Smart People and Happiness
February 12th, 2023
Read an interesting substack essay Why Aren't Smart People Happier? and it made me think of my personal experiences.
The author describes two kinds of problems: well-defined vs. vaguely-defined problems. Basically, there are different skills in being able to address problems with an obvious definition (which shapes are rotated in this IQ test, what's two plus two, etc.) and problems that are vague (meaning of life, how to live a good life, etc.)
Personally, I believe the author does have a point. The skill of completing an IQ test and the skill of determining justice are completely different.
Also, I notice that a lot of smart people tend to be radical cuckoo dumbasses. IQ tests get to their head and then all of a sudden "Hitler did nothing wrong."
As a Claimed "Smart Person"
During my education, I've had people come up to me and tell me they wish they were as smart as I was.
"First off, I'm not smart," I'd say. I hated being called "smart." It meant that I was different. And two, I wasn't smart in a good way. But I learned to stop being a dick and accept the compliment.
But I digress. My point is as a person "good at math" I've found math problems aren't that useful.
Relating to your peers. Relating to people younger and older than you. Being able to conduct yourself. Make wise decisions. Being happy. These things are far, far more important to the human experience than being able to rotate shapes in your mind.
I'd easily ask the genie to exchange my mental math for the ability to have interesting conversations with anyone. Take away my logical reasoning in exchange for a satisfied mind too. Phew.
Happiness. Morality. Religion. What makes human apes tick. Loneliness. All these things...
I wish they'd have addressed that in school than learning about Rolle's Theorem.
The Role of Words
I can't tell you how much I obsess over words. But pulling that relation back here, maybe there's something to be thought of.
Words are the fiber of intelligence. And they're also representative of the ego's thoughts. Maybe those who root their existence in words tend to score higher on IQ tests?
But consequently, those who are so deep in the trenches with words might struggle with the "vague questions." And as a result, they're unable to find a satisfactory answer. It's analogous to trying to solve a Zen Koan.
Maybe the answer to a good life is a lot less words. That's what I'm struggling to get at here.
This Blog
Definitely though, after reading that article I'm able to define exactly this blog is about. It's about these "vaguely defined questions."
What I'm thinking here doesn't have a definite answer. They're up for discussion. So I just type and type away.
Anyway, that's all my thoughts on this article. It's an interesting categorization, it definitely correlates with my experiences, and I'll continue to use that sort of categorization to think about things.
