What Divides Us the Most?

more & more, i think we're divided by cognitive ability in a way we've never been before.

i think charles murray's book 'coming apart' in particular is bursting with insight on this. it's been some time since i read it, so i hope i don't misrepresent anything he put forth in that book, but he lays out the case that in the past 50 years or so, first world countries (the u.s. is his focus, but i think this applies to all first world nations) have seen a cleavage develop, and that it mainly is a gulf that divides an educated elite & an underclass. one might say that this has always been so, and i'm sure that's right, but it was once the case that people of all levels worked together, together in a factory, together within all kinds of institutions, and even if they didn't, they still congregated together in other ways. they met in churches, in bowling leagues, in all kinds of institutions that brought people together.

in the past 50 years or so, let's say, we've seen most of those kinds of groups degrade in importance, & we've seen cognitively skilled workers become more isolated from other groups. they work in completely different companies, they live in enclaves in certain geographic locations, & they don't mix with less educated people who work in less or un-skilled industries.

i think, more than anything, we live in a society separated by iq.

you can take murray's 'do you live in a bubble' quiz in the link below.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/white-educated-and-wealthy-congratulations-you-live-in-a-bubble

Race isn't skin color. That's just you denying evolution.

Homogenous societies are more homogenous. It should be obvious that's what divides us and that we have been made less homegnous over time.

What exactly do you mean by "What divides us.. . . ."? We are all different in every way possible, but that doesn't make us dislike them or anything like that. We are also alike in many, many ways. In fact it makes room for conversation and understanding. It's only when some people think they are better than others that causes friction, trouble, etc.

As far as my view is concerned, class/wealth/privilege has always and will always be the greatest divide, and it's put into us from birth simply by living close to others of a similar economic status.

I tend to believe that other divisions, like racial problems, simply descend from the greater class/wealth divide, after combining with smaller divisions like tribalism.

Class -- everything is usually a distraction.

Politics and religion seem like the most divisive.

Self-interest.

I'd say ego. There's a lot of people who have to 'keep up with the Jones's ' so to speak. If we were just content and happy with ourselves and the things we can actually afford to have rather than looking like you have a perfect life we'd probably all get along a bit better. Most of the terrorism in the world has 0% to with religion and all about money and power 🤔