So in other words the reason Vulcans are so smart is because they got rid of emotions and humans will never reach that level of intelligence till we remove all emotions as well.
Well I have had a point in my life where I completely lacked all emotions. Worest time of my life.
I would rather see this world burn with the last person crying for the loss of the human race than see the world prosper in an utopian future of robotic humans. Who procreate solely for population. And treat love as a virus that made people blind and dumb.
Dubious. Most studies show that people of low intelligence are at higher risk for depression. Think about it- you have high intellect. You can understand things around you- the world seems less random. You learn more easily and can take on more as a career, have more opportunities and generally can earn more. You have the intelligence to better manage your time, finances, and life. You can build, create, etc. Now imagine having difficulties with things others seem not to. Not being able to understand things you want to do, or that would make you more money. Often feeling like things are unfair or random or out of control because you can’t see a bigger picture and how or why things are as they are. There does seem to be some association with mental illness and depression and “great” thinkers and artists yes. Many “greats” had mental illnesses or conditions. But aren’t you more likely to notice times person of the year as depressed than a random clerk or has station attendant?
Homeless people also have high incidence of mental illness and depression. Criminals too. And while many have talents- even exceptional ones- most are not simply Einstein or Bach tragically lost to society. So the romantocization of mental illness- or the claim that one is simply too smart to be happy are bullshit. Most often uttered by poets and burn outs. The trope of the autistic genius- yes. Autism, bipolar condition, OCD, schizophrenia- they effect how people think and see the world. They can change the way people live and can contribute to being better at certain things than someone without who doesn’t have that perspective or the same challenges- but they aren’t super powers and there is no proof of anything but a casual link between them and high intelligence. Causation and correlation. There is no significant evidence that being smart makes you unhappy, and to the contrary most evidence shows the opposite. Perception and bias lend to the great mythos of the tortured genius.
People of lower FSIQ (1 standard deviation) are at greater risk for schizophrenia, mood disorder, and substance use disorder diagnoses. However, some recent research has shown that people experiencing a depressive episode have more accurate perceptions of circumstances than those who are not.
Sort of. A great majority of people- most in fact, are dillisional to some degree. Or to be more fair, have perceptions that don’t align with reality. People tend to underestimate or over estimate dangers or possibility of reward for instance: people who engage in risky behavior despite statistics, or people who avoid proven statistically safe actions or hold irrational fears of a cartoonish and implausible accident. Or the other side- people who “know” they will win the lottery, or skilled people who don’t compete in fair or even contests when they are favored by the odds. In fact, much of people’s security and self image are based on “rose tinted” delusions that can be factually disproven. A large contributor to angry debate or ignoring of facts is that those facts would contradict the illusion we have based some major part of ourselves on. We tolerate and even encourage these dillusioms because I’m general positivity- even that based on shakey grounds- tends to lead to...
... positive outcomes or progress. People with LIGHT of MILD depression often exhibit “depressed realism.” This is a state in which they are more honest and aware of their abilities and role in social and career settings. It’s all well and good, because the truth is that while it may act like a tool to achievement, positive feelings based on perceptual displacement can be shattered or can lead to poor decisions. They are a cast, and when needed can help, but for a generally healthy person can do long term harm. However “depressive realism” is simply realism brought on by depression. It’s entirely possible to be a realist and have that same level of self awareness without being depressed. Better in fact since depression sucks, and it also tends to hold people back from living and doing. So what I would say as a caveat to this is that realism is not a side effect of depression, but a state of mind that is observed at a higher rate in many depressive people...
... and such realism tends to only manifest in those with “lighter” depression as there are also a whole host of perceptive fallacies depression tends to bring on, and this realism is not a perpetual state, one alternates between seeing realistically and seeing negatively. So it is dangerous to rely on this clarity as one can’t tell from a depressive state if they are being accurely aware or if they are convincing themselves of negative thoughts. As such- while many depressed people spend the time and introspection to ask questions that lead to moments of realism- it’s hust as likely most happy people are too busy and enjoying themselves too much to do so, and those who did could achieve the same level of realism if they chose.
I actually think it's a bit more simple than that. We tend to find what we are looking for, i. e., confirmatory bias. I agree with your take on depressive realism. When you think of Beck's cognitive triad (depressed people think "I suck, the world sucks, and the future is hopless" ), those who are depressed notice "bad" things more because they are looking for them. They also attribute greater potential negative consequences to the bad thing. I happen to disagree with the depressive realism theory. I spend a good bit of time helping people shift from judging thoughts and perceptions as true or false to helpful or unhelpful. If it is a helpful belief/perception (can one take action to bring one's self closer to the life desired?) then take action and move forward, if not, detach from it. I personally think most of us (me included) spend too much time getting pulled along by our thoughts instead of taking steps, however small, to bring us closer to the person we want to be.
I like you. You’re intelligent, knowledgeable, and interesting. I like your philosophy. I favor a version of that I like to call: “Be the best you that you can be every day.” The better we get, the better we can become if we just stretch out potential a little past our default comfort zone. Like anything, there tends to be a point where increasingly small improvements take increasing larger effort to achieve- but unlike most things there isn’t really a point where it becomes foolish to try to eek those incrimental gains. You are the only person you can count on who was there when you were born and will be there when you die, who will be there every moment of your life. Investing in yourself is the best investment you can make- not in narcissism or selfishness, but in improving yourself. Better people make better worlds, and we can’t create those things artificially. People need to organically and willing do so themselves but we can help them get where they want to be. Kudos.
Well I have had a point in my life where I completely lacked all emotions. Worest time of my life.
I would rather see this world burn with the last person crying for the loss of the human race than see the world prosper in an utopian future of robotic humans. Who procreate solely for population. And treat love as a virus that made people blind and dumb.
Existence is pain!