[ WP ] A man with above average intelligence wishes for the world to be smarter . He is delighted to find that his wish has come true , until he realizes that he is now the least intelligent man in the world .

Theory and Practice 
 
 Dr. Christianson was the most distinguished panelist at the debate. He'd spent his entire professional career ( adult life ) studying the psychology of the human mind from an evolutionary perspective. He held a PhD from Harvard, and was a highly paid consultant for the Advertising Industry. He used his above average intelligence to persuade the average Mark to buy things ( whether the Mark needed them or not ). 
 
 After 40 years of manipulating the masses, he woke up one morning with pangs of guilt. To ease his guilt, he convinced himself that the problem was not him or his work ( the 2nd best psychologist was always waiting in the wings, ready to take his place - and the money that came with it ). No, the problem was not him ( he told himself ), but rather the masses themselves. They were simply too stupid ( on average ). He convinced himself that if only the masses ( the rest of the world ) became smarter, they would posses the ability to be aware of his manipulations and thus make them mute and ineffective. 
 
 Those fearful ads intended to persuade the average Mark to perform some action ( to vote - or not vote - for certain political campaigns, to ask their doctor for specific prescription pharmaceutical drugs, to buy that car that would make them feel love, to buy that dress that would make them feel loved, etc ) would surely not work on the masses if they were only smarter. 
 
 So, for an entire year, every morning and every evening, he prayed for the masses. He prayed that they would become smarter and cease to fall for his psychological manipulations. Of course, being an intellectual, he did not believe in the power of prayer. But, being an intellectual, he understood it's evolutionary roots. Thus, he understood why his prayers would ease his guilt. In a way, he was manipulating himself. 
 
 After a year of prayer, he woke one morning to find out that his prayers were answered. It was the morning of Thanksgiving day, and his children and grandchildren were visiting. While sitting around the TV, watching the Cowboys game, one of his most recent commercials came on the air. It was intended to get young children to nag their parents to buy them an implant for the latest 8-G droid chip. It was a well crafted commercial, playing on the fears of the out-group and the love of the in-group. Words ca n't do it justice. 
 
 However, the words of Dr. Christianson's youngest grandchild were the answers to his prayers. Little Jerry, just four years old at the time, simply turned to his grandfather and asked, `` Who made you do that?''
