The Penalities of Genius

The Penalties of Genius

During the Cold War, the East and West strove to have the most brilliant children.
Nutrition became a scientific formula, and everything from toilet training to talking
became a matter of political involvement.

Schools streamed and because it was important, it was only in the discarded areas
of the cities that the substandard school existed.

Being bright was important, and classes were small and teaching was a prestigious
position.

By the 60s the results of this intellectual boost resulted in a great deal of social unrest.
It was the era of Independance for many colonies, and Civil Rights were high on the
agenda.

This ferment, which is only possible when one has a population which can think continued
into the 70s, and the need to dumb down the population became a priority.

The 'Breast is Best' campaign came in, junk food proliferated and schools became war zones
so that the average child was lucky to escape High School able to read.  

By the 80s, the parents who had benefited from the 'scientific' methods passed them to
their children, but many preferred to join the herd of dumbed down, because they were
taught the penalty of being 'too bright'.

Being 'too bright' exposed these kids to ridicule and often punishment, because when
teaching became a last resort, when good teachers were virtually abducted into industry
leaving the chaffe, having a student whose I.Q. was higher than the teacher's was taken
as an affront.

So bright kids dumbed themselves down.  Because being intelligent was embarrasing.
For many, the process was so complete that they became as insipid as they pretended
since denying themselves information kept them ignorant.

As being dumb was average, bright kids, unless removed from the school by their parents
became dumber as they moved from Primary to High School and then into the working world
where mediocrity was rewarded.

The brilliant kids were forced to the very fringes, often hiding their abilities, striving to under
acheive, and being exposed to all forms of corruption and penalty.

Being on a committee with those whose I.Q. is below 100, resulted in becoming the comic relief.
No one understood, no one's mind worked that fast, so getting the answer as soon as the problem
was articulated, (and having the answer discarded) taught that one keeps one's intellect in their
heads, and satisfies with getting another cup of coffee.

When one has to annotate conversations, because the audience doesn't know more than
the latest program on television and WWII is as distant as Shakespeare, the genius becomes more and more alienated from society.

If lucky, s/he has a small group of intelligent persons to communicate with, so that the brain doesn't
totally atrophe.  If one doesn't, as long as the Internet is available, one can reach out to others.
When this lifeline is cut, it is almost as if one were a visitor from another planet.

As the world moves to an idiocracy, the few brilliant minds are left watching the circus, bright enough
to mask the fact they know how the story is going to end.