Are We Becoming Smart Fools?

IQ points keep rising with each generation, but the tests are leaving out emotional intelligence, creativity, and wisdom—the very traits we need to solve our most pressing problems.

By Sharon Begley
December 4, 2017
Calm

We are well advised to avoid certain things as we age. Right behind making cranky complaints about t

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About The Author

Sharon Begley

Sharon Begley, our longtime science columnist, died of cancer on January 16, 2021, at age 64. Our thoughts and good wishes go out to her family and her wide circle of colleagues, for whom she was an exemplar of the highest standards of the journalistic profession.

Sharon was a senior science writer with The Boston Globe Media Group, author of Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, and coauthor with Richard Davidson of The Emotional Life of Your Brain.

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