SquiddyCracker
Banned
#proudbright
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Psychology Today: less intelligence = more religious. GAF prepares Fedoras
- Thread starter ronito
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#proudbright
You Are Viewtiful
Member
Neckbeards and intelligence correlation study? Where is it?
I was making fun of a typo...
I think atheists tend to be more open minded in general. All organized religion must be dictated to the believer. Without a bible or koran or other holy book, those religions wouldn't exist and would never be independently discovered using rational thought, the way that most people we attribute as being atheist arrive at their lack of belief.
umop_3pisdn
Member
I think it's more a joke about the sort of person that has their ego appeased by a study like this.
I guess so. I think it would have been pretty different before these things were written down or codified through literal language, though. Like the mystics and temporal lobe epileptics and stuff that created these religious systems in the first place, it seems like they would have had to have been passed down on the basis some kind of reproducible phenomenon. For example, praying (using more lateralized left-brain/language structures) and cultivating a 'sensed presence' (like how some Catholics say if someone wants to believe God but lacks faith, you fake it or imagine it until it unfolds in real faith) this sort of thing often results in a feeling of safety or even elation by the way of activating the left amygdala. It's like there's a solid method for some kind of 'spiritual practice' of some kind, but then people create stories and mythologies around them and then once they're put to paper they become authoritative and more a cultural phenomenon or something.
Doh. There goes my self respect
Don't worry, it was a lame joke anyway haha.
Dastardly Jerks
Banned
Bullshit, I'm an atheist and I'm dumb as hell.
joeyjoejoeshabadoo
Member
oh shit.
Jackben
bitch I'm taking calls.
lmao
Is it really irony though?
I guess I might be overly sensitive then? I can stand down.
As for what converted me, that'd take a while to explain. I've thought about how I ended up here a lot. Maybe I'll make a new thread later this week. It'd take a while to type up everything I'd want to say about it.
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
The connection between fedoras and atheists is new to me. Is it supposed to mean the worst atheists are fat dudes wearing fedoras who hate on religion?
Yes, if you're going someone and judging people and saying "Don't judge others!!!"
I suppose "hypocrisy" would be a better term, if you'd prefer?
Yeah, gaffers and goons and redditors who are outspoken loudmouths probably ARE outspoken loudmouths because they have no real social skills in real life. So they inevitably dress and act really awkward in real life and turn to the internet as a replacement for socializing.
In real life, most people learn fast that if you rant about politics and religion, you'll just drive people away, because those are topics that divide people.
So if you're never really told how to dress and act and talk in a more attractive way, you'll just surround yourself with like-minded people.
speculawyer
Member
Well . . . would you like to address my sentiment?
Do you think people who believe in other religions are correct? If not, why not? How is yours any more real than theirs?
SquiddyCracker
Banned
Can't blame them, being a religious person is rarely cool.
Unless you're Tom Cruise or Will Smith.
I don't have much to say here, I don't really think there's much to discuss, but I see a lot of people claiming "I'm dumb and non religious, this isn't true".
Maybe somebody already touched on this, but it seems some people are misunderstanding the concept of an average.
This study in no way says that religious people can't be extremely intelligent, or that non religious people can't be extremely stupid.
All this says is that, on average, people who believe in organized religion have a somewhat lower IQ than those who don't for reasons that can't be immediately discerned.
Also I'm surprised this fedora stuff flies here. I don't know the history of this meme but it seems counter productive to stereotype a group, especially when the only thing they have in common is not having something in common (a common religious belief).
Maybe somebody already touched on this, but it seems some people are misunderstanding the concept of an average.
This study in no way says that religious people can't be extremely intelligent, or that non religious people can't be extremely stupid.
All this says is that, on average, people who believe in organized religion have a somewhat lower IQ than those who don't for reasons that can't be immediately discerned.
Also I'm surprised this fedora stuff flies here. I don't know the history of this meme but it seems counter productive to stereotype a group, especially when the only thing they have in common is not having something in common (a common religious belief).
Doogington
Member
I don't doubt some reddit people jump on the fedora bandwagon because they think it's cool, but I seriously doubt they'd do so if they believed in any god.
I'm curious, has there ever been any study linking personality types to atheism?
Because atheists share just one thing in common with each other by definition. To say any more is merely anecdotal.
It really is, when it comes down to it. It's really just like 5-10 people at most in ANY area who embody the fedora-neckbeard stereotype.
It's just that anti-atheist people need something to label and marginalize those they hate.
Objectively, there IS no atheist stereotype because they don't exist as an organized group.
It's the intelligence of religious people and atheist we are talking here, not the belief. Being an atheist doesn't instantly make you smarter than people who believes in God. Same with religious people. It can always go both ways.
JayVoDaKing
Banned
Doogington
Member
Your claim was that people became atheists because they thought it was cool.
endresults
Member
All those supposedly "smart" people who don't believe in my sky giant are going to burn in hell tho so it's cool.
Aquamarine
Member
Shall we tip our fedoras in unison?
WeAreStarStuff
Member
I thought this was already well known. I'm atheist and most people I know of reasonable intellect are atheist/agnostic.
Aquamarine
Member
In all seriousness, I tend to agree that there seems to be a correlation between formal education and atheism.
However, some of the most wise, worldly, erudite men I have ever met in my life have had a strong faith.
Some conversations I've had with Jesuit priests (for example) have absolutely astounded me.
As a former church organist, I often came across very intelligent men and women who practice their faith regularly. While I will never understand it, I admire their tenacity and commitment.
I'm very happy to know that intelligence and wisdom takes all forms of religious faith or lack thereof.
However, some of the most wise, worldly, erudite men I have ever met in my life have had a strong faith.
Some conversations I've had with Jesuit priests (for example) have absolutely astounded me.
As a former church organist, I often came across very intelligent men and women who practice their faith regularly. While I will never understand it, I admire their tenacity and commitment.
I'm very happy to know that intelligence and wisdom takes all forms of religious faith or lack thereof.
I can't believe there are so many people that don't know who Martin Luther is. I'm especially surprised that only 59 and 47% of Catholics know that the belief is that the Bread and Wine are actually the body and blood of Christ.
WeAreStarStuff
Member
I don't see the point in bringing someone up atheist as if it is something to acquire. I would teach my children to be critically thinking and leave it at that. The worlds religions would be discussed as just another facet of human anthropology. I was brought up religious and vehemently consider religious indoctrination to be child abuse, but no one ever taught me to be atheist; I would say it's the natural disposition of anyone capable of critical and broad thinking. That being said; I would like to see studies of intelligence in regards to susceptibility to cognitive dissonance - though this meta study of religion and intelligence is somewhat analogous.
I find it absolutely fascinating how incredibly intelligent people can be religious. The cognitive dissonance is astounding.
Witchfinder General
punched Wheelchair Mike
Yeah, well, I'm an Atheist and I'm an idiot.
Explain that one, science!
Explain that one, science!
Saren is Bad
Member
Did you just get your grandmother's latest chain e-mail?
Yes, I find attempts at humorous rebuttals of religious logic are worth insulting people over.
God is alright with insulting atheists, it's in the 10 commandments.
Ok. I interpreted your comment to mean meaning or purpose was less tangible in a secular environment, though I agree it can be harder (and daunting) to derive purpose from a secular view on the world (especially if coming from a religious upbringing).
I can see religion provides "easy" answers with respect to meaning and purpose for those that may otherwise struggle to make sense of the world e.g. those with lesser educations, which would fit the study. Also understandable that people might turn to religion in the face of their purpose being challenged or undermined such as the loss of close family members.
Indeed, now that I think about it, I'd consider religion similar to my view on Amway which I see as an "entrepreneurial" framework designed for people who have commercial ambition and drive, but not necessarily the skills or aptitude to start or run a successful business themselves from scratch.
Bran Ketra
Banned
This is intriguing information. It is certainly not definitive, but does give some ideas room to basically not be smothered.
youngwerther
Banned
Coolness comes from within.
One must embrace the coolness before all other things, but verily only with the knowledge that the coolness is as all other things.
For then I looked on all the works that my coolness had wrought, and on the coolness that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
And I turned myself to behold coolness, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
Then I saw that coolness excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
The cool man's eyes are in his head; but the clown walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the clown, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more cool? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
For there is no remembrance of the cool more than of the clown for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the cool man? as the clown.
And how dieth the cool man?
As the clown.
Patently Right
Member
Why not dig further? There's another argument that small, isolated communities tend to be more religious than those in the large towns and cities. Environment influences mannerisms and knowledge, impacting intelligence.
Majmun
Member
The wealthiest countries seem to have the most atheists. See the Scandinavian countries, Japan and even Holland
And no, America is not wealthy lol.
I personally can't take people serious when they tell me that the world is only a few thousand years old, I just can't. Or when they believe in fairy tales such as Adam&Eve. Reality check: Santa doesn't exist either. Uneducated mess and very stubborn as well. Bah
If I were to build a country, I would shut the borders for such people.
And no, America is not wealthy lol.
I personally can't take people serious when they tell me that the world is only a few thousand years old, I just can't. Or when they believe in fairy tales such as Adam&Eve. Reality check: Santa doesn't exist either. Uneducated mess and very stubborn as well. Bah
If I were to build a country, I would shut the borders for such people.
youngwerther
Banned
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