Are we getting dumber as a people?

1. 69

   mike102771posted 12 years ago

   Are we getting dumber as a people?
   
   Do you believe in The Dumbing Down of America? Are we losing something as a people?
   Please Americans only. This is more group introspection not what other countries think.
   
   

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2. 59

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   I think we have entered an age where we are entertained by the idiocy of others.  Reality TV has made celebrities of the dumb, the uneducated, the lowest class of people.  I don't know if that is dumbing down but it certainly speaks to the sad state of we humans that we are entertained by this crap--and I fall into it like anyone else and have to step away from the TV before I get sucked in.

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   1. 69

      mike102771posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      At one time watching people being eaten by lions was a fun time for the family.

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3. 65

   Sapperposted 12 years ago

   Not at all, the Internet has just made it easier to see all the dumb people, in the same way people think we are more rude to each other, when in fact it's not different, you are just exposed to more.

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4. 68

   LandmarkWealthposted 12 years ago

   I think it's both.  People in pursuit of success and/or information have more access to information and resources than every before...aka technology and communication devices.  They are advancing rapidly in many respects.  At the same time, inherently lazy people are getting even dumber.  We have created a society that focuses a great deal of attention on nonsense...aka hollywood, celebrities and reality shows.  So if you are lazy and choose to be dumb...it's easier to do so and live in a bubble.  If you wish to pursue something better, the opportunities are there more now than ever before.

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5. 80

   bethperryposted 11 years ago

   I don't believe any of us have lost the capacity to learn or to use the intellectual part of their brains. But I do feel that the importance of independent thinking and philosophical introspection are being systematically devalued - sometimes dismissed altogether. Where once the curious intellect was valued, today we are very, very often TOLD what to believe, and those that question the accepted "truths" find themselves branded and vilified. And I think a lot of people feel it is easier to live without flexing their intellectual muscle than to endure the social penalties.

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6. 71

   WalterPoonposted 11 years ago

   I don't think we are getting dumber, nor do I think we are getting any wiser. I read historical books written by ancient authors and philosophers and I think our level of wisdom has not improved. Wars continues, just like before. But we have discovered several productivity tools and with computerization, our life has become easier and easier, and our life span, longer and longer with advances in medicine. Just imagine having to travel from Point A to Point B, and you will know what I mean.

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   1. 69

      mike102771posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, but the computerization is what I'm talking about. we are becoming more reliant on computers and tech. Those ancient people could at least feed themselves (grow and or hunt).

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   2. 71

      WalterPoonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Mike102771 , if you are given a choice, would you prefer to go back to those ancient times, when we had to do everything manually?

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   3. 69

      mike102771posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I would prefer that we teach our children how to think and do for themselves rather than be reliant on computers. We should have a clear understanding of the basics.

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7. 51

   abt79posted 11 years ago

   There are honest men who got bachelor's degrees from Harvard and now must work two or three jobs. Then there are football players, some of whom dropped out of high school and ended up making millions upon millions without a single math problem involved.
   And then there is the word "Swag"
   Yes, our society is getting much, much dumber.
   Thankfully, a few people are getting smarter in society. That is why new inventions are being made.

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