If intelligence is so important for wealth and power why haven't humans evolved to be 150 iq brain geniuses?

submitted by yabbit from self.AskSaidIt

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[–]jet199 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Because humans have high intelligence for dealing with other humans not for solving puzzles on paper.

When people get too clever they become manipulative and others turn against them.

[–]Trajan 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Evolutionary processes don't care about wealth and power. The most intelligent people aren't exactly known for being prolific baby makers. So while the 150 IQ couple run an empire, win chess tournaments, and euphorically post at /r/atheism, people of average intelligence are doing things more likely to lead to babies.

For adaptations to spread there must be pressures for it, and there does tend to be trade offs. Certainly we could see those pressures ramp up as societies become more reliant on knowledge and intelligence.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Intelligence is not needed for wealth: ruthlessness is.

The people who run the world do not have an incentive to produce geniuses who are incorruptible.