Were people “stupid” back then?

the bar required to be a bricklayer is quite a bit lower than a surgeons so yeah the ratio would be different.

I have another nephew who intends to be a neurosurgeon, he's a very smart kid but he doesn't understand that it won't be his choice he may not be accepted and to be prepared to take what's offered, he could end up a dermatologist, he didn't accept what I was telling him.

 

Yeah it's true, and it's hard. It's not only about being smart or even working hard. If you don't mesh well with a team you're working with in medical school, you could get a bad evaluation and be less competitive for the match. And it's just such a long process to finally stop being a student or apprentice (resident). Dermatologist is a funny example for two reasons. It would only be a punishment for somebody who wants a harder life , or wants to feel like a hero beyond finding melanomas (some doctors look down on them for dealing with mostly cosmetic things). And because it's both lucrative and not as bad of a lifestyle as surgeons it's actually one of the most competitive specialties. Less competitive ones are family practice, pediatrics, psychiatry. Which is a shame since those specialties are still challenging in different ways.

 

I didn't mean to slight dermatologists it's just the furthest thing from Neurosurgeon that I could think of, maybe Podiatrist would've been better...all specialties have value but people tend to attach different values to them, even MDs, the average person will put Cardiologist and Neurosurgeons on the top of the list(my Neurologist buddy scoffs at Neurosurgeons "Neurosurgeons only cut where I tell them to cut !")

 

It also takes talent to develop the skills required. You don't find any stupid surgeons these days. NONE.

 

well that's not quite true...my Neurologist buddy tells me the medical system admission process weeds out the idiots and is very effective but idiots still do get through...

I also have two Orthopedic surgeon friends who after about 6 beers like to start talking about what goes on in the hospital and the idiots they work with...once they told me "If you ever find yourself in the ER with a knee injury and the Ortho on call is a Dr M******, even if the only thing you can do is crawl, get the F out of that ER!"

 

We today with all our mechanized equipment could not replicate some 0f the things the Romans built which are still standing today.For one thing the cement or mortar they used some of it used in below seawater structures is still as sound today as when they used it,we have no idea how to replicate it.In many respects we have become dumber with the passage of time.

 

Throughout history most common people were illiterate. Their knowledge was homespun and passed on verbally.

Only scribes and priests were literate.

Early America was the first Nation to emphasize education for the masses because the masses possessed voting power. Public schools and travelling school teachers evolved in the late 1700's and early 1800's.

 

The masses of people are dumber, sure.

Public education has not been working for the past 50 or so years.

 

For a medical career you need to be good at memorizing.

You don't necessarily need to be smart, just a good memorizer.

Same is true of biology in general.

 

I think brain surgeon and heart surgeon are probably the hardest jobs in the world.

In third place behind those two is landing an aircraft on an aircraft carrier at night.

 

FYI, that used to be the case, but in 2013 this happened:

https://www.history.com/news/the-secrets-of-ancient-roman-concrete

 

What do you mean back then ? They are stupid now.

 

I've never met a stupid doctor (nor a stupid biologist). Having a good memory is part of being smart.

 

my sister-in-law has a phenomenal memory, freakish in fact, she could be in a side show....but she's a total idiot, if she had an IQ above 80 I'd be amazed...
a good memory is essential but on it's own it's good only for party tricks...