Aptitude Without Direction
The Biological Credentialism Crisis and Ben Shapiro's Strange, Unresolved Contradictions
Something strange is happening in online discourse. IQ and testosterone have become moral arguments.
There's a particular species of online reactionary who, upon being gently handed their own incoherence, retreats into the tattered fortress of IQ discourse—mistaking an aptitude test for a moral compass, and confusion for contrarianism.
They always talk about their own superior IQ. Asserting it, as if they've even measured it. And as if this weren't enough, they are also obsessively preoccupied with their testosterone levels. Some of you may have noticed the term “High-T” passing by your screen as you scroll endlessly through the cyberpunk darkness of 2025.
The fascinating convergence of these two preoccupations—IQ and testosterone—reveals something profound about our cultural moment. It's not just about being right; it's about being biologically superior. Not just smarter, but more virile. Not just cognitively gifted, but hormonally blessed.
Eugenics as epistemology, phrenology for the digital age.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Notes From The Circus to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.