Kozmos
Jew Detective
Everyone perceives intelligence differently.
R-e-s-p-e-c-t
- Thread starter Bozo Erectus
- Start date
Everyone perceives intelligence differently.
Mise
isle of lucy
No, everyone perceives someone they agree with to be intelligent.
It's a truism, almost. Everyone believes that they are right. Therefore, everyone's perception of "right" is what they believe. If someone else believes what they believe, then they are also "right".
Raisin Bran
Cereal Killer
I respect someone that respects me.
Mise
isle of lucy
Thing is, it's easy to say that, and when questioned, everyone will (this poll is living proof). But in my anecdotal experience, at least, intelligence isn't typically respected; in fact, the most highly educated and intelligent members of society are looked upon with a suspicious gaze. Most (i.e. more than 50% of) people consider themselves intelligent; I feel that this alone is enough to cast doubt on their criteria for "intelligence"
GenMarshall
High Elven ISB Capt & Ghost Agent
It's sad to see that people would have MORE respect with someone who has a Ph.D over some High School Graduate 
.
.Thing is, it's easy to say that, and when questioned, everyone will (this poll is living proof). But in my anecdotal experience, at least, intelligence isn't typically respected; in fact, the most highly educated and intelligent members of society are looked upon with a suspicious gaze. Most (i.e. more than 50% of) people consider themselves intelligent; I feel that this alone is enough to cast doubt on their criteria for "intelligence"
I know that it's easy to say, but it really is that way for me.
Although you might not realize it instantly if it's something controversial, but it doesn't take long.
Irish Caesar
Yellow Jacket
It's sad to see that people would have MORE respect with someone who has a Ph.D over some High School Graduate
Why?
If that's the only thing different between them, it seems like a fair conclusion.
I don't see any reason to respect intelligence, though; if the person does nothing with it, he is not deserving of respect for it.
Thing is, it's easy to say that, and when questioned, everyone will (this poll is living proof). But in my anecdotal experience, at least, intelligence isn't typically respected; in fact, the most highly educated and intelligent members of society are looked upon with a suspicious gaze. Most (i.e. more than 50% of) people consider themselves intelligent; I feel that this alone is enough to cast doubt on their criteria for "intelligence"
Well, American society as a whole is fairly anti-intellectual. However, this board is hardly a good representation of that, for one, because so many aren't American, but also because it is an internet messageboard about a strategy computer game. The type of Americans who beat up nerds or believe science to be an affront to God is less prevalent here.
To say that people are biased in rating their own intelligence is fairly trivial. If anything, it only reinforces the point that it is seen as desirable. People rate themselves above average in everything positive, like looks, morals etc.
Saying that evaluation of intelligence in others is based a lot on their agreement with one's self is perhaps more significant. Still, while it sometimes detracts from accurate evaluation, it doesn't remove the criterion of intelligence, it merely adds another (perhaps unconscious) criterion of agreement.
That is, unless you believe that our sole reason for judging intelligence is agreement, which is pretty ridiculous. I certainly respect Karl Max, even if I think his ideas are terrible. As mentioned in this thread, achievement, like education attainment give some clue to intelligence. Even in a casual conversation, I can judge facility with language, coherence of arguments and the like.
I use how much someone agrees with me as a huge factor in rating intelligence. I use facility of language to a large degree too (but less than I once did, now that I spend so much time with people who are not native English speakers), but anything else I ignore, or use to assess level of education/knowledge, which isn't the same, and doesn't earn my respect as much.
So, for example, I have very little respect for Karl Marx.
GenMarshall
High Elven ISB Capt & Ghost Agent
Disrespecting someone who is less educated does not suit me very well. I mean regardless of education, he or she is still another fellow human being like the rest of us.
Irish Caesar
Yellow Jacket
But to respect someone more doesn't mean you disrespect the other. I agree that people are deserving of respect, but to spend seven or eight years and a great expense to advance one's own knowledge is deserving a bit more, assuming knowledge is something to be valued and pursued.
But that's only if the two people are equal in every other respect; someone with a PhD has more expected of him. Someone who graduates high school and goes right into working for some reason, whether to better himself or the world, deserves respect for that, and a doctor who doesn't do a damn thing with that knowledge should be somewhat ashamed of that.
Shylock
Hey smiling strange
Their deeds and to a lesser extent their words.
Also: Re! spect! Walk!
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
Also: Re! spect! Walk!
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
Narz
keeping it real
My respect for someone is based on their respect for themselves and other people.
Also, their honesty, their level of curiosity and how considerate they are of me.
Also, their honesty, their level of curiosity and how considerate they are of me.
The Last Conformist
Irresistibly Attractive
I voted Level of Education, but I was surprised to see it was by far the leading option. 
Shaihulud
Deity
Physical attribute, you always respect a woman for it, and a man, you have to respect a guy who can crush your skull like an egg. I don't know about the rest of you, but i prefer to say what makes me *not respect a person, lack of culture and stupidity that can only comes from strongly held religious or ideological beliefs.
Mise
isle of lucy
I doubt anyone on this forum would trust someone solely on the basis that they are more intelligent than them. People mis-trust "intellectuals" because they have a hard time believing that someone else could be THAT much more intelligent than them. Which leads us to........
I'm sure that being "intelligent" is desirable to most people. I just don't believe that it is actually "intelligence" that is respected. Which leads us to.........
Exactly -- instead of defining intelligence, and then respecting people based on whether or not they fit that definition, they look at all the people they respect, and then call them intelligent.
So... you respect Karl Marx, therefore he is intelligent? Or he is intelligent, therefore you respect him?
Even though I disagree with Karl Marx, I still perceive his intelligence, and therefore respect him, contrary to your belief that we see intelligence only in those who agree with us. I, and I would imagine most others, evaluate many more objective measures of intelligence than just agreement - maybe you do not.So... you respect Karl Marx, therefore he is intelligent? Or he is intelligent, therefore you respect him?
I respect Roger Federer as a great tennis player or Oskar Schindler as a humanitarian, but I don't think they are intelligent.
Mise
isle of lucy
I didn't say "only".
Either way, I don't buy it. I'm sure you can find exceptions, but from what I've seen from people both in real life and on this forum, I have every reason to be cynical about what criteria people use for determining "respect". In my experience, people respect people almost arbitrarily, and then rationalise it after they've decided that they respect them. Can't prove it, but hey, it's one of those things that isn't going to be argued conclusively either way
The poll asked for the primary criterion for respect. We're talking about intelligence. The implicit assumption, when I say respect, therefore, is that I am talking about respect for people's "intelligence", or at least what people claim to be respect for intelligence.
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