The '83' People

Years ago, the Pentagon made this decision after many studies, that they would not accept anyone into the military with an IQ less than 83.  It's not a page one type story, and it's been generally known in the public for at least two decades.

The rationale behind the 83-number?  What is generally said is that if you have an IQ less than 83....it means you are untrainable.  You won't retain educational material....be able to grasp basic concepts.....or perform a repeatable and successful procedure. 

Numbers are thrown around, but in general....the studies conducted will suggest that approximately 15-percent of the general population fall into this category. 

I've sat and pondered over this 83-number, and the numbers of the population suggested to be in the low IQ range.  There's a problem that I see with these studies.....they don't really go and conduct these studies in groups of heavy drug-use or alcohol-use individuals.  When you have some guy whacking up his brain cells, and you present a simple 60-second mathematical problem that people would all accomplish when they were sixteen years old....you find the 40-year-old junkie dude....no longer has the capacity to comprehend the basic problem in sixty seconds.  Maybe with full concentration and fifteen minutes of time.....he'll come to some conclusion. 

So with the US population (300 million)....taking the low IQ average group....you have 45-million untrainable people.  Throw in the alcohol affected folks and the druggies.....you might have near 120-million Americans who are of very little value to the business world, or to society itself. They might have a high school education but in today's environment....that means very little.  In simple terms....roughly one out of every three Americans are virtually worthless.

In an average day....you probably will bump into at least a dozen of these folks, and remind yourself that they are 'burger-flipper' mentality....can't be trusted with decision-making....can barely comprehend 6th-grade topics....and they have to make some kind of income to pay for their lifestyle, rent, and retirement one day.

As you wander out each day....learn to appreciate the fact that the nation was able to find some jobs for these poor people, and keep them happily occupied.