A word to the test itself, because there are so many different tests on the market, and you may ask, why this one? The answer is simple. Humans are curious and we always want to know more, including or particularly when it concerns ourselves. Obviously this is not an intelligence test, though Einstein and Neanderthal have a particular implication. Generally, the test examines how you integrate yourself into the world you live in; what relationship you have with the environment; how you use it, to what advantage or disadvantage, and with what aims or goals.

The evaluation of your result is simple. Each letter can be chosen to a maximum of 10. The more often you chose one letter, the more significant it is for your result.

Categories/Associations:  

Homo Sapiens

A : Intelligence (“Einstein”)

B : Common Sense (“character-strength”)

C : Ignorance (“lack of education”)

Homo Erectus

D : Survival expert (“Neanderthal”)

Somebody with 10 A’s can call himself Einstein. With 5 A’s he is half one and 1A means he has only a small proportion of an Einstein.

This principle applies to all letters. 10 means always the highest level in one category. To express the result in %: 10 of any letter means 100%, 5 letters therefor is 50% and so forth, with 1 letter equaling 10% in that category.

Most results will be a mixture of letters. For example:

5A, 3B, 1C and 1D

The highest number signifies the dominant trait, in the above it is A. But 2 high numbers are a trend, as shown above with the combination of A and B, while C and D have obviously only a minor role overall. 

The combination of letters or categories when expressed in % makes the result more visual, as you can see it in a glance; but it is a matter of preference in which way you want to view the result. With the above given example it would look like this:

Einstein:             50%

Common Sense:   30%

Ignorance:          10%

Neanderthal:        10%

Finally, you may ask, what value the result has for you, and what it means for you personally, or for the society and environment in general, being an integrated not isolated individual. May be it highlights attitudes of yours that you need or want to change; may be you wish to learn more about your friends; may be it gives you the incentive to rally for a cause?

Usually, intelligence is seen as the most desirable and admirable attribute one can have. Common sense belongs rather to the ‘poor cousin’, and well, Neanderthal may even be considered an insult, someone who is ‘primitive’ the least. None of the assumptions are appropriate for different reasons, but particularly not in view of human behavior within the complex system we are part of, that is, the world we live in. Though judge for yourself! The following points made below may serve as guide-lines for you to interpret the test result accordingly.

To begin with, the Einstein ‘tag’ should not tempt you to think this category is the most desirable outcome. Remember, Einstein’s work was crucial for the development of the atomic bomb, though he was not directly involved to be fair. However, in this test category A does not qualify for the gold medal. The gold medal goes to the common sense category, because these people are not only intelligent but apply intelligence with care and consideration, contributing to the progress far more than pure intelligence can. If there were only super intelligent humans, the world, most likely, would have already found its demise. Apart from the atomic bomb, the crab in the entrance of the diner, the chicken huddling together in the chicken farm, - the intelligent person knows exactly why the crab does not move and the chicken don’t scurry around, but does he care? No! He is the brain behind it all, but does not care about anything else; as little as he cares about the antibacterial cleaning agents on the supermarket shelves, - despite the knowledge of antibiotic resistant bacteria and what that means for the treatment of infectious diseases. The purely intelligent human uses and abuses the environment, not only because he is intelligent, but despite being intelligent.

Humans with common sense sure are intelligent, but it is an encompassing intelligence that understands and observes the environment that is their home. They don’t cut down the branch they sit on, they consider their actions. It does not require super smart brains nor special expert knowledge. It suffices to have sound intelligence, the difference lies in its application. Someone with common sense does neither mistreat his children, nor his or any animal. He does not deforest the world, nor does he fish out the oceans because he knows the consequences; and he does not buy into the profiteering and scare mongering politics of ruthless minds. Sadly, this kind seems to be in the minority and that is a tragedy for this world, but it certainly is the winner in this test, taking home the gold medal.

The ignorant, in contrast to the intelligent, has at least an excuse, why he does not deserve a gold medal, because it may indeed be the lack of education to explain why he does what he does. Everyone is clear about the fact that a good education is crucial for life. Be it on home ground, raising the ‘bubs’, or through school, where the more sophisticated tools are taught. Education is necessary for a productive and purposeful life. Besides, it is easy to rule over ‘ignorant folks’, because they are easy to manipulate. It is truly alarming to watch in what speed and thoroughness modern societies are driven down the dulling roads. If anyone still doubts such a statement, just sit down for an evening of TV. More channels does not mean more choices or quality of programs, no, you may just get more repeats of dumb programs and repeats of the repeats of just the same. It truly solidifies the dumbness without even raising an alert. The well-known citation of Caesar, “Give the people bread and circuses”, is as valid today as it was then. However, anyone hiding behind ignorance, may deserve what he gets. Besides, does not every citizen know, that ignorance of the law does not prevent him from being punished? The same principle applies to every action that the ignorant executes against his environment. He will suffer the consequences all the same. Is it really necessary to point out an example?? Almost certainly, the reader knows plenty himself. 

The Neanderthal appears to be the lowest category. Of course, that is not justified. Without Homo erectus, no Homo sapiens would exist. Neanderthal’s gene material is in many and Homo erectus is in all Homo sapiens. Besides, the Neanderthal was by no means the dumb primitive as he was once described by science. In this test, his name is only borrowed for the purpose to highlight human’s behavioral survival instincts which were once a definite necessity to make it in an extremely dangerous environment. This survival instinct is still and needs to be active, though nowadays it does not have the same benefit or usefulness in its original form of application. Indeed! Homo sapiens should be very worried about his survival. He is on a path of self-destruction. Unfortunately, the old strategies are now turning against him, because paired with intelligence and accumulated knowledge they are the powder-keg, he sits on: Only the strongest survives, the most powerful, the richest, the most intelligent? Of course not anymore! And the development of artificial intelligence in the hands of the modern Neanderthals lets any “Terminator” movie with the ‘rise of the machines’ look like a sentimental love story. Reality is far more sinister. 

After that said, enjoy to ponder about your results or that of your friends. Congratulations if you are the ‘Homo Sapiens with common sense’! The world in your hands is in good hands indeed.