is cultivated through intention, purpose, and, in some views, a relationship with God.
• Learning from Experience: It comes from, reflecting on life’s challenges and mistakes.
• Never Too Late: Because it is developed over time, it can be acquired at any stage of life.

Therefore, not having wisdom early in life does not preclude having it later.

 

[Hafar1014]

Intelligence or knowledge?

Intelligence has generally increased over the past century, a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect, with IQ scores rising by approximately 3 points per decade in many nations. This increase is largely attributed to environmental factors—such as improved education, better nutrition, and more complex, abstract, and cognitively demanding environments—rather than genetic changes.
Key Trends and Factors:

• The Flynn Effect: The long-term, steady rise in IQ scores observed throughout the 20th century.

 

[Votto]

I hate this argument against Nihilism, that "since nothing even matters why do you even do anything" is an absolutely stupid argument. Nothing can matter and it is completely natural to want to do something you enjoy or that could be meaningful in your lifetime. Nihilism is simply a belief that life is meaningless, but it doesn't mean that you have to hate life.

Nihilism is breaking free from all of the harsh religious constraints placed upon people. No longer you have to worry about attending church every day, praying every day and sticking to a strict ethics code.

On the other hand, religion can provide joy and meaning to other people. Religion can help you get out of a depression and give you a reason to keep on living. I personally believe that it is ok to believe in whatever you want to believe in, whether it's in a god or not. Non-religious and religious people aren't harming society, so I see no problem with them.

And I hate nihilism

The father of Nihilism, Friedrich Nietzsche, defined nihilism as “the absolute repudiation of worth, purpose, desirability.”

It is because I reject the notion that human life does not have worth and purpose and desirability and so should you. Unfortunately, we often get political leaders who place no value on human life as other nihilists do, and we all suffer as a result. History is full of such examples, such as the Nazi regime who loved Nietzsche.

Jesus of Nazareth had said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)4 This, for Nietzsche, was the crux of the issue: the offensive denial of one’s own existence represented in the cross. As a moral example, the cross was repulsive. This is why the Nazi regime loved Nietzsche. It is because power is all that mattered to them, that is, their own personal power over how they thought people should live and think.

But history has shown that the deviant philosophy of nihilism as "evil" in my view, as it has done great harm to humanity as you can only judge a philosophy based upon the fruits of their branches. However, Christianity he so much hated, has helped build hospitals, universities, open charities, and given people who have no hope in life actual hope and purpose.

You know, there is a reason why Nietzsche sunk into madness at the end of his life.

It is what it is.