zlacker

> Humans overwhelmingly learn meaning by use, not by definition

Preliminarily and provisionally. Then, they start discussing their concepts - it is the very definition of Intelligence.

>>mdp202+(OP)
Most humans don’t do that for most things they have a notion of in their head. It would be much too time consuming to start discussing the meaning of even just a significant fraction of them. For a rough reference point, the English language has over 150.000 words that you could each discuss the meaning of and try to come up with a definition. Not to speak of the difficulties to make that set of definitions noncircular.

>>layer8+r2
(Mental entities are very many more than the hundred thousand, out of composition, cartesianity etc. So-called "protocols" (after logical positivism) are part of them, relating more entities with space and time. Also, by speaking of "circular definitions" you are, like others, confusing mental definitions with formal definitions.)

So? Draw your consequences.

Following what was said, you are stating that "a staggering large number of people are unintelligent". Well, ok, that was noted. Scolio: if unintelligent, they should refrain from expressing judgement (you are really stating their non-judgement), why all the actual expression? If unintelligent actors, they are liabilities, why this overwhelming employment in the job market?

Thing is, as unintelligent as you depict them quantitatively, the internal processing that constitutes intelligence proceeds in many even when scarce, even when choked by some counterproductive bad formation - processing is the natural functioning. And then, the right Paretian side will "do the job" that the vast remainder will not do, and process notions actively (more, "encouragingly" - the process is importantly unconscious, many low-level layers are) and proficiently.

And the very Paretian prospect will reveal, there will be a number of shallow takes, largely shared, on some idea, and other intensively more refined takes, more rare, on the same idea. That shows you a distinction between "use" and the asymptotic approximation to meanings as achieved by intellectual application.