LETTERS: Examining the experts

SILOAM SPRINGS — After reading “All That Jazz” from Aug. 22, I was perplexed until I realized intelligence doesn’t necessarily mean wisdom.

I looked up some information on the expert Ms. Banks quoted for her column and found enlightening information.

Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa’s most recent book is, “The In telligence Paradox: Why the Intelligent Choice Isn’t Always the Smart One.” A recent article in the Economist was “The Disadvantage of Smarts” in which he states, “Actually, less intelligent people are better at doing most things.”

This includes things such as, “…how to find a mate, how to raise a child, how to make friends. More intelligent people do not have any advantage in finding mates and often have disadvantages.”

Another finding concludes “More intelligent people don’t always make good parents or friends. Intelligent women make the worst kind of parents ... children of more intelligent women are more likely to suffer from health and behavioural (sic) problems.”

Later in the article he hits home on the very crux of Ms. Banks column. “More intelligent people are more likely to be left-wing liberals because our ancestors were ‘conservative’ by the contemporary American definition: They only cared about the well-being of their friends and family.” In other words, the so-called less intelligent give when there is a recognized need.

I take umbrage with Ms. Banks last statement of “Hey conservatives! It istime to evolve.” Her column follows the recently published report on charitable giving which refutes her claims. The report shows, as a whole, people in “conservative” states give a larger share of their income than people in “liberal” states.

Ms. Banks indicated the government shouldbe the focus of our giving. It is not charity when money is being forcibly taken from you (i.e. taxes). It’s only charity if it is freely given. By the way, rich liberals try to get out of paying taxes. Ask John Kerry where he docked his yacht.

Another tidbit about Dr. Kanazawa. In May 2011, he published a Psychology Today article that explored black women being rated less attractive than those of other races. He hypothesized it was because oflower estrogen levels in black women. The article was widely criticized and his findings were wrong.

As a result, he was fired from writing for Psychology Today. Hmm, ahighly intelligent person making wrong conclusions. Wonder what else he could be wrong about? Remember, intelligence doesn’t mean wisdom.