Intelligence - balance
If something is good then more of it must be better. If some money is good then more money is better. If democracy is good then more is better.
No salt on food leaves the food tasting insipid. Some salt is good. More salt gives an unpleasant taste. Even more salt makes the food uneatable.
Some wine apparently reduces the risk of heart attack. More wine may make you drunk and too much may give you cirrhosis of the liver.
I suspect there is a "salt curve" for intelligence in a nation. If people are too intelligenct then they can spell all their time quarrelling and fighting with each other instead of working constructively together. You could even argue that unusually good brakes on a car would be dangerous because the car behind would not expect such quick stopping and would run into the back of you.
It is very much part of wisdom to have a range of such models in mind. They then become "possibilities' through which we look at situations.
There is a threshold or critical mass model
At the beginning when one a small number of people is interested, it will stay at an interest level. Once it reached to a large number of people (exceeding the threshold), the impact to the society will be huge. Rumours may have no effect on morale for a long time and then suddenly morale deteriorates. Unemployment may not affect the economy for a time and then suddenly the fear of being unemployed hits spending and planning. Increased spending on education may not havfe much effect until a threshold has been passed.
Once again, wisdom suggests that you hold "possibilities" in mind.
No salt on food leaves the food tasting insipid. Some salt is good. More salt gives an unpleasant taste. Even more salt makes the food uneatable.
Some wine apparently reduces the risk of heart attack. More wine may make you drunk and too much may give you cirrhosis of the liver.
I suspect there is a "salt curve" for intelligence in a nation. If people are too intelligenct then they can spell all their time quarrelling and fighting with each other instead of working constructively together. You could even argue that unusually good brakes on a car would be dangerous because the car behind would not expect such quick stopping and would run into the back of you.
It is very much part of wisdom to have a range of such models in mind. They then become "possibilities' through which we look at situations.
There is a threshold or critical mass model
At the beginning when one a small number of people is interested, it will stay at an interest level. Once it reached to a large number of people (exceeding the threshold), the impact to the society will be huge. Rumours may have no effect on morale for a long time and then suddenly morale deteriorates. Unemployment may not affect the economy for a time and then suddenly the fear of being unemployed hits spending and planning. Increased spending on education may not havfe much effect until a threshold has been passed.
Once again, wisdom suggests that you hold "possibilities" in mind.
posted by King at
7:58 AM
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