I'm smart enough to know that I'm dumb.

Pablo, training dogs is quite doable.
First you need to know a thing or three about communicating with dogs.

True story...
My back fence was down for replacement.
My neighbors cat had a litter of kittens.
Daisy, my young dobie mix got past me and out the kitchen door.
Daisy is on the neighbors stoop, kitten in her mouth.
¨Daisy Leave It¨!
¨Daisy Come¨!

Daisy puts the kitten down and comes to my side.
I was never more proud of that dog, the bond and relationship that we shared and her level of obedience.

R.I.P. Daisy, papa misses you.

I am not a proffesional dog trainer.
I know. And I do it. Aussie, border, pittie, GSD, Husky mix = very smart, very trainable. But wants to WORK, needs a JOB with a huge prey drive and more herding instinct. Actually she is 100% gentle with cats and doesn't chase cars- but garden cart, ZT mower she has a bonkers thing for because she can't help. I mean she will carry garden tools and such. She's been to class. Walks great. Place = perfect. Jumps on command. Come is easy. So yeah I was kinda kidding, but still, I'm old!
 
I know. And I do it. Aussie, border, pittie, GSD, Husky mix = very smart, very trainable. But wants to WORK, needs a JOB with a huge prey drive and more herding instinct. Actually she is 100% gentle with cats and doesn't chase cars- but garden cart, ZT mower she has a bonkers thing for because she can't help. I mean she will carry garden tools and such. She's been to class. Walks great. Place = perfect. Jumps on command. Come is easy. So yeah I was kinda kidding, but still, I'm old!
10-4

Freddie our small male mutt...
skateboards sent him straight to KILL MODE!
 
The more you learn the more you realize the vastness of what you don't know.
Yep, though I wouldn't equate this with being "dumb". Learning is a lifelong exercise, or should be. Ignorance isn't stupidity; intelligence isn't a measure of how much you do or don't know, it's predominantly a measure of comprehension and problem solving, at least in the general sense as to how we glean this through IQ.
 
Yep, though I wouldn't equate this with being "dumb". Learning is a lifelong exercise, or should be. Ignorance isn't stupidity; intelligence isn't a measure of how much you do or don't know, it's predominantly a measure of comprehension and problem solving, at least in the general sense as to how we glean this through IQ.
IMO, intelligence is, or is strongly linked to, being open minded. Just my 2 cents. Of course there's that "curiosity" thing as well...
 
Due to a few family members professions, I have met people who score very high on IQ testing, but will never be able to live on their own because basic social and life skills are beyond their intellectual abilities. They can’t tell when someone is taking advantage of them or how to understand social cues most people find blatantly obvious. The flip side of that is know people are not very intelligent by traditional aptitude/educational standards, but who are extremely competent and high functioning individuals.

Being “smart” is very nuanced. Like many aspects of the human condition.
 
IMO, intelligence is, or is strongly linked to, being open minded. Just my 2 cents. Of course there's that "curiosity" thing as well...
Being open minded is of no benefit if you can't comprehend the different positions though ("that's just how she goes byes" is not an equivalent to "a brief history of time"). It's of course multi-faceted, but the traditional measure of intellect (IQ) is primarily based on our ability to comprehend things, and to solve problems. Whether one can apply those things practically, like the examples that @ATex7239 mentions, are not in-scope of what is tested for, but I think are important considerations. People with high functioning ASD often score above average on IQ tests, but are challenged/stymied by day-to-day interactions and social cues. My sister teaches theoretical mathematics (and has her doctorate in it) but is socially and emotionally illiterate.

Highly intelligent people, as measured by the aforementioned traditionally accepted methods, are often abnormal/awkward/weird when viewed through the lens of normalcy. And while there is strong correlation between IQ and success, it is not guaranteed. We all know that guy or gal that was insanely smart and yet didn't become Gates or Musk. Hell, one of the smartest people I know drove truck and worked on an oil rig. He could learn anything, and at incredible speed, but was never able to turn that into what one would colloquially refer to as "success".
 
Being open minded is of no benefit if you can't comprehend the different positions though ("that's just how she goes byes" is not an equivalent to "a brief history of time"). It's of course multi-faceted, but the traditional measure of intellect (IQ) is primarily based on our ability to comprehend things, and to solve problems. Whether one can apply those things practically, like the examples that @ATex7239 mentions, are not in-scope of what is tested for, but I think are important considerations. People with high functioning ASD often score above average on IQ tests, but are challenged/stymied by day-to-day interactions and social cues. My sister teaches theoretical mathematics (and has her doctorate in it) but is socially and emotionally illiterate.

Highly intelligent people, as measured by the aforementioned traditionally accepted methods, are often abnormal/awkward/weird when viewed through the lens of normalcy. And while there is strong correlation between IQ and success, it is not guaranteed. We all know that guy or gal that was insanely smart and yet didn't become Gates or Musk. Hell, one of the smartest people I know drove truck and worked on an oil rig. He could learn anything, and at incredible speed, but was never able to turn that into what one would colloquially refer to as "success".
When I used to work in the field I worked with this guy who aced all of the tests to certify us for various job tasks. Guy was a straight up genius. However I remember one job in particular where he couldn’t read a simple drawing and analyze test results to troubleshoot why equipment was failing. I had to help him walk step by step through it. Unfortunately I came across very insulting I think because I was asking questions he couldn’t answer. Ultimately I found that he was testing the equipment incorrectly. He could read manuals and take a test, but he struggled with how to implement his knowledge in the real world vs the abstract.
 
Being open minded is of no benefit if you can't comprehend the different positions though ("that's just how she goes byes" is not an equivalent to "a brief history of time"). It's of course multi-faceted, but the traditional measure of intellect (IQ) is primarily based on our ability to comprehend things, and to solve problems. Whether one can apply those things practically, like the examples that @ATex7239 mentions, are not in-scope of what is tested for, but I think are important considerations. People with high functioning ASD often score above average on IQ tests, but are challenged/stymied by day-to-day interactions and social cues. My sister teaches theoretical mathematics (and has her doctorate in it) but is socially and emotionally illiterate.

Highly intelligent people, as measured by the aforementioned traditionally accepted methods, are often abnormal/awkward/weird when viewed through the lens of normalcy. And while there is strong correlation between IQ and success, it is not guaranteed. We all know that guy or gal that was insanely smart and yet didn't become Gates or Musk. Hell, one of the smartest people I know drove truck and worked on an oil rig. He could learn anything, and at incredible speed, but was never able to turn that into what one would colloquially refer to as "success".
There was a guy in my HS class who, while not valedictorian, was the smartest, IMO. I ran into him years later in line to buy Rolling Stones tickets; he was wearing a dirty Chevron Station uniform. His Dad owned the station; he worked there. Nothing wrong with that of course, but I was sure he would have been a some kinda high end grad.

Funny you mention Gates and Musk; they were willing to entertain different thought than the given norms; perhaps open minded?

Open mindedness is the willingness to consider new ideas, perspectives, or information without prejudice, even if they contradict existing beliefs. Key traits include intellectual curiosity, empathy, and the ability to listen deeply, often involving a conscious effort to remove personal biases to understand opposing viewpoints.

I believe being open minded is a true gift. Just my 2 cents. Seems rather rare... Lotta "I know" people around. I try and tell myself that when I say, "I know" my mind is only open to what I wanna hear. Again, just my 2 cents.
 
There was a guy in my HS class who, while not valedictorian, was the smartest, IMO. I ran into him years later in line to buy Rolling Stones tickets; he was wearing a dirty Chevron Station uniform. His Dad owned the station; he worked there. Nothing wrong with that of course, but I was sure he would have been a some kinda high end grad.
Yes, I learned that lesson quite a few decades ago. Those that were acing tests in high school and meeting that definition of "smart", were not the kids that went on to change the world. Being able to memorize and regurgitate information to pass tests is not the same as being able to think or create.
Funny you mention Gates and Musk; they were willing to entertain different thought than the given norms; perhaps open minded?

Open mindedness is the willingness to consider new ideas, perspectives, or information without prejudice, even if they contradict existing beliefs. Key traits include intellectual curiosity, empathy, and the ability to listen deeply, often involving a conscious effort to remove personal biases to understand opposing viewpoints.

I believe being open minded is a true gift. Just my 2 cents. Seems rather rare... Lotta "I know" people around. I try and tell myself that when I say, "I know" my mind is only open to what I wanna hear. Again, just my 2 cents.
I wouldn't consider either of those men as fitting your provided definition of "open minded", but they thinks differently, and that's an important distinction. I wouldn't consider Musk a well of empathy, same with Gates. Many of these people that attain staggering levels of success are actually quite the opposite of empathetic, it takes a certain cutthroatedness to get to that level, very few are from the same mold as Carnegie.

I don't think we are going to reach agreement on your view of "open mindedness". I consider this quality quite distinct from the insatiable desire to know and understand, which, coupled with creativity, is what drives true genius. Somebody can be open minded and an absolute dullard, I've met many; I'm sure we all have. It's refreshing when you come across it however, I agree with you on that. Even if the person doesn't have much to add to a discussion, a willingness to consider that what they've been told/taught is incorrect is a commendable quality.
 
Open minded people around here are complete whackos and mostly ignorant. Self labeled though. Open minded and balanced and intelligent people are extremely RARE. It is because one usually overrides the other - in the fragile but amazingly power dense human mind.
 
I don;t know about this open minded buzz word. Yes you can be open to ideas, but it seems most successful people got where they are because they stuck only to their ideas and ignored the naysayers or people that presented other ideas. So for all intents and purposes they were closed minded.
 
I don;t know about this open minded buzz word. Yes you can be open to ideas, but it seems most successful people got where they are because they stuck only to their ideas and ignored the naysayers or people that presented other ideas. So for all intents and purposes they were closed minded.
I'm not sure I agree. Sure successful people do things differently, as illustrated by Mr Musk and Mr Gates in earlier posts. New, by definition, requires change and different. But that does not mean they did not listen to many points of view to formulate their path forward.

This is why I started this thread with Prof. Feynman's quote. I believe to learn requires an open mind. Just my 2 cents.
All good.
 
Open mindedness is great when decisions and beliefs are built upon careful considerations of facts and reason. New facts require new considerations and reasoning, obviously, but it is glaringly apparent that those are very often subsumed by dogma and politics in modern academia. Contrary facts and reasoning are too often now villified as some kind of "-ism."
 
I'm not sure I agree. Sure successful people do things differently, as illustrated by Mr Musk and Mr Gates in earlier posts. New, by definition, requires change and different. But that does not mean they did not listen to many points of view to formulate their path forward.

This is why I started this thread with Prof. Feynman's quote. I believe to learn requires an open mind. Just my 2 cents.
All good.

That's not open mindedness IMO, that's logical and analytical thinking. These people don't have the time to consider/evaluate every idea that brought in front of them. They stay razor focused instead of being distracted.
Learning is not some sort of ability to be open minded. We all have to learn many things from the day we are born and we continue to learn things to the day we die, that's just the way our brain needs to operate to survive. Some are better at it, some are worse, but we all learn things as we go through life.

To me it's a good sounding phrase that has no meaning behind it. For example, should we entertain the idea of bringing back the slavery? If you're "open minded" then the obvious answer should be yes, right? You wouldn't be "open minded" if you at least didn't go through some sort of thought exercise behind pros and cons of such a proposition, wouldn't you?

But the obvious answer is NO, no thinking or analyzing is necessary and you don't need to be open minded about it.
 
In clinical terms, the word plasticity is often used to denote the ability of the mind to adapt and learn based on stimula. It may be a more useful away of thinking about the topic.

Perhaps flexibility vs rigidity is what we are grappling with, here.

"I'm willing to entertain your idea if you can show good reasons to do so."
 
In clinical terms, the word plasticity is often used to denote the ability of the mind to adapt and learn based on stimula. It may be a more useful away of thinking about the topic.

Perhaps flexibility vs rigidity is what we are grappling with, here.

"I'm willing to entertain your idea if you can show good reasons to do so."
Yes, inherent to critical thought.
 
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