‘All people have the right to be stupid but some people abuse that privilege’ was the saying that made me think and then to write on this topic. Though I’m not a rocket scientist, but it seems to me that people, in general, are getting dumber or at least lazier. No one seems interested in learning. Are people getting more selfish? Where’s the blame? Is it the schools, poor parenting, too much TV or what.

If you find yourself lamenting how kids these days don’t care about education and are too interested in dumb entertainment, just remember that Plato complained about the same thing, and if we’d really been down sliding since he started grumbling, none of us would be able to put our shoes on the right feet by now. Actually, average IQ scores have been going up steadily since the test was invented, and the scale has been recalculated multiple times to raise the value of a 100 IQ score, since that number is supposed to be “average” by definition.

I swear I was really smart when I was a kid, up till Junior High. My IQ test result back then was 129, which I believe should sit me on top 10%. In fact, I ranked first constantly throughout my elementary and junior high years with minimal efforts. I used to study only 3 hours the night before exam.

However, it went downhill since then. I tried to get some explanations; first one that I believe is true and would be able to explain what I’ve been experiencing is Mastery by Robert Greene. It mentions:

“In fact, we can say that this revolutionary relationship to time fundamentally altered the human mind itself and gave it a particular quality or grain. When we take our time and focus in depth, when we trust that going through a process of months or years will bring us mastery, we work with the grain of this marvelous instrument that developed over so many millions of years. We infallibly move to higher and higher levels of intelligence. We see more deeply and realistically. We practice and make things with skill. We learn to think for ourselves. We become capable of handling complex situations without being overwhelmed. In following this path we become Homo magister, man or woman the Master.

To the extent that we believe we can skip steps, avoid the process, magically gain power through political connections or easy formulas, or depend on our natural talents, we move against this grain and reverse our natural powers. We become slaves to time—as it passes; we grow weaker, less capable, trapped in some dead-end career.”

That’s what I believe happened to me, when I started to bring this habit of studying 3 hours before exam to high school and university, it started to crumble. I have been moving against the grain.

Second theory, Attic theory, I just heard it from Sherlock Holmes from the Elementary TV series.

Holmes: Attic theory. I’ve always believed the human brain is like an attic: storage space, facts, but because that space is finite, it must be filled only with things one needs to be the best version of oneself. It’s important, therefore, not to have useless facts: the nattering that comprised your support meeting, for example, crowding out useful ones.

That’s what I also believe happened to me. In high school, I made a lot of friends, and had quite a lot of relationships with people, and they somehow poured a lot of unnecessary information to my brain. It has been going on and on and on, with my private life and just simply daily life. Now I have to think about, what to prepare for dinner, how not to make my wife upset, what to give on Christmas days, Valentine days, anniversary days, birthdays, etc.

I’m afraid if I go for another IQ test now, it might be 110-115. I just feel not smart at all. I tried to learn Mandarin, gave up. I tried to learn new programming language, gave up.

The ultimate question is, with all unnecessary tasks in our life, and the culture of instant gratification and social life comes first, are we getting stupid? Are our brains getting “smaller”?