How does evolution or natural selection explain smart, average, dumb people differences?

[colaman94]

After all, I'm actually very simple minded. I often am very impressed by people even slightly smarter than me. Especially more confident than me. Even if they're just somewhat smarter. I for one, do not get maths, or multitasking. 🧠 Genuinely asking

[Lliam]

Humans are social creatures who organize themselves into groups for survival.
The cleverest and most ruthless rise to the top. They create structures like religion and armies to control the masses. They surround themselves with other smart people to advise them and help carry out their ambitions. They build hierarchical systems - King, advisors, accountants, guards, nobles, warriors, priests, etc.

The masses are composed of people with different skills like farming, animal husbandry, metal working, stone masonry, wood working, various craftsmen, artists, traders, butchers, bakers, inn keepers, serfs, slaves, freemen, etc.

The masses don't have to be all that smart but some are. Even dumber ones can make a living and procreate. And offspring aren't always as dumb as their parents.

Access to nourishing food, education and resources play a huge role in developing one's potential. That's why the children of rich people are usually successful even though they might not be as naturally intelligent as many common people.

Apply all that to today's world. There are billionaires, politicians, office workers, people with various skills, McDonald's workers, and around the world there are villagers, farmers, herders, fishermen, people living in slums and war zones, etc., etc. It's not like those who aren't privileged just die out completely.

People who are less sophisticated or intelligent don't naturally die off, either. That's not really how natural selection works. It's the people who are most capable of adapting who survive.

[slatyb]

Variation is the inevitable result of sexual reproduction -- each person is a brand new thing never seen before. Here's an analogy -- imagine that height is controlled by 10 genes, each has two variations: Tall (T) or Short (S) and each person gets some combination of T and S genes from their parents. There's one combination of all T genes, one combination of all S genes, but 252 combination of 5T and 5S. So most people will be about average, but a few will be very tall or very short.