COLUMN: Count Your Blessings

by Chris Monteby Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, lessby Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.Now, this is probably an idea, that taken by itself, could eventually be accepted by society at large if it weren't for the fact that The Bell Curve has once again raised an incendiary topic: race and IQs. Statistically, research shows yet again, that on average, blacks score fifteen points less on general intelligence tests than whites, while persons of East Asian descent score aboutby Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.Now, this is probably an idea, that taken by itself, could eventually be accepted by society at large if it weren't for the fact that The Bell Curve has once again raised an incendiary topic: race and IQs. Statistically, research shows yet again, that on average, blacks score fifteen points less on general intelligence tests than whites, while persons of East Asian descent score about five points higher than whites. When faced with this data, our instinctive reaction is to violently reject the obvious conclusions, not because the data is inherently wrong, but because we know that anyone who supported this would instantly be labeled "racist." Yet, the statistical methods used to obtain these results are sound and what's more, are reproducible. So, if whites as a whole are smarter than blacks, and Asians are smarter than everybody else, what cataclysmic result does this have for our already race-overconscious society?by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.Now, this is probably an idea, that taken by itself, could eventually be accepted by society at large if it weren't for the fact that The Bell Curve has once again raised an incendiary topic: race and IQs. Statistically, research shows yet again, that on average, blacks score fifteen points less on general intelligence tests than whites, while persons of East Asian descent score about five points higher than whites. When faced with this data, our instinctive reaction is to violently reject the obvious conclusions, not because the data is inherently wrong, but because we know that anyone who supported this would instantly be labeled "racist." Yet, the statistical methods used to obtain these results are sound and what's more, are reproducible. So, if whites as a whole are smarter than blacks, and Asians are smarter than everybody else, what cataclysmic result does this have for our already race-overconscious society?It doesn't have to have any. These statistics apply only to groups as a whole, and have no meaning on an individual level. There is nothing preventing a black person from becoming the next Einstein, nor is there some law that says an Asian can't be a blithering idiot. People are terrified that such measurable gaps in IQ might help foster even worse racial tensions than already exist, and help increase ignorant beliefs in racial superiority. But since, in reality, all of our dealings with people of other ethnic groups occurs between individuals, group statistics actually mean very little. It is the intelligence of each individual, whether he or she is black, white or polkadotted that is truly important. The worst conclusion that can be drawn from this data is that is you want to be stupid and discriminate against someone, the smartest way to do it is to base it on the person's intelligence!by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.Now, this is probably an idea, that taken by itself, could eventually be accepted by society at large if it weren't for the fact that The Bell Curve has once again raised an incendiary topic: race and IQs. Statistically, research shows yet again, that on average, blacks score fifteen points less on general intelligence tests than whites, while persons of East Asian descent score about five points higher than whites. When faced with this data, our instinctive reaction is to violently reject the obvious conclusions, not because the data is inherently wrong, but because we know that anyone who supported this would instantly be labeled "racist." Yet, the statistical methods used to obtain these results are sound and what's more, are reproducible. So, if whites as a whole are smarter than blacks, and Asians are smarter than everybody else, what cataclysmic result does this have for our already race-overconscious society?It doesn't have to have any. These statistics apply only to groups as a whole, and have no meaning on an individual level. There is nothing preventing a black person from becoming the next Einstein, nor is there some law that says an Asian can't be a blithering idiot. People are terrified that such measurable gaps in IQ might help foster even worse racial tensions than already exist, and help increase ignorant beliefs in racial superiority. But since, in reality, all of our dealings with people of other ethnic groups occurs between individuals, group statistics actually mean very little. It is the intelligence of each individual, whether he or she is black, white or polkadotted that is truly important. The worst conclusion that can be drawn from this data is that is you want to be stupid and discriminate against someone, the smartest way to do it is to base it on the person's intelligence!Okay, so we've defused the racist threat, and put forward the idea that intelligence is one of the most important factors in determining an individual's success in society, and by extension, of the society itself. So, what use do these conclusions have?by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.Now, this is probably an idea, that taken by itself, could eventually be accepted by society at large if it weren't for the fact that The Bell Curve has once again raised an incendiary topic: race and IQs. Statistically, research shows yet again, that on average, blacks score fifteen points less on general intelligence tests than whites, while persons of East Asian descent score about five points higher than whites. When faced with this data, our instinctive reaction is to violently reject the obvious conclusions, not because the data is inherently wrong, but because we know that anyone who supported this would instantly be labeled "racist." Yet, the statistical methods used to obtain these results are sound and what's more, are reproducible. So, if whites as a whole are smarter than blacks, and Asians are smarter than everybody else, what cataclysmic result does this have for our already race-overconscious society?It doesn't have to have any. These statistics apply only to groups as a whole, and have no meaning on an individual level. There is nothing preventing a black person from becoming the next Einstein, nor is there some law that says an Asian can't be a blithering idiot. People are terrified that such measurable gaps in IQ might help foster even worse racial tensions than already exist, and help increase ignorant beliefs in racial superiority. But since, in reality, all of our dealings with people of other ethnic groups occurs between individuals, group statistics actually mean very little. It is the intelligence of each individual, whether he or she is black, white or polkadotted that is truly important. The worst conclusion that can be drawn from this data is that is you want to be stupid and discriminate against someone, the smartest way to do it is to base it on the person's intelligence!Okay, so we've defused the racist threat, and put forward the idea that intelligence is one of the most important factors in determining an individual's success in society, and by extension, of the society itself. So, what use do these conclusions have?All of this points to a fact we all inherently know, but fear to say openly: The people who run the United States--create the jobs, expand its technologies, cure its sick, teach in its universities, administer its cultural andby Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.Now, this is probably an idea, that taken by itself, could eventually be accepted by society at large if it weren't for the fact that The Bell Curve has once again raised an incendiary topic: race and IQs. Statistically, research shows yet again, that on average, blacks score fifteen points less on general intelligence tests than whites, while persons of East Asian descent score about five points higher than whites. When faced with this data, our instinctive reaction is to violently reject the obvious conclusions, not because the data is inherently wrong, but because we know that anyone who supported this would instantly be labeled "racist." Yet, the statistical methods used to obtain these results are sound and what's more, are reproducible. So, if whites as a whole are smarter than blacks, and Asians are smarter than everybody else, what cataclysmic result does this have for our already race-overconscious society?It doesn't have to have any. These statistics apply only to groups as a whole, and have no meaning on an individual level. There is nothing preventing a black person from becoming the next Einstein, nor is there some law that says an Asian can't be a blithering idiot. People are terrified that such measurable gaps in IQ might help foster even worse racial tensions than already exist, and help increase ignorant beliefs in racial superiority. But since, in reality, all of our dealings with people of other ethnic groups occurs between individuals, group statistics actually mean very little. It is the intelligence of each individual, whether he or she is black, white or polkadotted that is truly important. The worst conclusion that can be drawn from this data is that is you want to be stupid and discriminate against someone, the smartest way to do it is to base it on the person's intelligence!Okay, so we've defused the racist threat, and put forward the idea that intelligence is one of the most important factors in determining an individual's success in society, and by extension, of the society itself. So, what use do these conclusions have?All of this points to a fact we all inherently know, but fear to say openly: The people who run the United States--create the jobs, expand its technologies, cure its sick, teach in its universities, administer its cultural andpolitical and legal institutions--are drawn from a thin layer of intellectual ability at the top. We must come to understand that despite our egalitarian impulses as a society to pour all of our money and resources into programs to help the disadvantaged, our nation owes its continued advancement to an intellectual elite. We must foster this elite with every means at our disposal, and rid ourselves of the misconception that giving people with the largest capacities to be educated the best educations is dangerously elitist.by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.Now, this is probably an idea, that taken by itself, could eventually be accepted by society at large if it weren't for the fact that The Bell Curve has once again raised an incendiary topic: race and IQs. Statistically, research shows yet again, that on average, blacks score fifteen points less on general intelligence tests than whites, while persons of East Asian descent score about five points higher than whites. When faced with this data, our instinctive reaction is to violently reject the obvious conclusions, not because the data is inherently wrong, but because we know that anyone who supported this would instantly be labeled "racist." Yet, the statistical methods used to obtain these results are sound and what's more, are reproducible. So, if whites as a whole are smarter than blacks, and Asians are smarter than everybody else, what cataclysmic result does this have for our already race-overconscious society?It doesn't have to have any. These statistics apply only to groups as a whole, and have no meaning on an individual level. There is nothing preventing a black person from becoming the next Einstein, nor is there some law that says an Asian can't be a blithering idiot. People are terrified that such measurable gaps in IQ might help foster even worse racial tensions than already exist, and help increase ignorant beliefs in racial superiority. But since, in reality, all of our dealings with people of other ethnic groups occurs between individuals, group statistics actually mean very little. It is the intelligence of each individual, whether he or she is black, white or polkadotted that is truly important. The worst conclusion that can be drawn from this data is that is you want to be stupid and discriminate against someone, the smartest way to do it is to base it on the person's intelligence!Okay, so we've defused the racist threat, and put forward the idea that intelligence is one of the most important factors in determining an individual's success in society, and by extension, of the society itself. So, what use do these conclusions have?All of this points to a fact we all inherently know, but fear to say openly: The people who run the United States--create the jobs, expand its technologies, cure its sick, teach in its universities, administer its cultural andpolitical and legal institutions--are drawn from a thin layer of intellectual ability at the top. We must come to understand that despite our egalitarian impulses as a society to pour all of our money and resources into programs to help the disadvantaged, our nation owes its continued advancement to an intellectual elite. We must foster this elite with every means at our disposal, and rid ourselves of the misconception that giving people with the largest capacities to be educated the best educations is dangerously elitist.Of course, such a policy could split America between an isolated caste of ruling meritocrats on one hand and a vast, powerless Lumpenproleteriat on the other. Such a society would have little use for this underclass in a world dominated by sophisticated machines and the bright human beings who tend them. This is just one scenario. Far more likely is one in which this guiding elite helps move society forward, providing benefits that enrich us all, intellectual or blue collar worker, white, black or yellow. We just have to realize that there's nothing wrong with elitism, as long as its the right kind.by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.Now, this is probably an idea, that taken by itself, could eventually be accepted by society at large if it weren't for the fact that The Bell Curve has once again raised an incendiary topic: race and IQs. Statistically, research shows yet again, that on average, blacks score fifteen points less on general intelligence tests than whites, while persons of East Asian descent score about five points higher than whites. When faced with this data, our instinctive reaction is to violently reject the obvious conclusions, not because the data is inherently wrong, but because we know that anyone who supported this would instantly be labeled "racist." Yet, the statistical methods used to obtain these results are sound and what's more, are reproducible. So, if whites as a whole are smarter than blacks, and Asians are smarter than everybody else, what cataclysmic result does this have for our already race-overconscious society?It doesn't have to have any. These statistics apply only to groups as a whole, and have no meaning on an individual level. There is nothing preventing a black person from becoming the next Einstein, nor is there some law that says an Asian can't be a blithering idiot. People are terrified that such measurable gaps in IQ might help foster even worse racial tensions than already exist, and help increase ignorant beliefs in racial superiority. But since, in reality, all of our dealings with people of other ethnic groups occurs between individuals, group statistics actually mean very little. It is the intelligence of each individual, whether he or she is black, white or polkadotted that is truly important. The worst conclusion that can be drawn from this data is that is you want to be stupid and discriminate against someone, the smartest way to do it is to base it on the person's intelligence!Okay, so we've defused the racist threat, and put forward the idea that intelligence is one of the most important factors in determining an individual's success in society, and by extension, of the society itself. So, what use do these conclusions have?All of this points to a fact we all inherently know, but fear to say openly: The people who run the United States--create the jobs, expand its technologies, cure its sick, teach in its universities, administer its cultural andpolitical and legal institutions--are drawn from a thin layer of intellectual ability at the top. We must come to understand that despite our egalitarian impulses as a society to pour all of our money and resources into programs to help the disadvantaged, our nation owes its continued advancement to an intellectual elite. We must foster this elite with every means at our disposal, and rid ourselves of the misconception that giving people with the largest capacities to be educated the best educations is dangerously elitist.Of course, such a policy could split America between an isolated caste of ruling meritocrats on one hand and a vast, powerless Lumpenproleteriat on the other. Such a society would have little use for this underclass in a world dominated by sophisticated machines and the bright human beings who tend them. This is just one scenario. Far more likely is one in which this guiding elite helps move society forward, providing benefits that enrich us all, intellectual or blue collar worker, white, black or yellow. We just have to realize that there's nothing wrong with elitism, as long as its the right kind.Thus, a cherished American ideal should in fact be modified to "All men are created equal, but some are more equal than others."by Chris MonteAs members of an Ivy League institution, whether we like it or not, we are this nation's intellectual elite. Yet, as a society that is becoming ever more politically correct we have a true fear of examining humanity's defining quality: intelligence. according to an increasingly controversial new book, The Bell Curve, facing some unpleasant truths about the nature of human intelligence may be instrumental in revitalizing our society as a whole.First, we must accept that it is possible to accurately quantify intelligence as a statistical measure that has some meaning. It is also important to understand that intelligence is more heavily influenced by genetics than we had previously believed. After all, it is common sense to realize that if your parents are both college professors, you are probably going to have a good degree of smarts yourself. Now, this certainly does not discount that environment plays a very strong part in determining intelligence. Someone who is brought up in a stimulating environment, and more importantly, an environment that places a high value upon learning and education, will do well to a certain point in school. But what our egalitarian society fears to admit is that no matter how much you educate some people, they simply lack the cognitive ability to grasp higher concepts through no fault of their own. It's just genetic bad luck.If we accept that intelligence is strongly influenced by our forebears, we can then move on to the next step in the book's argument: that intelligence is one of the most important factors in the shaping of any society. Statistically, it is shown that higher intelligence leads to better job performance in more prestigious careers, lower birth rates, lower divorce rates, less illegitimacy, less propensity to commit criminal acts and to end up on welfare, and finally, a greater participation in the political process (which is essential to a democracy). Clearly, higher intelligence leads to behaviors which create a more harmonious society, and we should do everything possible to raise people's cognitive ability.It ain't that easy, folks.Formal schooling offers little hope of narrowing intellectual inequality, because so much of its potential contribution has already been realized with the advent of universal twelve years systems. Special programs to improve intelligence within the schools have had minor and most likely temporary affects on intelligence. Even Head Start, the largest such program run by the federal government, has been shown to produce very negligible improvements in cognitive functioning. So, the question remains, how are we to aid the intellectually disadvantaged?There's really not that much that can be done. As stated before, giving a stimulatory and education valuing environment to any person regardless of IQ or latent intelligence will boost cognitive abilities and academic performance. Still, people must still deal with the genetic limitations placed upon their intellects. Some persons, no matter what you do, are going to be, well, dumb. As a society, we have to rid ourselves of many of our egalitarian notions and come to understand that there is no use in wasting precious resources trying to raise the abilities of every disadvantaged person.Now, this is probably an idea, that taken by itself, could eventually be accepted by society at large if it weren't for the fact that The Bell Curve has once again raised an incendiary topic: race and IQs. Statistically, research shows yet again, that on average, blacks score fifteen points less on general intelligence tests than whites, while persons of East Asian descent score about five points higher than whites. When faced with this data, our instinctive reaction is to violently reject the obvious conclusions, not because the data is inherently wrong, but because we know that anyone who supported this would instantly be labeled "racist." Yet, the statistical methods used to obtain these results are sound and what's more, are reproducible. So, if whites as a whole are smarter than blacks, and Asians are smarter than everybody else, what cataclysmic result does this have for our already race-overconscious society?It doesn't have to have any. These statistics apply only to groups as a whole, and have no meaning on an individual level. There is nothing preventing a black person from becoming the next Einstein, nor is there some law that says an Asian can't be a blithering idiot. People are terrified that such measurable gaps in IQ might help foster even worse racial tensions than already exist, and help increase ignorant beliefs in racial superiority. But since, in reality, all of our dealings with people of other ethnic groups occurs between individuals, group statistics actually mean very little. It is the intelligence of each individual, whether he or she is black, white or polkadotted that is truly important. The worst conclusion that can be drawn from this data is that is you want to be stupid and discriminate against someone, the smartest way to do it is to base it on the person's intelligence!Okay, so we've defused the racist threat, and put forward the idea that intelligence is one of the most important factors in determining an individual's success in society, and by extension, of the society itself. So, what use do these conclusions have?All of this points to a fact we all inherently know, but fear to say openly: The people who run the United States--create the jobs, expand its technologies, cure its sick, teach in its universities, administer its cultural andpolitical and legal institutions--are drawn from a thin layer of intellectual ability at the top. We must come to understand that despite our egalitarian impulses as a society to pour all of our money and resources into programs to help the disadvantaged, our nation owes its continued advancement to an intellectual elite. We must foster this elite with every means at our disposal, and rid ourselves of the misconception that giving people with the largest capacities to be educated the best educations is dangerously elitist.Of course, such a policy could split America between an isolated caste of ruling meritocrats on one hand and a vast, powerless Lumpenproleteriat on the other. Such a society would have little use for this underclass in a world dominated by sophisticated machines and the bright human beings who tend them. This is just one scenario. Far more likely is one in which this guiding elite helps move society forward, providing benefits that enrich us all, intellectual or blue collar worker, white, black or yellow. We just have to realize that there's nothing wrong with elitism, as long as its the right kind.Thus, a cherished American ideal should in fact be modified to "All men are created equal, but some are more equal than others."Think about it.