Some more thought on EDUCATION. This was originally written by me on my personal blog... but i think this will go very well in this arena too.
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"The fundamental issue that India has and not easily solvable is average IQ being low. India's average IQ is 81, while that of most progressed countries is above 97. China surprisingly has an average IQ of 100. India being a truely democratic country, the government is represented by majority, and majority has an IQ below 70 (IQ distribution is vast in India). Hence you get a government elected by morons, representing morons, and full of morons. And since these morons govern justice system, education system, healthcare, you name it, a person with an engineering degree, or a doctor, or a lawyer from India on average has an IQ of 81 as well. While the requirements of becoming a doctor, engineer, lawyer, are way high in most developed countries. Hence, although the economy is flourishing, I have serious doubt if it will sustain. I have concluded that no matter who I deal with in India, i am dealing with an idiot. There are exceptions, and those are the ones who are raising the average IQ to 81, otherwise India is no different than Ethiopia. I wonder how long these exceptions can put up with the rest and not give up like I did."
This was commented on an article in The Economist. A truer statement u will not find. The only problem with this is that this statement generalizes. We need to remember that an individual is intelligent but a mob/crowd is dumb. Yes its true, that the Indian crowd is dumber than the crowds present in China (read the reports following the recent earthquake |Link| the victims were helped with surprising speed and efficiency, I bow down to the rescuers) or elsewhere for that matter. But what everybody in India, including the policymakers as well as its citizens fail to realize is that the fundamental problem of this country is only one and not many. This problem is the lack of EDUCATION.
Yes, education will in itself take care of all other problems like poverty, health, AIDS etc. It is the onset of knowledge which actually changes the mindset and creates something/someone better as various avenues open up to people and they see the light at the end of the tunnel. As the human mind broadens and increases its scope, people turn to better avenues and learn to better their lives. Thus, the solution to all our problems is simple and is within us: "Spreading knowledge and Education". The government obviously hasn't been and isn't doing enough to eradicate illiteracy (and it doesn't look like it will). It is now left to the citizens and the existing schools to do something about it.
It is only with education that the overall views (including the IQ) of Indians will change and we will have younger politicians who will actually give a damn about the country rather than some old geezers and criminals who just care about gossip, drama in the Parliament and making money rather than the good of the country.
Another great shift that will take place as a result of the spread of education is the importance of the individual. The greatness of the western nations is in their libertarian outlook. They trust the individual virtue over the collective virtue of the state. Gandhi understood this when he said: "I look upon an increase of the power of the State with the greatest fear, because although while apparently doing good by minimizing exploitation, it does the greatest harm to mankind by destroying individuality, which lies at the root of all progress. We know of so many cases where men have adopted trusteeship, but none where the State has really lived for the poor. "
Learning to trust the need and virtue of the individuals will be the next revolution for Indians as humans. We need to realize that Humans are a species which thrives more on individuals rather the collective. We may give the most important to "family" and "society" but we need to learn to draw the line where we start differentiating with the "self" and the "individual". Once this happens, Indians will get the space they need to grow. They will have the power to Dream. Dream of entering fields right now forbidden to them. Indians will come out into the world as the leaders of the world. With more renowned individuals in every field and every profession, ranging from artists to techies to farmers to inventors. The talent of the Indian is vast and unlimited, India just needs realize that this exists and to learn how to tap this talent.
Spread knowledge. Help one and all.
--> SJ
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"The fundamental issue that India has and not easily solvable is average IQ being low. India's average IQ is 81, while that of most progressed countries is above 97. China surprisingly has an average IQ of 100. India being a truely democratic country, the government is represented by majority, and majority has an IQ below 70 (IQ distribution is vast in India). Hence you get a government elected by morons, representing morons, and full of morons. And since these morons govern justice system, education system, healthcare, you name it, a person with an engineering degree, or a doctor, or a lawyer from India on average has an IQ of 81 as well. While the requirements of becoming a doctor, engineer, lawyer, are way high in most developed countries. Hence, although the economy is flourishing, I have serious doubt if it will sustain. I have concluded that no matter who I deal with in India, i am dealing with an idiot. There are exceptions, and those are the ones who are raising the average IQ to 81, otherwise India is no different than Ethiopia. I wonder how long these exceptions can put up with the rest and not give up like I did."
This was commented on an article in The Economist. A truer statement u will not find. The only problem with this is that this statement generalizes. We need to remember that an individual is intelligent but a mob/crowd is dumb. Yes its true, that the Indian crowd is dumber than the crowds present in China (read the reports following the recent earthquake |Link| the victims were helped with surprising speed and efficiency, I bow down to the rescuers) or elsewhere for that matter. But what everybody in India, including the policymakers as well as its citizens fail to realize is that the fundamental problem of this country is only one and not many. This problem is the lack of EDUCATION.
Yes, education will in itself take care of all other problems like poverty, health, AIDS etc. It is the onset of knowledge which actually changes the mindset and creates something/someone better as various avenues open up to people and they see the light at the end of the tunnel. As the human mind broadens and increases its scope, people turn to better avenues and learn to better their lives. Thus, the solution to all our problems is simple and is within us: "Spreading knowledge and Education". The government obviously hasn't been and isn't doing enough to eradicate illiteracy (and it doesn't look like it will). It is now left to the citizens and the existing schools to do something about it.
It is only with education that the overall views (including the IQ) of Indians will change and we will have younger politicians who will actually give a damn about the country rather than some old geezers and criminals who just care about gossip, drama in the Parliament and making money rather than the good of the country.
Another great shift that will take place as a result of the spread of education is the importance of the individual. The greatness of the western nations is in their libertarian outlook. They trust the individual virtue over the collective virtue of the state. Gandhi understood this when he said: "I look upon an increase of the power of the State with the greatest fear, because although while apparently doing good by minimizing exploitation, it does the greatest harm to mankind by destroying individuality, which lies at the root of all progress. We know of so many cases where men have adopted trusteeship, but none where the State has really lived for the poor. "
Learning to trust the need and virtue of the individuals will be the next revolution for Indians as humans. We need to realize that Humans are a species which thrives more on individuals rather the collective. We may give the most important to "family" and "society" but we need to learn to draw the line where we start differentiating with the "self" and the "individual". Once this happens, Indians will get the space they need to grow. They will have the power to Dream. Dream of entering fields right now forbidden to them. Indians will come out into the world as the leaders of the world. With more renowned individuals in every field and every profession, ranging from artists to techies to farmers to inventors. The talent of the Indian is vast and unlimited, India just needs realize that this exists and to learn how to tap this talent.
Spread knowledge. Help one and all.
--> SJ
Comments
Superb post....
Sid is right
SImply Brilliant....
Btw - I think, I have a high IQ level. Does it help :o :P