By Field Ruwe
Field Ruwe
The sight of books depresses them and yet reading is the bedrock of our intelligence; it improves memory, increases creativity, reasoning skills, and builds self-esteem. It provides a glimpse into other cultures and places. Reading boosts one’s Intelligence Quotient (IQ).
It is fair to say that it is the lack of reading that has contributed to Zambia’s low IQ. In Zambia today, only a handful know and understand what is going on around the world. Many, some with college degrees, cannot write a simple statement on their daily life.
Our IQ as Zambians is among the lowest of the human species, says disreputable race and intelligence British psychologist Richard Lynn a man described by many as a white supremacist and an eccentric eugenicist.
According to Lynn, Africans have an average IQ of about 70 compared to whites with 100. He claims to have conducted the study in sub-Sahara Africa and concludes that the 70 IQ was the reason for the low level of economic development in black Africa.
Back in 1916, inventor of the Stanford-Binet IQ test, American psychologist Lewis Madison Terman proposed the scale for classifying IQ scores: Genius or near genius (over 140); Very superior intelligence (120-140); Superior intelligence (110-119); Normal or average intelligence (90-109); Dullness (80-89); Borderline deficiency (70-79); and Definite feeble-mindedness (under 70).
People with a borderline deficiency will function at an equivalent age of a young teenager. They are ignorant and are easily susceptible to addictions, Attention Deficit-hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), promiscuity, and mood disorders. This is the category in which Lynn has put us. He actually gets as low as 67 to definite feeble-mindedness (retardation).
The danger is that Lynn’s study is referenced by many psychologists around the world who treat him as an authority in the science of intelligence. His credentials allow him to sit on several editorial boards including that of the journals Intelligence and Personality and Individual Differences.
In Lynn’s book Race Differences in Intelligence: An Evolutionary Analysis the average IQ of Zambian adults is at 64! According to the book 152 Zambian adults participated in the test. Some tests were visual, some verbal. Examiners concentrated on reading, vocabulary, general knowledge and arithmetic. A score of 64 means the average Zambian is in the definite feeble-mindedness category.
Out of sheer curiosity, can any Zambian who took part in any IQ test between 1970 and 2000 please come forward. We would like to know what tests they took, where and when. Was it done with the authority of our government—the Ministry of Education? Did the president know about it? Was the National Scientific Research made aware?
I have never heard of Richard Lynn or other IQ examiners come to Zambia to do their dirty work. In actual fact many researchers have repudiated Lynn’s findings in sub-Sahara Africa, and accused him of intentionally ignoring Africans with high score by using selective data. The general conclusion is that his findings are distorted and greatly flawed.
The question is; what makes people like Richard Lynn treat us like we have nothing between our ears? Like we are retards on two legs? There are numerous reasons. Of course one such is that the findings are used to perpetuate racial stereotypes. They are used to justify superiority of the white race over us, black people. Many euro-centric researchers wish to maintain the IQ as the fulcrum of white supremacy.
Another reason, and perhaps the most important, is that we are ourselves to blame. The way we live, behave, interact, talk, and think; the buildings we live in, the roads we walk on, and the jobs we do; the things we like and dislike; places we visit; the way we treat one another, the way politicians treat us, and most of all our sour relationship with knowledge.
IQ is based on knowledge. Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something. It includes facts, information, descriptions, and skills most of which is attained through reading; the more we read, the more knowledgeable we become, the more intelligent, and the better the IQ.
It is the lack of reading that has left us ignorant at best. Ignorance is everywhere. Even those in the corridors of power are motivated by ignorance. They embrace ignorance and proudly take it to be knowledge. In parliament for instance, many law makers stick to their narrow impressions and views of various aspects of life even when it is clear they lack the knowledge of information in domestic and foreign affairs.
“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action,” dramatist and poet Johann Wolfgang once wrote. And writer Elbert Hubbard added: “The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.”
Ignorance exhibited by our leaders filters down to us and prevents us from progressing towards a society of thought. Many of our current leaders are entrapped in unintelligent, level 64, destructive and retrogressive politics of tyranny, tribalism, nepotism, apathy, greed, and corruption. They have no clue how to treat us as humans, and how to take advantage of our human capital—INTELLIGENCE.
We are all intelligent Zambians, each one of us. We have the ability to reason, plan, and solve problems that concern our wellbeing. The problem is that most of us don’t think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience.
We are not curious enough and yet curiosity is an important trait of genius. Because we don’t read, we don’t ask questions and search for answers. We do not appreciate new ideas, examine them and use them to our benefit. As a result we progress at a snail’s pace and our surroundings hardly change.
Lynn and others know this. They have seen the way we live. Our pastime is beer-drinking, dancing, watching soccer, roasting and eating meat, gossiping, and belittling others. Our surroundings are unkempt and our buildings shabby.
Lynn and his cohorts claim that the genetic and environmental conditions contribute to our low IQ. Could it be possible, therefore, that they draw some of their conclusions from what they see when they come in contact with us?
Let’s imagine for a moment Lynn travels to Zambia. He hires a car and drives to Chibolya. What would his impression be upon seeing sick-looking alcoholics drinking Kachasu (local illicit gin) and smoking marijuana outside dilapidated colonial structures some still featuring bucket toilets?
And if from there Lynn drove on Kafue Road into George Compound, John Lang, Chawama on a rainy day and saw damaged homes, flooded alleys and septic tanks sipping with excrement, what would he record in his diary?
What would he record if he drove on Cairo Road, ChaChaCha, Freedomway, and Lumumba Road and ended up in Matero, Lilanda, and Desai Compound, and on his way back drove through Mandevu, Marapodi and Chaisa?
And if from there he drove to Mungule village on his way to Mpika and Nakonde. Surely, wouldn’t he fly back to the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland where he teaches such garbage and tell the world he is right?
He would say what he has always said, that we have the lowest of the IQs. He would say that we live the life of a white person of 1950. It was in the 1950s that some houses in the Western world had outside toilets and bathrooms like we still have in Chilenje, Chiwempala, Wusakile, Twapia, and Matero. It was then that many, like most of the current middle-class Zambians, did not have fridges, washing machines, and hot water.
Actually, some researchers say that we live worse that the European of the ‘30s and ‘40s. It was during this period that Americans and Europeans experienced high levels of unemployment, poverty and sickness just like we do today. Major industries and mines collapsed just like ours and unemployment shot to the roof.
It was in the 1930s-40s that dictatorship became rampant because leaders like Benito Mussolini (Italy), Adolf Hitler (Germany), Joseph Stalin (USSR), and Hideki Tojo (Japan) had no democratic experience and had severe economic problems. They saw dictatorship as the only solution to prevent their fall.
Let’s admit it. Lynn is right to a large extent. We indeed are a people at the totem pole—at the bottom of humanity and our political leaders from the president down have no clue how to get us out. They do not know how to fight Lynn and prove him wrong.
I know many of my critics will say it is a personal responsibility of every Zambian to be intelligent. While I concur, I put the blame squarely on the president. More than a year in office, he is not propelling us to an intelligent nation. He is not utilizing our greatest asset—the human brain by shaping how we think and feel about issues that matter.
Presidents play an inestimable role in changing the thinking of a people. Kaunda coined “One Zambia One Nation” and we bonded as a nation. As for Sata, he doesn’t know where to start. He does not have the intellectual acumen and the inspiration to lift us out of the nadir and turn us into an intelligent society that can face and respond to the challenges of a technological world.
President Michael Chilufya Sata does not know how to optimize the intelligence of Zambians—period. He does not know that if he unlocks our intelligence he will be reducing poverty, hunger, and disease.
If he truly is committed to our advancement, he must change our country from a drinking nation to a reading one. This might be impossible for him to contemplate, but the secret of finding out what is at the top of the mountain is to climb it.
We must, individually and as a people, choose between fixing our IQ and being treated like unintelligent genera.
Field Ruwe is a US-based Zambian media practitioner, historian, and author. He is a PhD candidate at George Fox University and serves as an adjunct professor (lecturer) in Boston. ©Ruwe2012
Much as I can agree with the saying about “hiding something” in a book saying, I am totally against labeling all ZAMBIANS as people who don’t have the culture of reading. The is a Zambian and this shows me that he is including himself in the category of non readers. I am a Zambian working in North Africa and I love reading. Most of my family members are book worms. Please let us be fair when we writing these articles. Instead of trying to write off everything and everyone about Zambia and in Zambia, let us be sober and fair in our criticism. Many Africans and not all don’t like reading at all but there are also many who like reading. Some of the treasures of my possessions are expensive books including the Bible and I remember someone also saying that if you want to hide money in the house, put it in the Bible. Wish you well in your writing Mr Ruwe but let us love our country and all that is there about it, ONE DAY WE WILL ALSO BE A GREAT NATION.
I must agree with what has been written in this article. I solve our problems we need a hard look at ourselves. Unfortunately, what one will see is not good and denialism is not a solution. May God save us
I would love to say this is a well written article but i can not say it because , is based solely on someone else knowledge and /or research which was done between 1964 and 1974 . This article is merely an endorsement of Richard Lynn’s work which i refuse completely to believe because if we compare the citizens of Zambia in the 60 and 70s to those of today even my brother Field Ruwe PhD candidate would find it difficult to endorse Richard Lynn’s findings . According to Richard Lynns website Zambia has got a higher IQ than Nigera,Ghana,Kenya,Uganda,Namibia,Zimbabwe,South Africa and a few other countries but our country is not as developed as the mentioned countries . I am hoping that our intellectuals will do well to help educate those less fortunate than they are to think innovative and provide soultions as opposed to always depending on the government for everything. The history of our country has been written for us by others and we have accepted what they have written instead of questioning them and proving them wrong where we can . Thank you big brother for your wonderful works as always , instead of criticizing us or the govt , please try as much as you can to also inspire us to think positively about our nation because not every Zambian will be fortunate to travel the world like you have . I have the book in both hard copy and audio , please see below
Richard Lynn
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Intelligence and the Wealth and Poverty of Nations
Table 4
IQs for 185 countries
National IQs Based on the Results of Intelligence Tests and Estimated National IQs (marked by *) Based on the IQs of Neighbouring or Other Comparable Countries.
Country National IQ based on Comparison countries
arithmetic means.
1 Afghanistan 83* Iran 84, India 81
2 Albania 90* Croatia 90, Turkey 90
3 Algeria 84* Morocco 85, Egypt 83
4 Angola 69* Zambia 77, Zimbabwe 66, Congo (Z) 65
5 Antigua & Barbuda 75* Barbados 78, Jamaica 72
6 Argentina 96
7 Armenia 93* Turkey 90, Russia 96
8 Australia 98
9 Austria 102
10 Azerbaijan 87* Turkey 90, Iran 84
11 Bahamas 78* Barbados 78
12 Bahrain 83* Iraq 87, Qatar 78
13 Bangladesh 81* India 81
14 Barbados 78
15 Belarus 96* Russia 96
16 Belgium 100
17 Belize 83* Guatemala 79, Mexico 87
18 Benin 69* Ghana 71, Nigeria 67
19 Bhutan 78* Nepal 78
20 Bolivia 85* Ecuador 80, Peru 90
21 Botswana 72* Zambia 77, Zimbabwe 66
22 Brazil 87
23 Brunei 92* Malaysia 92
24 Bulgaria 93
25 Burkina Faso 66* Guinea 63, Sierra Leone 64, Ghana 71
26 Burma (Myanmar) 86* India 81, Thailand 91
27 Burundi 70* Congo (Z) 65, Tanzania 72, Uganda 73
28 Cambodia 89* Thailand 91, Philippines 86
29 Cameroon 70* Nigeria 67, Congo (Braz) 73
30 Canada 97
31 Cape Verde 78* Mixed population-see notes
32 Central African Rep. 68* Congo (B) 73, Congo (Z) 65, Nigeria 67
33 Chad 72* Sudan 72
34 Chile 93* Argentina 96, Peru 90
35 China 100
36 Colombia 88
37 Comoros 79* Mixed Negroid-Arab-Malay population – see notes
38 Congo (Braz) 73
39 Congo (Zaire) 65
40 Costa Rica 91* Argentina 96, Uruguay 96, Colombia 88, Puerto Rico 84
41 Côte d’Ivoire 71* Ghana 71
42 Croatia 90
43 Cuba 85
44 Cyprus 92* Greece 92
45 Czech Republic 97
46 Denmark 98
47 Djibouti 68* Sudan 72, Ethiopia 63
48 Dominica 75* Barbados 78, Jamaica 72
49 Dominican Republic 84* Mixed population, Puerto Rico 84
50 Ecuador 80
51 Egypt 83
52 El Salvador 84* Guatemala 79, Colombia 88
53 Equatorial Guinea 59
54 Eritrea 68* Sudan 72, Ethiopia 63
55 Estonia 97* Finland 97, Russia 96
56 Ethiopia 63
57 Fiji 84
58 Finland 97
59 France 98
60 Gabon 66* Congo (B) 73, Equatorial Guinea 59
61 Gambia 64* Sierra Leone 64, Guinea 63
62 Georgia 93* Russia 96, Turkey 90
63 Germany 102
64 Ghana 71
65 Greece 92
66 Grenada 75* Barbados 78, Jamaica 72
67 Guatemala 79
68 Guinea 63
69 Guinea-Bissau 63* Guinea 63
70 Guyana 84* Suriname 89, Barbados 78
71 Haiti 72* Jamaica 72
72 Honduras 84* Guatemala 79, Colombia 88
73 Hong Kong 107
74 Hungary 99
75 Iceland 98* Norway 98
76 India 81
77 Indonesia 89
78 Iran 84
79 Iraq 87
80 Ireland 93
81 Israel 94
82 Italy 102
83 Jamaica 72
84 Japan 105
85 Jordan 87* Iraq 87, Lebanon 86
86 Kazakhstan 93* Russia 96, Turkey 90
87 Kenya 72
88 Kiribati 84* Marshall Islands 84, Fiji 84
89 Korea, North 105* South Korea 106,Japan 105
90 Korea, South 106
91 Kuwait 83* Iraq 87, Qatar 78
92 Kyrgyzstan 87* Turkey 90, Iran 84
93 Laos 89* Thailand 91, Philippines 86
94 Latvia 97* Russia 96, Finland 97
95 Lebanon 86
96 Lesotho 72* Zambia 77, Zimbabwe 66
97 Liberia 64* Sierra Leone 64, Guinea 63
98 Libya 84* Morocco 85, Egypt 83
99 Lithuania 97* Russia 96, Finland 97
100 Luxembourg 101* Netherlands 102, Belgium 100
101 Macedonia 93* Bulgaria 93, Greece 92
102 Madagascar 79* Mixed Malay-Negroid population – see notes
103 Malawi 71* Congo (Z) 65, Tanzania 72, Zambia 77
104 Malaysia 92
105 Maldives 81* India 81
106 Mali 68* Guinea 63, Sudan 72
107 Malta 95* Italy 102, Spain 99, Morocco 85
108 Marshall Islands 84
109 Mauritania 73* Guinea 63, Morocco 85, Sudan 72
110 Mauritius 81* Mixed population-see notes
111 Mexico 87
112 Micronesia 84* Marshall Islands 84
113 Moldova 95* Romania 94, Russia 96
114 Mongolia 98* Russia 96, China 100
115 Morocco 85
116 Mosambique 72* Tanzania 72, Zimbabwe 66, Zambia 77
117 Namibia 72* Zambia 77, Zimbabwe 66
118 Nepal 78
119 Netherlands 102
120 New Zealand 100
121 Nicaragua 84* Guatemala 79, Colombia 88
122 Niger 67* Nigeria 67
123 Nigeria 67
124 Norway 98
125 Oman 83* Iraq 87, Qatar 78
126 Pakistan 81* India 81
127 Panama 84* Colombia 88, Ecuador 80
128 Papua New Guinea 84* Marshall Islands 84, Fiji 84
129 Paraguay 85* Ecuador 80, Peru 90
130 Peru 90
131 Philippines 86
132 Poland 99
133 Portugal 95
134 Puerto Rico 84
135 Qatar 78
136 Romania 94
137 Russia 96
138 Rwanda 70* Congo (Z) 65, Tanzania 72, Uganda 73
139 Samoa (Western) 87
140 Sao Tome/Principe 59* Equatorial Guinea 59
141 Saudi Arabia 83* Iraq 87, Qatar 78
142 Senegal 64* Sierra Leone 64, Guinea 63
143 Seychelles 81* Mixed population, India 81
144 Sierra Leone 64
145 Singapore 100
146 Slovakia 96
147 Slovenia 95
148 Solomon Islands 84* Marshall Islands 84, Fiji 84
149 Somalia 68* Ethiopia 63, Kenya 72
150 South Africa 72 See notes
151 Spain 99
152 Sri Lanka 81* India 81
153 St. Kitts & Nevis 75* Barbados 78, Jamaica 72
154 St. Lucia 75* Barbados 78, Jamaica 72
155 St.Vincent/Grenadines 75* Barbados 78, Jamaica 72
156 Sudan 72
157 Suriname 89
158 Swaziland 72* Zambia 77, Zimbabwe 66
159 Sweden 101
160 Switzerland 101
161 Syria 87* Iraq 87, Lebanon 86
162 Taiwan 104
163 Tajikistan 87* Turkey 90, Iran 84
164 Tanzania 72
165 Thailand 91
166 Togo 69* Ghana 71, Nigeria 67
167 Tonga 87
168 Trinidad & Tobago 80* 78, Jamaica 72 Suriname 89, Barbados
169 Tunisia 84* Morocco 85, Egypt 83
170 Turkey 90
171 Turkmenistan 87* Turkey 90, Iran 84
172 Uganda 73
173 Ukraine 96* Russia 96
174 United Arab Emirates 83* Iraq 87, Qatar 78
175 United Kingdom 100
176 United States 98
177 Uruguay 96
178 Uzbekistan 87* Turkey 90, Iran 84
179 Vanuatu 84* Marshall Islands 84, Fiji 84
180 Venezuela 88* Colombia 88
181 Vietnam 96* China 100, Thailand 91
182 Yemen 83* Iraq 87, Qatar 78
183 Yugoslavia 93* Croatia 90, Slovenia 95
184 Zambia 77
185 Zimbabwe 66
http://www.rlynn.co.uk/pages/article_intelligence/t4.asp
Well written Mr Ruwe! I thought I was a strange person thinking the same way as you have written. I noticed a lot of all these things too when I went to Zed last year and it is so despairing. The apathy and lack of deep reasoning are a concern, and the ignorance, filth and general degeneration of the place so defeating. And the politicians still just carry on with their “speeches”, unflinching – in the middle of it all. !!
Can’t agree more.