system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Culture] Why isn't everyone superintelligent?

Why do different intelligence levels exist in the Culture, if the technology is there to upgrade everyone?
gpt
Obsessing over becoming more powerful is considered childish in the Culture. Why not be content as yourself? And there are concerns over whether intelligence-enhanced humans are "really" the same person afterwards; after all, by definition, you'd be completely changing the substrate and processing architecture of your mind.

And you'd be giving up your entire social circle and place in life, of course.


It does occasionally happen, though - it's considered an Unusual Life Choice, and it's perfectly valid, just ... eccentric.

Like much of Culture philosophy, this is heavily influenced by their constructed language - Marian - which was deliberately designed to guide thought patterns away from violent, primitive societies.

EDIT: It's worth noting that the main benefits of being a Mind are multitasking and speed, not "true" intelligence. Normal humans *can* grasp complex multi-dimensional concepts, given time and training - they just usually don't. And it's not unheard of for a baseline to outwit a Mind.