NationStates Jolt Archive

are thick people generally more aggressive in nature than more intelligent people? is education the factor, not simply psycological/biological intelligence? is there any evidence supporting this widely-accepted "fact" - be it some kind of sociological or psycological experiment or your own experiences? if enough people share a similar experience (of stupid people being generally more aggressive) then does this count as true evidence?

man, i'm full of questions tonight... feel free to answer whichever one(s) you choose :P

1. are thick people generally more aggressive in nature than more intelligent people?

2. is education the factor, not simply psycological/biological intelligence?

3. is there any evidence supporting this widely-accepted "fact" - be it some kind of sociological or psycological experiment or your own experiences?

4. if enough people share a similar experience (of stupid people being generally more aggressive) then does this count as true evidence?

man, i'm full of questions tonight... feel free to answer whichever one(s) you choose :P
1. Not in my own experience.

2. Not in my own experience.

3. Not that I'm aware of, other than my own experience.

4. Yes, but it's still only anecdotal evidence, not statistically acceptable.

Currently there's some agreement - not universal but substantial - that aggression is a basic biological drive. If so, that would lean toward indicating that yes, some people may be inherently more aggressive than others. Would they therefore be less intelligent? Not sure why you'd think that...

However, I think if you look merely at instances of violence (only one form of aggression), what you're seeing is not so much people who have more aggressive impulses but people who have deficient impulse control. Impulse control is something you have to learn through socialization, to the point that you must grasp this concept: impulse control is necessary if you are to benefit yourself in the long run. If you are slow to learn - or if you see no hope for you in the long run - then you will probably not exercise the necessary impulse control.

Aaaarrrgggh. Thread make me angry!

SMASH!

Aaaaarrrrgggh!

are thick people generally more aggressive in nature than more intelligent people? is education the factor, not simply psycological/biological intelligence? is there any evidence supporting this widely-accepted "fact" - be it some kind of sociological or psycological experiment or your own experiences? if enough people share a similar experience (of stupid people being generally more aggressive) then does this count as true evidence?

man, i'm full of questions tonight... feel free to answer whichever one(s) you choose :P

In order
(a) generalisation. I don't think so though. The only physical violence i ever encountered was at University.
(b) possibly could be. Depends on what kind of education.
(c) haven't the foggiest.
(d) surely that would be dependent on the triggers for the aggression.

Sweet Buddha, no! Educated people seem just as likely to start a fight (be it intellectual or physical). Usually though, this is over what they believe, not suspect. Just my experience.

In my personal experience, it's not that people with lower-than-average education are aggressive, it just seems that a great deal of aggressive people are uneducated. (i.e. I haven't seen a single "smart" person throw the first punch).

1. are thick people generally more aggressive in nature than more intelligent people?

I am fairly sure there is a correlation there. However, I believe this is merely because intelligent/educated people are more able to see into the future better (or possess the wisdom experience to avoid it by principle), thus realizing that fighting can get you into real trouble, even if you trounce the other guy.

2. is education the factor, not simply psycological/biological intelligence?

I'm not sure what you mean by Psychological intelligence (maybe the intelligence type involving reading others?), but (real) education would seriously reduce belligerence, as education teaches people of ways better for everyone. (I mean, why settle a problem by bringing one or both guys down, when you can settle it raising both up?)
However, a little education is a dangerous thing (not an uncommon phrase). People who are at a particular intermediate phase of education are far more likely to be involved in verbal/mental aggression than most. They haven't engaged in any real discussion. Read "Of the art of discussion" if you haven't yet; it's a great essay by Montaigne.

As far as natural intelligence goes, its effect won't be anything like actual education, because the person will have to have had the experience for himself, and come up with wisdom on his own. Eventually, though, it will make a difference. It's still far from the primary i. variable.

3. is there any evidence supporting this widely-accepted "fact" - be it some kind of sociological or psycological experiment or your own experiences?

Not that I know of (though I haven't checked, yet). Most people, though, can look at their past and see that few of their school's bullies were intelligent or interested in education. This is almost as good as "hard" science. (Not because the "anecdotal" evidence is overwhelming, but because "Hard Science" just isn't all that strong...but that's a different issue altogether.... :rolleyes: )

4. if enough people share a similar experience (of stupid people being generally more aggressive) then does this count as true evidence?

Not really, but as much as anything else, yes; this is true in this case, as a study would have a hard time gauging aggression while still maintaining superiority to a collection of anecdotes. You'll have a tough time proving this either way. I figure it falls into the common sense category. All you have to do is be sure not to generalize; basically, the information is useless in practice. A tendency is good for nothing aside from provoking further study, unless you're a dictator searching for generalities to exploit a la Hitler.


But this is my first view of the forums here, and I am excited to say...
BioRifle 04'd!! :gundge: Not many emotes, but a few really good ones. Is there any real meaning to "gundge", or is it just a Random UT reference?

If you replaced stupidity with ignorance, I think you'd find a much better correlation.

Some of the most intelligent people in the world’s history have been violent men (and women). I could give examples, but I trust enough in your intelligence to let you think about it yourself.

I believe this is merely because intelligent/educated people are more able to see into the future better

Just had to laugh at this... I don't mean to be insulting.