Anthropology Theory?

Question

I'm 17 years old and although I'm not that old, wise grandfatherly type who seems to expell knowledge about the world around me, I do beleive I have come up with an interesting theory...or more a hypothesis about the human species. This may sound biased or even discriminatory, but trust me I have tried to be as fair as possible and competely unbiased in making the following asumption. I have noticed that a large majority of uniquely smart individuals seem to lack impressive or even standard physical ability. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there seem to be many physically inclined individuals who lack the mental capability to be concidered overly smart. Now I realize there are many exceptions to this suggestion, yet generally I feel it has atleast some basis for fact and reality. Of the majority of people are neither overly smart or dumb, nor are they overly athletic/good looking or not. This makes sense in my mind. What do you all think. I would love some feedback!

Answer 1

what is your determination of mental capacity and intelligence?

What is smart?

what defines intelligence?

what is the test?

etc...

I tend to disagree with the statement. I think there are individuals who fit both qualities. Look into the military you will find both intelligent and physically fit people in there...

when you talk about specialization though-

individuals who devote more time to learning won't have as much time for athletics and vice versa...

but it is a fact that healthy people have more capacity to be more intelligent.

fit people are smarter...

while unfit people can be more intelligent than average if they devote time or capacity.. but it ain't smart to be unfit in most scenarios.

Depending on your types of activities different chemical sets with be released into your neurochemical make up. I firmly beleive though that daily exercise benefits your capacity to think, and lack of exercise causes health issues, and wasted time due to illness.

While some savants have been unfit and ill in general I think the vast majority of successful people have been fit.

take Jim Balsillie of RIM for instance - he is a very fit person, and also an intelligent person.

http://www.rim.net/newsroom/media/execut...

Answer 2

It certainly seems like a reasonable observation.  I don't know if you are right or wrong, but some studies have shown that people who are considered more attractive have more symmetrical facial features.

So, scientifically, you would form a testable hypothesis, and see if you can draw a conclusion that either proves or disproves it.  Go for it!

Answer 3

i think it just has to with species variety just as it does with other animals.  some may be big and dumb like great danes, or small and smart like jack russell terriers.  it's just one of those things that happens with most species.  you can't deny variety.

Answer 4

With both sorts of strengths, the attention devoted to them makes a big difference in their development.  Some of the differentiation is a matter of inclination or choice.

___If you look at good private schools, the split is less pronounced, because in an environment where everyone is smart, and athletics mandatory, the choices that public school kids make for the sake of their identities in a highly-stratified society don't need to be made as much, and they aren't as reinforced by mutually-exclusive cliques.

Answer 5

I went to UC Davis, and there were no sports scholarships there at all.  The whole football team was very smart, with many premed, engineering and science majors.  We used to regularly beat schools with full ride scholarships for athletes with no intellectual abilities at all.

There is a theory about Aspergers syndrome and autism, that they are more often born to highly intelligent parents, and it's sometimes called the "Nerd" gene (sorry if that offends anybody).  There is a tendency in that direction I think, the more wired up the brain is, the less wired up the body is.

Answer 6

It depends on how you define intelligence.

There are so many types of intelligence and the educational systems that we take for granted only validate a small percentage. How are you to judge who is smart and who is not? Intelligent for what context and what conditions? What are your criteria and where did you learn them? Are they perhaps ethnocentric or class-centric or culture-centric?

Also, people in different culture or ethnic groups may exhibit very different patterns. What is your study population, those around you, or everyone in the world?

Answer 7

absolutely NOT true in theory but in practice it does work out that way. Being physically fit actually increases your mental fitness as well.

It does not however increase your intelligence level so if you arent that bright all you  will be able to  do is maximize what you DO HAVE.

Its not that smart peoople are physically challenged at all, they are just too lazy to excercise and make the most of what they have That isn't what your theory suggests. but your observation is correct

If  however, you DO HAVE an  above average intelligence AND you complement it with  regular excercise there will be no limit to  what you can do.  Unfortunately  the brainy ones are not given the same encouragement in gym class as the jocks because it is really the jocks' only time to  shine so  they  are paid all the attention. the average guys can usually manage to  keep up.

If someone has a physical  defect that makes them  less active they  are more likely  to  study  more and become smart.

There is a definite us and them  attitude between jocks and brains. The same attitude that prevails with jocks who  work out constantly and push themselves to  the limit, is  also true of eggheads as far as studying. .

The fact is that the most successful people in life in general, are the ones who  can BALANCE the two. By that I mean the people who  will be able to  maintain  a healthy  lifestyle and a succesfull career in an intellectually  stimulating work environment will be the ones whom natural selection  will favor in the long run.

Children of single minded overly "focused" parents don't tend to  do very well in the world.

Answer 8

it's probably because the intelligent one's may spend most time studying, and less physicall activity, therefore their muscles waste away.

the fit muscley guy probably is more interested in getting more fit than learning,