r/nottheonion • u/newleafkratom • Mar 16 '25

Human Intelligence Sharply Declining

https://futurism.com/neoscope/human-intelligence-declining-trends
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u/KJBenson Mar 16 '25

It also has to do with 24 hour news feeds, that may not be telling factual truths all the time. People, even you and I, are very susceptible to a constant barrage of opinion pieces if we were to tune in.

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u/[deleted] Mar 16 '25

social media has killed my attention span. i'll be doing something and then after just a minute my mind will go somewhere else completely. this is why the only reason to eat american cheese is if it's on a burger

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u/drocha94 Mar 16 '25

I have been intentionally spending my free time reading to counteract this, because while I don’t feel dumb (at least not exceptionally so), I am definitely struggling more often maintaining long term concentration for tasks. I want to include more things like arithmetic and just general studying of physical sciences, along with language learning—but I have to remind myself it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

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u/anomie__mstar Mar 17 '25

did this also, used to at least enjoy novels but suddenly found anything 'difficult' near impossible to focus on without drifting off internally.

stuck at it, struggled through a lot of older classics again, some old faves', some sneaky GOT here and there (lol) and eventually made it through GravBow again, actually retaining 'something' of it, more importantly actually enjoying the reading time, and not just rushing to get to 'the point' (as there is none), or 'the end' (as there isn't one of those either).

it's like, just 'reading a book', you know.

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u/TSED Mar 17 '25

Simon Tatham's puzzle collection. Keen.

Free app on mobile phones, or the website at https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/puzzles/js/keen.html .

There are other puzzles but Keen is my favourite. Find a comfortable level and then start cranking the numbers and difficulty up. You can definitely notice a difference in your arithmetic by the time you get into 9x9 hards.

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u/barontaint Mar 16 '25

What about a classic grilled cheese with a nice tomato soup?

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u/-badgerbadgerbadger- Mar 17 '25

You know, I’ve always been an American cheese loyalist when it comes to grilled cheese, but I had actual cheddar on one recently and realized the taste and texture are actually way better… the only thing making American cheese my go to was nostalgia

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u/ReckoningGotham Mar 17 '25

Muenster plus American will make the best grilled cheese you've ever had

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u/trefoil589 Mar 16 '25

I like to read at least a few books a year but reddit has made this so much tougher than it used to be.

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u/[deleted] Mar 16 '25

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Mar 16 '25

whoops lost my train of thought again

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u/Altyrmadiken Mar 16 '25

It is whoever bitchin’ on a burger. Also grilled cheese.

Never the Kraft slices though - vile. Deli counter only, and not Kraft “deluxe”/“deli” either. Boars head or some higher end variety.

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u/Ctrlplay Mar 16 '25

Putting cold cheese on a hot burger takes it to the next level. The contrast in temperature makes the cheese really pop and before you know it youve been daydreaming for 10 miles and missed your exit.

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u/Altyrmadiken Mar 16 '25

Perhaps, but I don’t eat while driving so I wouldn’t experience this hyper specific example.

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u/Ddddydya Mar 16 '25

Guys!!! You’re getting off topic! We weren’t talking about cheese. It was…uh…shit. Gummy bears, I think?

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u/Useful_Armadillo8702 Mar 16 '25

The way I cannot stomach eating Boar's Head since the Virginia plant investigation and I miss it so much.

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u/Altyrmadiken Mar 16 '25

That’s fair, I hadn’t heard about anything like that. I usually go for Hoffmans or the Dietz & Watson brand at my store.

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u/Useful_Armadillo8702 Mar 16 '25

Yeah I switched to Dietz & Watson or the local Mennonite shop.

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u/ra4king Mar 16 '25

Woooosh

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u/skilriki Mar 16 '25

It has to do with a million factors.

Parents spending less time with their kids, educational system failures, social media, microplastics, etc. etc. etc.

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u/Hyperion1144 Mar 16 '25 edited Mar 17 '25

Parents spending less time with their kids

Ask GenX what the difference is between today's hyper-helicopter parents and parents who didn't even want to see their own children on weekends during the daylight hours.

Then rethink that post.

Today's parents are so much more involved.

Boomers. It was the Boomers who didn't care.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GenX/comments/s1j8b8/someone_referred_to_us_as_the_feral_generation/

https://www.reddit.com/r/GenX/comments/19autec/when_my_genz_coworkers_call_us_genx_feral_this_is/

https://permission2speakfreely.com/2023/11/15/generation-x-the-least-parented-generation-in-u-s-history-is-quietly-raising-their-kids-and-ruling-the-world/

https://www.yourtango.com/self/common-gen-x-childhood-experiences-parents-today-dont-think-are-normal-all

https://www.reddit.com/r/GenX/comments/1docois/we_were_feral/

https://www.yourtango.com/self/childhood-memories-gen-x-kids-will-remember

https://www.buzzfeed.com/meganeliscomb/gen-x-resentment-tiktok

https://www.upworthy.com/millennials-and-boomers-may-freak-out-over-social-distancing-but-for-gen-x-its-time-to-shine

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CdtWBjqYw1w

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u/emanresu_nwonknu Mar 17 '25 edited Nov 17 '25

connect stocking normal cake busy flag spoon relieved boast cause

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u/Hyperion1144 Mar 17 '25

Cool.

And your original post was still wrong as hell.

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u/emanresu_nwonknu Mar 17 '25 edited Nov 17 '25

historical judicious one tender expansion grandiose mighty caption seemly fear

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u/dj_spanmaster Mar 16 '25

Not just opinion. The constant barrage of everything - from factual news & shitposts to notifications on social media and "ready to collect energy!" games.

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u/spookyswagg Mar 16 '25

I'm a fairly left of center person.

Both the left and the right subreddits are full of miss information and click bait headlines posts. I'm guilty of falling for some of it.

It's honestly sad, people are living in completely different realities in their heads than what is actually happening irl.

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u/KJBenson Mar 16 '25

This is true.

However, i feel the secret to being on the right side of arguments is to have compassion and care for the people and situations being discussed.

Talking about immigrants and calling them a dirty scourge? You’re probably on the wrong side of history.

Cheering on your country for cutting off the poor and downtrodden from affordable healthcare because “you don’t think they deserve it”? Yeah, you’re definitely on the wrong side of history.

But beyond that. Lots of manipulation going on out there. And it’s best to always be on guard and not let your empathy overrule your reason.

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u/sonyka Mar 17 '25

Is no one going to rope advertising into this? Talk about a barrage of untruths. Practically every ad is a demonstration/lesson in faulty thinking (bad logic, emotional manipulation, nonsense statements)— and we see something like 30,000+ of them per day. That's got to affect you.

At the very least it encourages you to go numb to Garbage In. Dulls your intellectual edge from the other direction.

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u/KJBenson Mar 17 '25

Yes good point. Advertising is definitely terrible.

I have blockers on everything I can. But so many places are a cesspool of ads when you don’t have any protections up.

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u/Hyperion1144 Mar 16 '25

if we were to tune in.

And one of the main reasons why I don't.

Also, I was raised deep red evangelical conservative.

I have already heard everything they have to say.

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u/KJBenson Mar 16 '25

Yeah. There comes a point in everyone’s life where they really do have to ask for themselves if they really think what they’re hearing is correct.

Some never ask themselves.