Are we getting more stupid?

[weaveworld]

Kantor said:

weaveworld said:

Kantor said:

weaveworld said:
If so I blame capitalism. In order to make money people need to be stupid enough to buy your products. So once they do, don't challenge them to become smarter or you'll lose business.

Capitalism has existed since the origins of humanity when the first person thought to trade one of his possessions for the possession of another.

Even large corporations are nothing new.

True.

It has evolved however. The amount of money made does not equal the progress mankind makes anymore. The system holds us back, or peace and wealth does.

I disagree. It's what keeps us moving forward.

The communist utopia sounds great on paper until people realise that if they just stop working, they gain a whole bunch of free time and lose nothing, and that working harder is going to earn them literally nothing at all. It requires a selflessness and dedication that I don't think humanity on the whole possesses.

You're picturing this very black and white. I'll just add that I think the direction forward you mention and I see around me is not the direction that will make us all get along. Social skills require an amount of intelligence that is not very common these days. But those same skills will make people work together which eventually will result in more progress.