There is a link between veg*m and intelligence. Discuss.

(before tame says anything the above statement is merely hypothetical)

I don't think there is.

There is a general tendency to try to give veg*ns all kinds of characteristics that make them better than other groups, but it's only imagination.

Why not be content in the fact that veg*ns' dietary/lifestyle choices are generally more ethical and compassionate :)

There is a link between veg*m and intelligence. Discuss.

(before tame says anything the above statement is merely hypothetical)

:D Yah, I'll jump in quick before the thread turns into a bickering fest c/o our friendly neighbourhood trolls.

I've read a few articles about this, and as much as I'd like to believe it, there is no conclusive evidence. HOWEVER, I will note that the individuals in history whom I most respect for their intelligence were all vegetarian: Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Isaac Bolshevis Singer, etc.

*edit*

and of course William Shatner.

id say wiser, not intelligent, two different things...

Isaac Bolshevis SingerI'm a Singer fan so I have to correct that to Isaac Bashevis Singer.

I'm a Singer fan so I have to correct that to Isaac Bashevis Singer.

:lol: someone must be slipping meat into my pasta marinara

I don't think so, there are different reasons people become vegetarian. Some might be attracted to it because they wanted to be cool, or never think critically about anything, and just believed some vegetarian with a good sales pitch (and would or do join any other group/lifestyle without thinking about it first if they heard a good sales pitch), some may be looking for other ways to restrict food, rebel against their parents, stand out and be different, or other psychological reasons. I'm sure most of us are a mixture of reasons, even if most of our reasons are "legitimate". I also think empathy has nothing to do with intelligence.

H.L. Mencken was not a vegetarian. No link can be established. :D

In all seriousness, though, I doubt that vegetarians are more intelligent. Perhaps, and there's no justifaction for this, more polarized, but I don't see why not eating meat would necessarily correspond to being smarter.

It's always possible that intelligence correlates with other things that correlate with vegetarianism but don't mean that they are directly related. I am assuming that by "intelligence" we mean the general cognitive intelligence, not knowledge or education.

yes, general and emotional IQ

a neutral observer at this board might conclude that there is a correlation between vegetarianism and intelligence as well as vegetariansim and eating disorders.

No, I don't believe vegetarians are more intelligent.
But if they were, I'd be smarter than all of you because I'm a level 5 vegan!:naughty:

Maybe all the extra nourishment in a proper vegan diet would somehow help the brain cells? This is puuuuure speculation, maybe wishful thinking, but why not? If you feed your body healthy food, it works better, so why not your brain? Meat, dairy & eggs are not really healthy food, as much as they are a burden to digest, too high in fat & protein, eliminators of calcium in the bloodstream, etc. (Read Brendan Brazier's Thrive for more on animal products as edible stressors).

Also, to stick with veganism (more so than vegetarianism) for any length of time, you have to be somewhat bright to interpret labels, discuss nutrition, and perhaps develop a political opinion on animal rights.

I don't think veg*ns are more intelligent than meat eaters at all.

I agree with Cissy...not at all and not more emotionally intelligent either.

I don't buy it really.My husband is tons smarter than I am and he's an omni. ;)
Mary

If there even is a trend, it's probably the other way around: smarter people become vegetarian more often ;)

not at all.

It's more likely that those who are more intelligent are more likely to become vegan or veggie, because they are more likely to eat properly, exercise and take care of themselves.

It's more likely that those who are more intelligent are more likely to become vegan or veggie, because they are more likely to eat properly, exercise and take care of themselves.I don't see how intelligence leads to healthiness.

>>I am assuming that by "intelligence" we mean the general cognitive intelligence, not knowledge or education.>>

As if there were a test for this. :)
....
I saw a study recently (I lost the linky) that found that vegetarians have an average IQ (Stanford-Binet) of 116, signifigantly higher than that of the general population. I don't know enough of the study to determine whether its methodology was flawed though.
...
As for emotional IQ...I'm a bit skeptical of the concept. All the tests I've seen have been quite normative, as if there aren't multiple valid goals people seek in social situations.

ebola

I think that intelligence may be the wrong word.
Perhaps critical analysis skills would be better. If one is not born a vegetarian, or becomes a veg for religious reasons, they have generally taken a look at our standard diet and it's effect on animals, the earth and their health, and decided that it's not "right" (for them, or in a more general moral sense). They then consiously reject the diet and/or lifestyle that most people in our society accept without critique or analysis.

I don't see how intelligence leads to healthiness.


You're more likely to pay attention to your health, pay attention to news about health. Of course, there are many exceptions (my own mother, for example).

You're more likely to pay attention to your health, pay attention to news about health. Of course, there are many exceptions (my own mother, for example).Knowing and acting are two very different things. I spent 3 years working in preventive health promotion research. I knew not only everything about preventive health, but also how to motivate people to change their lifestyles. I helped built a website for doctors to use with patients. I am also at least average intelligence. I gained weight and didn't exercise. I tried to lose weight breifly and failed. I have also spent time in hospices with people dying of cancer and in hospitals with people with severe diabetes resulting in gangrene and blindness. Behavior change is very complex and knowledge is only a very small aspect. Something we saw over and over in our research.

:D Yah, I'll jump in quick before the thread turns into a bickering fest c/o our friendly neighbourhood trolls.

I've read a few articles about this, and as much as I'd like to believe it, there is no conclusive evidence. HOWEVER, I will note that the individuals in history whom I most respect for their intelligence were all vegetarian: Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Isaac Bolshevis Singer, etc.

*edit*

and of course William Shatner.
Wow I didnt know they were all vegs!