Why High IQ Won’t Save Us from "Dumbness"
My daughter recently took an IQ test and came home with an above-average score. Naturally, she was thrilled, but then she hit me with a question that stopped me in my tracks: "Papa, what’s the IQ of a dumb person?"
It was one of those parenting moments where you realize a dictionary definition just won't cut it. I told her that being "dumb" isn’t actually about an inability to learn, a lack of access to books, or a low score on a standardized test. True dumbness occurs when a person knows exactly what they are about to do or say is wrong, yet they choose to do it anyway.
It isn't a lack of processing power; it’s a failure of character.
The Great Disconnect: Intelligence vs. Wisdom
This conversation made me reflect on our current era. We carry more processing power in our pockets than the scientists who put a man on the moon, yet we are witnessing a massive surge in "intellectual shaming."
There is a visceral allergy to verifiable facts and peer-reviewed research. You see it everywhere—from the aggressive denial of medical realities to anti-science movements that ignore decades of progress. Even the "wellness" industry has become a playground for grifters, peddling pseudoscientific "cures" to people who have been coached to distrust the very institutions designed to keep them safe.
In this environment, intelligence is often treated as a threat rather than a tool. If you cite a study, you’re "elitist." If you rely on data, you’re "out of touch."
The "Anti-Woke" Umbrella
This disdain for the intellectual has crystallized into the modern "anti-woke" movement. Originally, the term "woke" was a call to stay alert to social injustice. Today, it has been hijacked. It has become a convenient, catch-all boogeyman for anything a certain segment of the population finds uncomfortable.
Whether it’s acknowledging systemic history, discussing gender, or simply practicing basic empathy, it all gets tossed under the "woke" umbrella to be dismissed. By labeling complex social realities as a "virus" or a "trend," people can justify the "dumbness" I mentioned earlier: knowing better, but choosing the path of ignorance because it offers a false sense of security.
The Corporate Anchor
This isn't happening by accident. The adamant refusal to adapt to a changing world underscores how extreme conservatism has become a drag on a modern, scientific society. While the rest of the world moves toward discovery, this mindset clings to archaic traditions like an anchor.
And who benefits from that anchor? Large-scale corporate interests. These entities thrive on a population that is suspicious of facts and divided by "culture wars." If they can keep us arguing about the definition of "woke," we won't notice them gutting environmental regulations, price-gouging, and prioritizing wealth accumulation over the survival of the planet. They are actively funding this "dumbness" because an aware, educated, and unified public is a direct threat to their bottom line.
Our Evolutionary Stalling Out
Ultimately, we are being held back in our journey toward a more enlightened existence.
As a species, we should be vibrating with the excitement of exploring the unknown—diving into the mysteries of our own consciousness and the vastness of the universe. Instead, we are stuck in the mud, bogged down by the petty pursuit of hoarding zeroes in a bank account and fighting wars over borders and ancient ideologies.
We have the IQ to reach the stars. The question is, do we have the character to stop choosing to be "dumb"?