Carly Hood reviews Hannah Critchlow's Joined Up Thinking, a book designed to push us to question intelligence as a concept, explore the benefits of community and cooperation, and even to chastise those that are behaving selfishly.
"Intelligence... is limiting to some and damaging to others"
IQ is on the decline, and society is distressed about it. In the opening pages of Joined Up Thinking: The Science of Collective Intelligence and Its Power to Change Our Lives, Neuroscientist and science communicator Hannah Critchlow explains that the reason for such distress is that, in society, intelligence is generally valued as a marker for individual success. She promptly subverts this thinking, calling attention to intelligence as a biased measure, one that is ‘limiting to some and damaging to others’. Though Critchlow does not delve into the contentious history of IQ, she does use this assertion as a springboard to call for its reconsideration as an evolved strategy that should be used by everyone to achieve outcomes that benefit the majority. Â
"With a shift to collective intelligence...we will be able to overcome the limitations of the individual brain"
The Jungian concept of collective intelligence, or in more concrete terms effective cooperation, is an evolutionary strategy - as individuals, we are vulnerable, and our effective cooperation with others reduces this vulnerability. Critchlow begins by linking this central thesis to the neurodiversity affirming movement. In present society, some diagnoses, such as ADHD and autism, may prevent individuals from achieving conventional success. With a shift to collective intelligence, where certain characteristics and alternative ways of seeing the world are conferred as strengths, ‘we will be able to overcome the limitations of the individual brain and drive innovation and solve problems.’Â
As a researcher with experience in the neurobiology of decision-making, Critchlow proceeds to describe interesting research on effective cooperation within different relationship contexts, from the family unit to the workplace, in a digestible manner. Though sparse in detail, as in all pop-science books, the research used in service of her argument is surprising and entertaining. She describes topics ranging from brain synchronicity between parents and their babies, to how paracetamol affects the ability to think as a group, and to how adjusting the office thermostat can boost group productivity and performance.Â
Ostensibly, though our social intelligence is evolved, our collective reasoning is open to bias, influenced by emotion, and peer pressure, rooted in natural responses to fear. This is the double-edged nature of our collective intelligence. Critchlow offers various interventions to this, grounded in empathy, communication and awareness of the self and of others. In this way, it is possible to build an appreciation of how individuals contribute unique skill sets and how this can then be leveraged to work, collectively, to benefit everyone. Though initially the book described several pragmatic take-aways (complete with exercises at the end of each chapter that are reminiscent of self-help books), the further into the narrative, the more radically removed the suggestions became – examples included the potential for pharmaceutical interventions to stimulate empathy circuits in the brains of psychopaths, and the use of a ‘super brain cloud’.Â
Despite this, her main message is clear. To face current challenges in a rapidly changing world, it is crucial to move away from individual-centric attitudes towards intelligence and lean into means of effective cooperation that advance the collective good.Â
This article was written by Carly Hood and edited by Rebecca Pope. Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch!