The Nomadic Alternative – Page 275

life at which the brain becomes unwilling to learn anything new -
because it does not need to do so. There are three current views
on the vexed question of human intelligence. The first, used by
racists, assumes that some ethnic groups have a genetic defect
which inhibits the development of their intelligence to the stan-
dards of others. The second is the liberal view that 'defects' in
intelligence are the direct result of cultural deprivation. A
culturally-impoverished childhood will produce an impoverished
mind. This, of course, is partly true, but the savage can never
be described as culturally impoverished. In the third view the human
brain operates well under capacity and has yet to achieve its full
potential. Only when the human species realizes the full range of
its capabilities can we judge whether some races are inherently
more intelligent than others. Till that time it is churlish to
speculate on possible genetic differences in intelligence. All three
tenets hold that 'improved' intelligence is necessarily beneficial.

But the savage who refuses to learn more after he has reached
his state of 'wholeness' or mental calm is neither more or less
intelligent than you or I. He grows up and we do not. We have simply
got stuck and are forced to improve our minds as a response to derange-
ment. In his economic practice, the savage budgets for the minimum,
uses one third of his resources, and by allowing this margin of
safety avoids the anxieties which plague every other economic system.
Similarly, if we continue to 'develop' our intelligence at the
expense of our tranquility, we erode our mental margin of safety.
Operating the brain at its full potential would coincide with total
disintegration.