Why aren't intelligence and economic prowess desirable traits in America?

Question

With respect to finding suitable partners. When did ghetto and illiterate behaviour culture trump smarts and money? I mean, how many people become superstar musicians? But it seems like a lot of Americans find that cool and their future goal at the expense of higher education (mainly an aversion towards Science and Mathematics). I am not saying this is an absolute, but it is a pervasive sentiment.

Answer 1

Intelligence and economic prowess aren't desirable traits in America anymore because we, society, pay too much attention to how someone looks. Not what school they graduated from or what kind of person they are. I mean, if you see someone that looks like a total snob... dressed in expensive clothes and carrying a high-priced purse... would you think they were intelligent without talking to them? People don't seem to care how smart someone is or how business-savvy they are. They only care about what someone looks like. Their outside appearance. Blame Hollywood and society for that one.

Answer 2

Popular culture doesn't represent what everyone thinks or practice. . In practice, wealth is desired and envied (I personally think material wealth is a shallow measure for self-worth but that's besides the point). There brilliant but reclusive people who don't make many friends, but there are also smart people who enjoy an active social life. If you are reffering to rappers by the words "ghetto" and "illiterate", they are merely entertainers and nothing more. Just because they like those entertainers doesn't mean they will follow their footsteps.

Keep in mind that wealth and intelligence do not always go hand in hand. There those have opulent livestyles only because because they inherited from those who were sucessful in the past (like Paris Hilton), but don't do anything meaningful. Intelligence can come in many forms so it is different to objectively measure. The "traditional" sense of intelligence in the form of testing is too narrow considering not everyone thinks alike. Not everyone is brilliant with science and mathematics, but they may be strong in other areas such as creativity (the arts), social skills (polictics and leadership positions), and business. Unfortunately society tends to favor certain occupations over others when it comes to getting paid. Today's American doctors are handsomely paid, but it was not always like that. According David Oshinsky, there was a time when all of the medical advances were made in Europe and no medical research institutes of dinstinction existed and medical schools were shoddy. That all changed when the John D. Rockefeller used his vast sum of money to found the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (partly to soften his reputation for unscrupulous business practice). Since then, the medical field in the United States has risen to be among most advanced in the world. Most artists and writers on the other hand, only continue their craft because it's what they love. There simply little demand in visual or literary arts. Few are ever fortunate enough to find a stable and/or high-paying career in advertisment, journalsm, entertainment etc. Successful businessmen can make tons of money, but it doesn't mean they have to be math or science wizards; they may apply some basic math but probably not anything deep compared to engineering.

Answer 3

That's 1/10 of 1%. We invent practically everything and have more Billionaires than anyone.Not to mention the "Middle Class" that averages between $50,000 and $100,000 a year and millions of upper middle class $ 200,000 to $100,000,000.After that ,you get to the millions of rich folks.

Answer 4

economic prowess definitely is.

many women are always keeping an eye out for a richer meal ticket.