NationStates Jolt Archive

I made a poll yesterday entitled "How Smart Do You Think You Are".

The options were "Below Average", "Average" and "Above Average".

At the moment, roughly 150 people have voted themselves "Above Average", with less than 20 voting themselves "Average", and about 5 voting themselves "Below Average".

Do you think that it is in a humans nature to think themselves better than they actually are?

I made a poll yesterday entitled "How Smart Do You Think You Are".

The options were "Below Average", "Average" and "Above Average".

At the moment, roughly 150 people have voted themselves "Above Average", with less than 20 voting themselves "Average", and about 5 voting themselves "Below Average".

Do you think that it is in a humans nature to think themselves better than they actually are?

Simple answer: yep.

Do you think that it is in a humans nature to think themselves better than they actually are?
Yes, unless they're depressed or something.

Do you think that it is in a humans nature to think themselves better than they actually are?
That's a loaded question.

"Actually are" is relative.

Human beings are very clever, that is indisputable (an axiom?? consciousness is clever?) but human nature would seem to indicate they find themselves lessor than something else; hence the recognition of a 'god'.

Do you think that it is in a humans nature to think themselves better than they actually are?

It's likely that people who come to a forum do so because they believe their opinion is worth hearing, and assume that to have an opinion worth hearing makes them intelligent.

I think most people probably do think they are above average intelligence. Maybe thats based on the people who surround them. I dont work with very many mental elites, so I probably think I am above average. Now if I was around a lot of professors or big brains....maybe I wouldnt think that.


....eh..yeah, I probably still would. ;)


check your tg's mutant

I made a poll yesterday entitled "How Smart Do You Think You Are".

The options were "Below Average", "Average" and "Above Average".

At the moment, roughly 150 people have voted themselves "Above Average", with less than 20 voting themselves "Average", and about 5 voting themselves "Below Average".

Do you think that it is in a humans nature to think themselves better than they actually are?
Short answer: yes

Long answer: It's vital to the individual psyche to believe that they have a chance, or possibly even greater chance than other people to succeed. We tell ourselves that we must be right, and therefore, our correctness is above average.

Plus, what kind of average are we talking about? Mean, median or mode?

It's likely that people who come to a forum do so because they believe their opinion is worth hearing, and assume that to have an opinion worth hearing makes them intelligent.

Aaah. That makes sense. :p



FEAR ME YOU LORDS AND LADY CREATURES~

check your tg's mutant

Ooooooh! :fluffle:

FEAR ME YOU LORDS AND LADY CREATURES~
I love that!

Pluralize the "Lords"; singularize "the Lady". It works, mythologically.

I love that!

Pluralize the "Lords"; singularize "the Lady". It works, mythologically.

:confused:

Are you talking about the song or something else?

:confused:

Are you talking about the song or something else?
:)

Yes.

And no.

Before anybody else reuses this tired joke, I will.
So nyeah.
Do you think that it is in a humans nature to think
Obviously not.

I made a poll yesterday entitled "How Smart Do You Think You Are".

The options were "Below Average", "Average" and "Above Average".

At the moment, roughly 150 people have voted themselves "Above Average", with less than 20 voting themselves "Average", and about 5 voting themselves "Below Average".

Do you think that it is in a humans nature to think themselves better than they actually are?
Time/CNN came out with a survey in 2000 that showed 19% of Americans think they're in the top 1% of earners.

Time/CNN came out with a survey in 2000 that showed 19% of Americans think they're in the top 1% of earners.
Just the living ones, I assume?

Do you think that it is in a humans nature to think themselves better than they actually are?
Why, my friend, I think you have just stumbled on a core part of the human psyche! Not to mention the reason that Genesis states that man was made in God's image. All humans are egotists. Not mention that ideas that we can ever separate ourselves from Nature. We all think we're so special, but we're not as impressive as we think, as individuals or a species.

Why, my friend, I think you have just stumbled on a core part of the human psyche! Not to mention the reason that Genesis states that man was made in God's image. All humans are egotists. Not mention that ideas that we can ever separate ourselves from Nature. We all think we're so special, but we're not as impressive as we think, as individuals or a species.
I object!

We are entirely special. There is *NO OTHER BEING* in the universe who conceives of god; no other being who places itself in such a special place in this abstracted god's world view.

EDIT: ...that we know of. ;-)

I object!

We are entirely special. There is *NO OTHER BEING* in the universe who conceives of god; no other being who places itself in such a special place in this abstracted god's world view.
Oh, really? Care to offer any evidence?

Oh, really? Care to offer any evidence?
I'm sorry... if your claim is that there are other beings in the universe who believe in god, you are the one who would have to provide evidence of that claim. ;-)

EDIT: ...that we know of. ;-)
Ahh, so you propose this? How do you know that dolphins do not think of themselves that way? What about chimpanzees, or any homonid for that matter? Hell, what about ants, the most populous and socially organised of all animals?

Human beings are very clever, that is indisputable (an axiom?? consciousness is clever?) but human nature would seem to indicate they find themselves lessor than something else; hence the recognition of a 'god'.
Ha, an unintended pun. Check your spelling. "Lessor" is someone who rents something to someone else. "Lesser" means less than something else.

I am think I am far smarter than I am. I think.

Ahh, so you propose this? How do you know that dolphins do not think of themselves that way? What about chimpanzees, or any homonid for that matter? Hell, what about ants, the most populous and socially organised of all animals?
I don't know that they don't, but then.. I don't have to show that they don't. :) Those who claim something positive have to claim that they do. :)

I am think I am far smarter than I am. I think.
LOL!!!

Trust me, friend; You are.

The wise man is he who knows that he knows nothing.

I don't know that they don't, but then.. I don't have to show that they don't. :) Those who claim something positive have to claim that they do. :)
Is that so? Because I could have sworn that science is primarily proving things false, not proving things true. Ever wonder why there are so few laws and so many theories?

I don't really think this should be a thread about religion, but now that it is, here is something I found:


In the "higher" animals, most particularly among the mammals, threatening circumstances elicit a particular type of pain we refer to as anxiety. Anxiety constitutes a type of pain meant to prompt these "higher" order animals to avoid potentially hazardous circumstances. For example, a rabbit is cornered by a mountain lion. In such a situation, the rabbit is pumped with adrenaline, charged with the painful symptoms of anxiety, all meant to incite the rabbit to most effectively escape from the source of its discomfort, in this case the mountain lion. In its healthiest form, anxiety is meant to prompt an animal to avoid or escape a potentially hazardous experience. In humans, however, once we became aware of the fact that death was not only inescapable but that it could come at any moment, we were left in a state of constant mortal peril, a state of unceasing anxiety -- much like rabbits perpetually cornered by a mountain lion from which there is no escape. With the emergence of self-awareness, humans became the dysfunctional animal, rendered helpless by an inherent and unceasing anxiety disorder. Unless nature could somehow relieve us of this debilitating awareness of death, it's possible our species might have soon become extinct. It was suddenly critical that our animal be modified in some way that would allow us to maintain self-conscious awareness, while enabling us to deal with our unique awareness of our own mortalities, of death.


I wouldn't say that fear of death alone explains why people believe in God, but it surely plays a significant part.

Is that so? Because I could have sworn that science is primarily proving things false, not proving things true. Ever wonder why there are so few laws and so many theories?
:)

Then I defy you to devise an experiment that will prove that dolphins believe in a god.

EDIT: because that would prove me wrong.

:)

Then I defy you to devise an experiment that will prove that dolphins believe in a god.
What? How do you defy me to devise an experiment? That doesn't make any sense. And, back to the original point, what makes belief in god so special? Why, there are plenty of organisms that can do things that others can't. Take the echolocation of bats and dolphins, the infrared vision of snakes (I'm sure there are other ones that also can see in the infrared spectrum that I can't recall at the moment), the ultraviolet vision of bees (same as infrared), the flight of birds and bats, the ability of insects and arachnids to make silkm the abilities of electric fish, and many, many others. Why are humans so special? We may not even be the dominant species on the planet, ants are certainly the most populous of all animals as I stated before. They also have the greatest social organisation of all organisms.

:)

Yes.

And no.

Seven Seas of Rhye?

It's likely that people who come to a forum do so because they believe their opinion is worth hearing, and assume that to have an opinion worth hearing makes them intelligent.
For what it's worth, this post means more to me in responsive terms than the rest ... and conversely, people who scan the forum for certain things are also looking for what seems like a validating (or a contradictory) opinion where they can bear their wit, or others can bear their lack thereof.
Either seems to need reciprocity, or appreciation ....
Genius to me though seems to go a bit further than established definition, so i don't lay claim to it. As numbers go, whatever, i've bs'd my way through a few essays.

Time/CNN came out with a survey in 2000 that showed 19% of Americans think they're in the top 1% of earners.

Earners??

We're talking about smartest people not richest!

back to the original point, what makes belief in god so special? Why, there are plenty of organisms that can do things that others can't. Take the echolocation of bats and dolphins, the infrared vision of snakes (I'm sure there are other ones that also can see in the infrared spectrum that I can't recall at the moment), the ultraviolet vision of bees (same as infrared), the flight of birds and bats, the ability of insects and arachnids to make silkm the abilities of electric fish, and many, many others. Why are humans so special? We may not even be the dominant species on the planet, ants are certainly the most populous of all animals as I stated before. They also have the greatest social organisation of all organisms.
Yes! Bats and dolphins are unique in what they can do. And so are humans. We are unique in that we can assign ephemeral, immateral*, abstract symbols to things. Not only that, we can take these symbols to another level, and give them a life of their own. Our language demonstrates how we can talk about "honor" or "loyalty" or even "ego" as a thing unique to itself, although it has no real existence apart from the human mind. And it is this ability --ego --that recognizes the godhood.

Go us!

*based on our recognition of the metaphysical.

Dont Fucking Steal My Thread

Seven Seas of Rhye?
Mmm! rye...

Hiram Walker makes the best.

Dont Fucking Steal My Thread
I do not concede, but apparently a discussion on anthropological and theological egotism is not relative to the humans psyche. So let's terminate our discussion for now.