Americans are Dumb?

There was an article in a recent issue of The New York Times Magazine that reported the results of a comprehensive survey of American attitudes and beliefs. One finding caught my attention: Americans often don't do what's right,

even when they know the right way to do something. Why? Because Americans tend to believe that the conventional approach to anything can be improved, and that they can recover from any mistake. Americans aren't any dumber that any other inhabitant of this planet. Nor are they any smarter. Intelligence be it in business, for resolving math problems or for setting a trap to catch game in

jungles of Brazil, is very contextual. I mean that it is relative to the environment, social, geographical, etc.

If you or I, or most any other American, were left on our own in the Kalahari desert, we'd probably not survive without a flask of water. Yet the locals can survive. Are they any more intelligent than we are? Of course not! And if they, the Kalahari natives, were suddenly transported to Wall Street and could not "make a buck" like (we think) we all do, would they be dumb? Nope! On that topic, you may want to see, or see again, a movie titled "The Gods must be crazy." It is about 20 years old and is available at any Blockbuster. Another

source of reflection on that same topic is the excellent book "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond.

Many people other than only Americans "don't do what's right, even when they know the right way to do something." Did you ever come across a book titled "The march of folly," which lists many historical examples of the very same "folly," i.e., continuing on the same path even though it very obviously leads to failure.

America is doing very well, not because its habitants are any smarter, but because it is a rich country, with natural resources and room for its diverse population. It has the great advantage of not being encumbered by a slew of traditions and historic baggage like the older civilization of Europe, Mexico or Asia. When the others had to "adapt" to new ways, Americans could just dive in. Where the former have pride to support them, Americans have self confidence as a nation. How did the U.S. economy get to be the most dominant, most nnovative, most vibrant in the world, if not that we have a developed a breed of managers, entrepreneurs, and innovators that can compete with any or all? Sure, there are dumb ones out there and I am very fearful that the quality of primary and secondary school education is far less than it should be, but the overall results still merit the admiration of most of the world.