Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Overcoming Bias Commenter's avatar

Extremely intelligent folks can convey their thoughts in simple language. Puffy words and lengthy, tortuous sentences are the earmarks of not-so-bright folks wishing to appear bright.

Your writings, Robin, seem to be the latter. My, your mother must be so proud of you.

Expand full comment
Overcoming Bias Commenter's avatar

Thanks LL!

I note that the definition of liberalism continues beyond Robin's quote:

"In the modern political and economic context, this willingness usuallytranslates into paying higher proportions of individual incomes in taxes toward the government and its social welfare programs"

That sounds like a willingness to confiscate larger proportions of other peoples' resources for the welfare of such others, which is a good way to curry favor or buy influence, and hardly qualifies as "evolutionarily novel".

A more general question - is there any evidence that people with higher IQs are more likely to be liberal as we use the term in US politics? I know GSS data shows the more education you have the more likely you are to lean republican, albeit with a slight dropoff at the postgraduate level, though that requires using education as a proxy for intelligence.

Expand full comment
69 more comments...

No posts