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Our IQ sinks as consumerism curbs critical thinking
By Wang Yong |
June 23, 2011, Thursday
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THE articles on today's opinion page by Mr Greg Cusack and my colleague Ni Tao make me think about whether China, or indeed, the whole world, has a low collective IQ.
There are many definitions of IQ, but critical spirit lies at the heart of it. Both articles in today's paper suggest a grave lack of this inquiring spirit in today's Chinese society.
This is not to say there are no sane souls with critical thinking, but that low-IQ voices and values have often dominated Chinese life.
Ni Tao observes that most parents and children have been brainwashed to bet their future only on college entrance exams, as if there were no other way for one to do well for himself or herself and to do good for society.
Greg Cusak observes that many people all over the world revel in endless consumption of surplus consumer goods, as if the life of the spirit and spiritual advancement were secondary to human progress.
During the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), critical spirit, or independent thinking, gave way to personal cults. At that time, college entrance exams were canceled and one could enroll in a college if he was politically correct.
Spiritual monotony
Gone are those days of intellectual and spiritual monotony.
But are we gaining spiritual autonomy under the sun of a market economy? Not necessarily.
In the place of personal cult arrives a cult of consumption. Thirty years ago, it was glorious to be loyal to one person. Thirty years later, now it's glorious to be loyal to the market.
Even education has been standardized to be tradable in the market - you are forever judged by your test scores, not by your character.
The character of a traditional Confucian scholar - especially during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279) - was like bamboo that could grow on the most arid land and would rather break than bend with an ill wind.
The "cultural revolution" destroyed that character, which is being further lost in a nationwide, or indeed worldwide, race to the bottom for materialistic pleasures.
Right now discussion is swirling on the Internet about Japanese management guru Kenichi Ohmae's latest book "Low IQ Society" and what is the meaning of a society or era's "IQ."
Ohmae doesn't seem to address China's collective IQ, but People's Daily commentator Zhang He runs with the China IQ issue.
In a commentary last Friday he cited "real fears about the level of intellectual curiosity and general literacy in modern China."
Zhang looked at statistics about reading and literature (China's rate is said to be very low compared with advanced countries) and said that "it does look as though China is sinking into the 'low-IQ society'."
Of course, reading doesn't make for high IQ and an argument can be made that reading lots of fashion, elite lifestyle and celebrity magazines actually lowers the mental faculties and generally deadens the brain.
Still, a desire to do some thoughtful reading - instead of, say, go shopping - does point in the direction of intellectual curiosity that is sorely needed.
There are many definitions of IQ, but critical spirit lies at the heart of it. Both articles in today's paper suggest a grave lack of this inquiring spirit in today's Chinese society.
This is not to say there are no sane souls with critical thinking, but that low-IQ voices and values have often dominated Chinese life.
Ni Tao observes that most parents and children have been brainwashed to bet their future only on college entrance exams, as if there were no other way for one to do well for himself or herself and to do good for society.
Greg Cusak observes that many people all over the world revel in endless consumption of surplus consumer goods, as if the life of the spirit and spiritual advancement were secondary to human progress.
During the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976), critical spirit, or independent thinking, gave way to personal cults. At that time, college entrance exams were canceled and one could enroll in a college if he was politically correct.
Spiritual monotony
Gone are those days of intellectual and spiritual monotony.
But are we gaining spiritual autonomy under the sun of a market economy? Not necessarily.
In the place of personal cult arrives a cult of consumption. Thirty years ago, it was glorious to be loyal to one person. Thirty years later, now it's glorious to be loyal to the market.
Even education has been standardized to be tradable in the market - you are forever judged by your test scores, not by your character.
The character of a traditional Confucian scholar - especially during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279) - was like bamboo that could grow on the most arid land and would rather break than bend with an ill wind.
The "cultural revolution" destroyed that character, which is being further lost in a nationwide, or indeed worldwide, race to the bottom for materialistic pleasures.
Right now discussion is swirling on the Internet about Japanese management guru Kenichi Ohmae's latest book "Low IQ Society" and what is the meaning of a society or era's "IQ."
Ohmae doesn't seem to address China's collective IQ, but People's Daily commentator Zhang He runs with the China IQ issue.
In a commentary last Friday he cited "real fears about the level of intellectual curiosity and general literacy in modern China."
Zhang looked at statistics about reading and literature (China's rate is said to be very low compared with advanced countries) and said that "it does look as though China is sinking into the 'low-IQ society'."
Of course, reading doesn't make for high IQ and an argument can be made that reading lots of fashion, elite lifestyle and celebrity magazines actually lowers the mental faculties and generally deadens the brain.
Still, a desire to do some thoughtful reading - instead of, say, go shopping - does point in the direction of intellectual curiosity that is sorely needed.
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