Why do humans not naturally have "intellectual depth"?
In Mind Over Mass Media, Steven Pinker writes a section where he explains how humans don’t automatically acquire “intellectual depth” and habits of deep reflection,” (10). In Pinker’s article, he goes on to say how humans do not achieve depth in knowledge and reflection until humans learn such things through a university and have “constant upkeep, which we call analysis, criticism, and debate” (10). Pinker believes through hard work and diligence is the way to intelligence. Pinker goes on to write “They [intellectual depth] are not granted by propping a heavy encyclopedia on your lap…” but, in saying this, he also complements the ease of access to such knowledge by continuing his sentence, “...nor are they taken away by efficient access to information on the Internet” (10). Another reason Pinker believes we do not get this brilliance by chance is by this example he gives, “If you train people to do one thing...they get better at doing that thing, but almost nothing else” (7). In this quote, Pinker is explaining how intelligence through experience is specific to what the experiences are. Pinker gives the example, “Music doesn’t make you better at math” (7) which perfectly explains that to get better at something, you must practice that something, not anything else. Steven Pinker, author of Mind Over Mass Media, illustrates how effective universities and immersing yourself in your own subject field can be a highly efficient way to achieving intellectual depth and deep habits of reflection