PS I should add that, when I taught EA concepts to my undergrads at Chinese University of Hong Kong—Shenzhen (CUHK-SZ) (c. 2020-2021), which is a much more cognitively selective university that the American state university where I usually teach, the Chinese undergrads had a much easier time understanding the EA ideas. Despite having much lower familiarity with other aspects of the Euro-American culture, charity system, Rationalism subculture, etc.
So I take this as (weak but suggestive) evidence that cognitive ability is a major driver of ability to understand EA principles.
Also, of course, if EA principles were easy to develop and master among ordinary people, EA principles would probably have been developed and mastered much earlier historically.
PS I should add that, when I taught EA concepts to my undergrads at Chinese University of Hong Kong—Shenzhen (CUHK-SZ) (c. 2020-2021), which is a much more cognitively selective university that the American state university where I usually teach, the Chinese undergrads had a much easier time understanding the EA ideas. Despite having much lower familiarity with other aspects of the Euro-American culture, charity system, Rationalism subculture, etc.
So I take this as (weak but suggestive) evidence that cognitive ability is a major driver of ability to understand EA principles.
Also, of course, if EA principles were easy to develop and master among ordinary people, EA principles would probably have been developed and mastered much earlier historically.