this is really interesting. As a recipient of the postwar boom in public education excellence, I was dismayed at the decline when my 2 sons attended public school in the 80s. At first, I thought it was just the school system in my area but 2000 miles away my sister encountered the same thing for her 2 sons. They researched and found a school system that was much better and moved there. I did not have the ability to do so. To this day I am angry I had to fight for every tiny thing for my sons so they could thrive. In fact, my oldest quit high school and 2 weeks later I called the school, and they didn't care. Thankfully they are both intelligent men and sought advanced education.
How do you feel about IQ testing? The general consensus is the average male IQ in this country is 100. I find that amazing. 1/2 of adult males test below 100. What do we do when the population doesn't even have the capacity to learn? Not just the lack of will and curiosity, but a lack of ability. I know an IQ is not the be all, end all of a person's worth. But when our current pres.elect felon tested at 73...I despair.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and personal comment! You raise some deeply important issues that intersect education, intelligence, and societal challenges. I'll try to address your points as thoroughly as I can.
Your experience resonates with so many parents, and it’s heartbreaking to hear how much of a struggle it was for you to advocate for your sons. The decline in public education quality over the decades is indeed one of the most troubling trends. While there are pockets of excellence in certain areas, it’s frustrating that access to great education often depends on factors like geography, socioeconomic status, or the ability to move—something not everyone can afford to do. Your story about the school not caring when your son left high school is a tragic example of how disengaged some systems have become. It’s a testament to your sons’ drive and your support that they were able to overcome those challenges and pursue advanced education.
I think this story reflects a larger systemic issue: education isn’t just about providing information—it’s about fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and a love of learning. When schools fail to do this, the consequences ripple far beyond the classroom.
You bring up a controversial but fascinating topic with IQ testing. It’s true that IQ is often used as a measure of cognitive ability, but as you point out, it’s not the sole determinant of a person’s worth or potential. The average score of 100 is designed to represent the statistical norm, meaning about half of the population will naturally fall below that mark. But the real question, as you ask, is: What do we do when a significant portion of the population struggles to learn—not because of a lack of will or opportunity, but because of real cognitive limitations?
I think the first step is to recognize that intelligence manifests in many forms. IQ tests primarily measure certain types of problem-solving, reasoning, and pattern recognition skills, but they don’t capture creativity, emotional intelligence, or practical skills—areas where people with lower IQ scores might excel. In a society that values diverse contributions, we need to focus on creating opportunities for all individuals to thrive in ways that align with their strengths.
That said, the broader challenge you hint at—the potential mismatch between the demands of modern society and the average cognitive abilities of the population—is very real. It’s not just about intelligence, but also about the systems we build to support lifelong learning, adaptability, and problem-solving in an increasingly complex world.
thank you for such a reasoned response. My youngest son and I had a talk today and he feels the "testing" be it IQ or year-end testing does not take into consideration what you just spoke to. My late husband was what could be said a genius savant in hardware electronics. But he couldn't take a test to save his life! Extremely smart, well read, creative, he suffered most when entry into advance electronic jobs required a test. I wonder at the IQ tests. How many simply failed at test taking rather than cognitive abilities and intelligence. Thanks again.
this is really interesting. As a recipient of the postwar boom in public education excellence, I was dismayed at the decline when my 2 sons attended public school in the 80s. At first, I thought it was just the school system in my area but 2000 miles away my sister encountered the same thing for her 2 sons. They researched and found a school system that was much better and moved there. I did not have the ability to do so. To this day I am angry I had to fight for every tiny thing for my sons so they could thrive. In fact, my oldest quit high school and 2 weeks later I called the school, and they didn't care. Thankfully they are both intelligent men and sought advanced education.
How do you feel about IQ testing? The general consensus is the average male IQ in this country is 100. I find that amazing. 1/2 of adult males test below 100. What do we do when the population doesn't even have the capacity to learn? Not just the lack of will and curiosity, but a lack of ability. I know an IQ is not the be all, end all of a person's worth. But when our current pres.elect felon tested at 73...I despair.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and personal comment! You raise some deeply important issues that intersect education, intelligence, and societal challenges. I'll try to address your points as thoroughly as I can.
Your experience resonates with so many parents, and it’s heartbreaking to hear how much of a struggle it was for you to advocate for your sons. The decline in public education quality over the decades is indeed one of the most troubling trends. While there are pockets of excellence in certain areas, it’s frustrating that access to great education often depends on factors like geography, socioeconomic status, or the ability to move—something not everyone can afford to do. Your story about the school not caring when your son left high school is a tragic example of how disengaged some systems have become. It’s a testament to your sons’ drive and your support that they were able to overcome those challenges and pursue advanced education.
I think this story reflects a larger systemic issue: education isn’t just about providing information—it’s about fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and a love of learning. When schools fail to do this, the consequences ripple far beyond the classroom.
You bring up a controversial but fascinating topic with IQ testing. It’s true that IQ is often used as a measure of cognitive ability, but as you point out, it’s not the sole determinant of a person’s worth or potential. The average score of 100 is designed to represent the statistical norm, meaning about half of the population will naturally fall below that mark. But the real question, as you ask, is: What do we do when a significant portion of the population struggles to learn—not because of a lack of will or opportunity, but because of real cognitive limitations?
I think the first step is to recognize that intelligence manifests in many forms. IQ tests primarily measure certain types of problem-solving, reasoning, and pattern recognition skills, but they don’t capture creativity, emotional intelligence, or practical skills—areas where people with lower IQ scores might excel. In a society that values diverse contributions, we need to focus on creating opportunities for all individuals to thrive in ways that align with their strengths.
That said, the broader challenge you hint at—the potential mismatch between the demands of modern society and the average cognitive abilities of the population—is very real. It’s not just about intelligence, but also about the systems we build to support lifelong learning, adaptability, and problem-solving in an increasingly complex world.
thank you for such a reasoned response. My youngest son and I had a talk today and he feels the "testing" be it IQ or year-end testing does not take into consideration what you just spoke to. My late husband was what could be said a genius savant in hardware electronics. But he couldn't take a test to save his life! Extremely smart, well read, creative, he suffered most when entry into advance electronic jobs required a test. I wonder at the IQ tests. How many simply failed at test taking rather than cognitive abilities and intelligence. Thanks again.