Quote Originally Posted by stinkyattic
I disagree that humans are becoming more stupid; however, I feel that we (at least in the society to which I am privy) are becoming excessively COMPLACENT and unwilling to put in effort for what we want. When a packet of ramen noodles is 25 cents, and takes only a stop at the gas station, why grow a field of wheat? When American Idol is on, why put aside the time to read a book?

Our brains still work; we simply choose to be ignorant. You can choose to empower yourself through knowledge. You don't have to hold yourself in higher regard than you hold others, just to a higher STANDARD. Find solace in that you carry the secrets of whatever it is you have worked to educate yourself on, and that is a treasure, and a gift you can give if you wish.

This is a neat discussion, and I'm so happy to see how polite it is! That, in and of itself, should be enough to give you a glimmer of hope that there's still people in the world, and even in your [virtual] community who have NOT chosen complacency, and can still form an intelligent argument without resorting to bickering!

You guys are the best.
You are so right about this.

People are actually no smarter or stupider than they were 10,000 years ago. We have the same basic intrinsic intelligence that our species did when it first evolved. But now life is very easy in a lot of ways when you talk about basic survival. Basic food and shelter are not a challenge for most people, as it was even in the very recent past, and there is a lot of frivolous, distracting entertainment available. People can easily become complacent because they don't have to worry about their basic needs and there is a lot to take their mind away from trying to be somethieng more or achieve something. There are some people who are basically entertaining themselves into worthlessness.

And then the opposite side of that coin is that those who are driven and want to achieve are mostly driven by the desire to want more stuff. Going to college, getting an education, working hard at a job, and building a career are often just seen as paths to the "good life" of more material pleasures. The drive to achieve is good, but the goal is wrong.

Sitting on your ass, being lazy, not achieving anything, and just passivly enjoying entertainments and distractions all your life is a waste, and not a way to happiness. And working your ass off for bigger houses, bigger cars, more wealth and status is also not a path to happiness. But working toward something and achieving something of value that has meaning to you is satisfying, and there is certainly room for enjoying some entertainment along the way.