So. Which is better for a species? In your humble opinion of course? (see details please)?

Question

Is it better for a species to be *very* intelligent but only somewhat social? Or is it better for a species to be *very* social but only somewhat intelligent?

Yes, you can include humans in the discussion. :) I was thinking of this mainly in the sense of "Would people have turned out better if they were more social but dumber?"

Thanks for your time! :)

Answer 1

I agree!! if we were a truly intelligent species as a whole we would not be slowly ruining everything around us because it's convenient at the time.
We do need to focus more on the social aspect rather than the cranial. If we did we wouldn't be "polluted" with so many racists, idealists, extremists, or politicians, all of which just waste the brain we have been given!!!!

Answer 2

Intelligence is subjective. What is intelligent to one person may be dumb to another. When you think of spieces you need to separate collective social intelligence from individial social intelligence. Certainly ants are collectively intelligent. They have a collective purpose and a social order to achieve that purpose. They can use tools and they can adapt to fulfil that social purpose.

To most people life is the most precious thing. A Soldier ant will corageously and without question sacrifice its life for the good of the colony. It knows fear, it will back away from danger such as fire but it will unselfishly lay down its life for its society.

To some people, the soldier ant appears dumb but the same attributes are so much admired in the best of the best human soldiers.

We think we are the most intelligent spieces but that is because we measure intelligence by what we understand and we disregard what we do not understand. We marvel that some birds can navigate across continents to a specific place for the season and that sea fish can find the river they were born in when it is time for them to spawn. But we discount these wonders as instinct so that it does not threaten our percieved superior intelligence.

We can train a dog within a couple of months to understand more than one human language and it can show us what it needs, play, excercise, food, medical attention. It takes 2 years to get a human child to be able to do the same.

I think that even if other spices were interested and able to understand our electronic technology they would still find their own to be superior.

Answer 3

Brilliant arguments!

When you look at the way we behave toward one another as human beings - the supposed intelligent beings - the highest form of animal, you are quite right to ask.

Sometimes, it is as though we have no sense judging by our irrational attitudes and we really seem to think we have it alright, when we don't!

The lower class of animals operate on instinct, smell, hearing or whatever works best in their environment and for their survival. They work together for the good of the whole and apart from when they have some reason(?) for fighting, their communities function.

We, on the other hand, hunt them down for sporting trophies and we are supposed to be the smart ones. They ought to hunt us, since we are so filled with hate for our fellow man. We rob and steal, we rape and murder without reason. We fly down the highways, drunk as a skunk, killing innocent travellers trying to get to their destinations at reasonable speeds. We act more dumb than the actual dumb animals. We are nuts! Social nuts!

Answer 4

Being extremely social does mean more sex!