Conspiracy Theories a Sign of Sane Thinking Study Shows

[DrEvil]

For instance - prisons are full of dumb people, not because we as a society want to lock them up (as a distinct group), but because dumb people do dumb shit (more often than smart people) and get locked up for it.

that tallies perfectly with the number of Wall Street Executives that have received jail sentences.

We'll have to beg to differ, I think.

Sure, keep dismissing things you disagree with without making a coherent argument to support your case.

Study: Prison Inmate Intelligence Influences Misconduct
http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2012/5/1-1 ... -wide.html


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 364343.stm

Low IQ inmates a 'hidden problem'

Nearly 6,000 British prisoners have low IQs, according to new research by the University of Liverpool on behalf of the Prison Reform Trust (PRT).

Inmates at Liverpool men's prison, Styal women's prison in Cheshire, and a young offenders' prison in Hindley, near Wigan, took part in the survey.

Projected figures showed that a quarter of British prisoners have an IQ of less than 80 - the national average is 100.

The charity said the research indicated a "vast hidden problem".

PRT director Juliet Lyon said: "This research reveals for the first time that high numbers of people with learning disabilities and difficulties are held behind bars.

"It raises important questions about how they got caught up in the criminal justice system in the first place and whether those responsible for special education, social care and family support could have done more to prevent this".

She added that those with learning difficulties and disabilities in the criminal justice system were "left to wander between police station, court and prison."

The research has been released ahead of the launch in March of "No One Knows", a new UK-wide programme of work to investigate and improve the treatment of people with learning disabilities and difficulties in the criminal justice system.

Author Dr Pat Mottram said: "Overall our findings show that the average IQ of the prison population is 13 below the national average of 100.

"Many will struggle to make sense of their experience of imprisonment", she added.

Skills Minister Phil Hope welcomed the research, saying the government had set in motion major reforms of education for prisoners.

[alloneword]

if you have two perfectly nice and normal people, one with an IQ of 130, and the other with an IQ of 85 - who would you want to pilot your plane..?

The one with the pilot's licence, obviously.

[DrEvil]

if you have two perfectly nice and normal people, one with an IQ of 130, and the other with an IQ of 85 - who would you want to pilot your plane..?

The one with the pilot's licence, obviously.

[Belligerent Savant]

For instance - prisons are full of dumb people, not because we as a society want to lock them up (as a distinct group), but because dumb people do dumb shit (more often than smart people) and get locked up for it.

that tallies perfectly with the number of Wall Street Executives that have received jail sentences.

We'll have to beg to differ, I think.

Sure, keep dismissing things you disagree with without making a coherent argument to support your case.

Study: Prison Inmate Intelligence Influences Misconduct
http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2012/5/1-1 ... -wide.html


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 364343.stm

Low IQ inmates a 'hidden problem'

Nearly 6,000 British prisoners have low IQs, according to new research by the University of Liverpool on behalf of the Prison Reform Trust (PRT).

Inmates at Liverpool men's prison, Styal women's prison in Cheshire, and a young offenders' prison in Hindley, near Wigan, took part in the survey.

Projected figures showed that a quarter of British prisoners have an IQ of less than 80 - the national average is 100.

The charity said the research indicated a "vast hidden problem".

PRT director Juliet Lyon said: "This research reveals for the first time that high numbers of people with learning disabilities and difficulties are held behind bars.

"It raises important questions about how they got caught up in the criminal justice system in the first place and whether those responsible for special education, social care and family support could have done more to prevent this".

She added that those with learning difficulties and disabilities in the criminal justice system were "left to wander between police station, court and prison."

The research has been released ahead of the launch in March of "No One Knows", a new UK-wide programme of work to investigate and improve the treatment of people with learning disabilities and difficulties in the criminal justice system.

Author Dr Pat Mottram said: "Overall our findings show that the average IQ of the prison population is 13 below the national average of 100.

"Many will struggle to make sense of their experience of imprisonment", she added.

Skills Minister Phil Hope welcomed the research, saying the government had set in motion major reforms of education for prisoners.

Surely there must be a 'final solution' for all these 'stupid' people... If only we had the means to condition their brains to happily accept menial labor, a la Brave New World..

[MacCruiskeen]

Shurely jail makes people brainier? After all, it's such a stimulating environment, and such a confidence-booster.

[DrEvil]

I see lots of sarcasm, straw-men, questioning of my motives and a couple of Godwins so far, and fuck-all worth of arguments. Yay Rigorous Intuition!

[coffin_dodger]

Sure, keep dismissing things you disagree with without making a coherent argument to support your case.

I think you made most excellent arguments to support my case, without much need for me.

Anyhoo - I'm way less intelligent than you mate, so I suggest you go pick a fight with someone better matched to your intellect. Surely taking the piss out of stupid people gets boring after a while? Try someone better than you - it's the only way to get better yourself.

[norton ash]

The dumber they come, the better I like 'em, 'cause the dumb ones know how to make looove...

[MacCruiskeen]

prisons are full of dumb people, not because we as a society want to lock them up (as a distinct group), but because dumb people do dumb shit

That is a deeply stupid argument. You should be locked up for it.

If I point out that that prisons are (and always have been) full of poor people, will you then contend that this proves poverty is caused by stupidity?

[Sounder]

Sounder said:

That’s funny because in my experience it is the ‘smart’ ones that think they are smarter than they actually are.

Probably shouldn't say this, but here goes: Another thing Dunning-Kruger points out is that stupid people think smart people are stupid.

And that may be true, but it doesn’t hold water here, in that I tested out higher than all of them. They spent their time trying to impress the ‘stupid’ people of their copy-cat abilities, and the ‘stupid’ people were not impressed. I stayed silent and marveled at the self centeredness displayed by the ‘smart’ kids as they (stupidly) cut their noses off (socially speaking) trying to show they were better than the rest. Not so bright, and judging from my last reunion, the less gifted ones are the ones that have built better lives for themselves.

I love smart people, and wish there were more, but I’ll take a less smart person, without an agenda, over the smart person with an agenda any day.

That is simply common sense.

[DrEvil]

Sure, keep dismissing things you disagree with without making a coherent argument to support your case.

I think you made most excellent arguments to support my case, without much need for me.

Anyhoo - I'm way less intelligent than you mate, so I suggest you go pick a fight with someone better matched to your intellect. Surely taking the piss out of stupid people gets boring after a while? Try someone better than you - it's the only way to get better yourself.

Still evading what I'm actually saying I see. If you don't have a good argument just say so.
And what's up with all the straw-men?

[DrEvil]

prisons are full of dumb people, not because we as a society want to lock them up (as a distinct group), but because dumb people do dumb shit

That is a deeply stupid argument. You should be locked up for it.

If I point out that that prisons are (and always have been) full of poor people, will you then contend that this proves poverty is caused by stupidity?

There is a correlation between IQ and success in life, so yes actually, stupidity is a contributing factor to poverty. Not the only factor, by far, but one of them.

[DrEvil]

Sounder said:

That’s funny because in my experience it is the ‘smart’ ones that think they are smarter than they actually are.

Probably shouldn't say this, but here goes: Another thing Dunning-Kruger points out is that stupid people think smart people are stupid.

And that may be true, but it doesn’t hold water here, in that I tested out higher than all of them. They spent their time trying to impress the ‘stupid’ people of their copy-cat abilities, and the ‘stupid’ people were not impressed. I stayed silent and marveled at the self centeredness displayed by the ‘smart’ kids as they (stupidly) cut their noses off (socially speaking) trying to show they were better than the rest. Not so bright, and judging from my last reunion, the less gifted ones are the ones that have built better lives for themselves.

I love smart people, and wish there were more, but I’ll take a less smart person, without an agenda, over the smart person with an agenda any day.

That is simply common sense.

Well, sure. Same here. There's plenty of brilliant people who are also raving lunatics, and plenty of completely average people who are great persons. You don't have to be a a genius to be a decent human being.

What I've been trying to say throughout this argument is that high intelligence increases your odds of being successful in life, and low intelligence decreases your odds of being successful, making it more likely that you end up poor, in jail or both. That's just the facts, whether people like it or not.

[Searcher08]

prisons are full of dumb people, not because we as a society want to lock them up (as a distinct group), but because dumb people do dumb shit

That is a deeply stupid argument. You should be locked up for it.

If I point out that that prisons are (and always have been) full of poor people, will you then contend that this proves poverty is caused by stupidity?

There is a correlation between IQ and success in life, so yes actually, stupidity is a contributing factor to poverty. Not the only factor, by far, but one of them.

You are really sounding to me like someone straight outta JREF, just bursting with the righteousness of your own position. Are you a pseudoskeptic? I noticed that you did not comment on any aspect of my post that distinguished IQ and practical thinking skills. Why not? Are you afraid to go down there?

Start with detailing the specific sensory-based criteria that are associated with the phrase 'success in life'. Because frankly, I think you just pulled that phrase out of your posterior.

[BrandonD]

I disagree with your notion that 'intelligence' is a scam used to control us. For instance - prisons are full of dumb people, not because we as a society want to lock them up (as a distinct group), but because dumb people do dumb shit (more often than smart people) and get locked up for it.

This is true to a degree, though it seems worth mentioning that this process of "stupid people getting locked up" has nothing whatsoever to do with justice.