this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2025
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Where do I live? If I'm in a place where people are beautiful, slightly below average attractiveness would be perfect for the rest of the world, make me a genius.
If I live where people are so intelligent and are ugly, please make me better looking and slightly dumber than them, I can make my way through the world just fine.
I think looks are easier to fix, but learning can help fix stupid - I'm sure there are at least some stupid people with more sense than some smart people.
Education can cure ignorance, not stupidity.
I don't mean you can gain native intelligence, but nobody is using their full potential. I remember my mom saying that my sister got the most out of the "gifted" classes in school (I sincerely hope they don't call them that anymore) because she barely qualified, so was challenged, engaged by the curriculum, and learned more than those of us who were bored because it was easy. Long after I was out of school she said she wished she had put me at least in a private school where you could move at your own pace. But hardly anyone gets that, in any family.
So I think a person who is less intelligent, recognizes it and learns and trains can end up in a better place than someone who is smart and so less motivated to try, since they don't have to.
If just asking if I'd take extra smarts or extra looks from my starting point now? Extra smarts. I need them to hedge against dementia when I get older.
Is native intelligence a protection against dementia? Does it lower the odds?
It's more like padding, I was an anorexic teen and young woman so even though I've finally gained weight in midlife and feel fat by my standards, people see me as thin. I'm tall, so even if I lose a couple inches to age I won't be short. If you are very smart, it doesn't prevent dementia, no. It just takes longer to slide from a higher point, you have farther to go, your early dementia isn't going to be as apparent to others.
As far as I know, only physical exercise can prevent it and only for a subset of people. Like, if you keep your heart and circulation healthy, you can prevent it if it's preventable for you personally. Some people are doomed to it from heredity.