A Citation to Asimov

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The Fallacy of High-IQ Societies

Over the last few years, I have found myself frequently returning to a specific reflection from Isaac Asimov's memoirs. In it, he explains his lack of interest in Mensa and similar organizations dedicated to high-IQ individuals.

Asimov realized a critical distinction: a high score on a paper intelligence test does not correlate with a person's ability to think logically. In mathematical terms, we might say: $\text{High IQ} \neq \text{Rationality}$

He observed that many Mensans suffered from a delusional sense of superiority, believing their cognitive scores entitled them to govern the world while viewing those outside their circle as inferior. Consequently, these individuals often leaned toward progressive right-wing conservative ideologies—perspectives with which I find myself entirely out of alignment.

The Human Element

Despite his introversion, Asimov was surrounded by a wealth of friends who were not only intellectually stimulating but genuinely compassionate and accomplished.

"I can't live with any kind of racist formulation."

This sentiment was echoed by Philip Klass (known as William Tenn), who was deeply disturbed when John Campbell Jr. asserted that Jews constituted a Homo Superior. Having witnessed the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp during his military service, Klass found such "superiority" rhetoric abhorrent.

Nationalism and Folly

In a discourse with Elie Wiesel, Asimov argued that nationalism—whether rooted in religion or race—is an exercise in futility. He posited that such ideologies merely create a cycle where the roles of the oppressor and the oppressed are periodically swapped, without ever solving the underlying problem.

I feel a profound sense of loss for Isaac Asimov, and for the specific American cultural landscape that allowed a mind like his to flourish.

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📚 Further Exploration

• Read: The Anti-Elitist Intellectualism of Isaac Asimov by Justin Clark (April 29, 2020)
• Read: What to Make of Isaac Asimov, Sci-Fi Giant and Dirty Old Man? by Jay Gabler, Literary Hub (May 14, 2020)

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