Don't know about the IQ part. I feel smarter now than last year but how would I know for sure?
Yes, my "faith in humanity" bias as been noted before by several TBNers.
All I can say is it's as valid as pessimism; just less common.
rScotty
I think this is a somewhat divisive issue as I see a divergence. Everyones views are shaded by the people we are around.
You have groups of generally younger folks who perform poorly scholastically and blame others. Then there are those looking for the easy way out so, look for handouts from wherever they may come from. Then there are the ones with little regard for the future and just look for the good times today so, tend to drink too much-smoke dope-and do different drugs. Then there are the aggrieved people who want slavery reparations or "social justice" which I generally take as negative influences.
You also have the people setting new test scores and learning stuff in high school that in times past would have been PHD level scholastic work and those starting businesses whether a simple local sandwich shop or what will become a corporation on a stock exchange in the future.
Depending on who you encounter on a daily basis will shade your view on the future. A 20-something that blames my generation for the world's problems but hasn't really lived any life or experiences on their own irritates me a lot so, I generally avoid them because you can't have a coherent conversation with them about anything with objectivity.
My volunteer work with Adult GED efforts has been both great and a bit ambivalent. Some really blossom with self-confidence and go on to get better jobs and make more money to provide for themselves and those in their family. Others I could never reach because they were often coerced or bribed to be there which can make you cynical if you aren't careful, in my experience. Younger people who are high school drop-outs are a whole different know-it-all problem in many cases because we aren't talking about some third-world country where the child quits to go work the fields to feed his or her brothers and sisters!