My big deal about you and me and my IQ

[Kylyssa]

My issue personal with people bandying their IQ about is that I took a lot of shit as a kid when a teacher chose to share my private test information with anyone who cared to listen.  I never stopped hearing, "you think you're sooo smart" until I left the community I grew up in and went to live where no one knew.  The other problem was that people felt the need to tell me I'm a failure because I'm "too smart" not to be a (fill in the blank with something other than freelance writer and florist) and make a lot of money or cure a disease or something.  

If someone were to outright ask my IQ, I might tell them though chances are I'd simply find a way to redirect the conversation.  

I know my test results - my adult numbers vary less than a standard deviation from my childhood numbers.  But, you know, I'm almost embarrassed to admit I took IQ tests as an adult and feel like I need to explain. I took one after a head injury because my neuropsychologist recommended it and the other (kind of rinky dink) test was administered by the Social Security Administration examiner when I applied for Disability to show that I'm not retarded and thus able to work no matter how sick I get.

In my experience, whenever someone feels the need to announce their own IQ it generally means they are being a twat.  Even when people mention the IQ's of others (out of the context of an educational placement discussion or a Special Olympics qualifying committee) they, too are generally being twats.  One such experience of mine involved a client ordering flowers for a doctors' convention.  She said to me, "Make sure these are exceptional arrangements, our attendees all have IQ's over 140."  Total twat.  There have been a few others in my real world experience but that one stuck with me because I had to bite my tongue so hard.  Most people I've seen who've waved their IQ around like trophy underwear have been online.  Generally they've been total twats and generally involved in religion flavored discussions.

So the best thing I've found to do when people need to preface every discussion with an announcement of their IQ is to ignore them if possible - because they're twats.

[McQ]

My issue personal with people bandying their IQ about is that I took a lot of shit as a kid when a teacher chose to share my private test information with anyone who cared to listen.  I never stopped hearing, "you think you're sooo smart" until I left the community I grew up in and went to live where no one knew.  The other problem was that people felt the need to tell me I'm a failure because I'm "too smart" not to be a (fill in the blank with something other than freelance writer and florist) and make a lot of money or cure a disease or something.  

If someone were to outright ask my IQ, I might tell them though chances are I'd simply find a way to redirect the conversation.  

I know my test results - my adult numbers vary less than a standard deviation from my childhood numbers.  But, you know, I'm almost embarrassed to admit I took IQ tests as an adult and feel like I need to explain. I took one after a head injury because my neuropsychologist recommended it and the other (kind of rinky dink) test was administered by the Social Security Administration examiner when I applied for Disability to show that I'm not retarded and thus able to work no matter how sick I get.

In my experience, whenever someone feels the need to announce their own IQ it generally means they are being a twat.  Even when people mention the IQ's of others (out of the context of an educational placement discussion or a Special Olympics qualifying committee) they, too are generally being twats.  One such experience of mine involved a client ordering flowers for a doctors' convention.  She said to me, "Make sure these are exceptional arrangements, our attendees all have IQ's over 140."  Total twat.  There have been a few others in my real world experience but that one stuck with me because I had to bite my tongue so hard.  Most people I've seen who've waved their IQ around like trophy underwear have been online.  Generally they've been total twats and generally involved in religion flavored discussions.

So the best thing I've found to do when people need to preface every discussion with an announcement of their IQ is to ignore them if possible - because they're twats.

 

Well spake, m'lady!

[curiosityandthecat]

I always enjoy reading your rants.  

[Will]

Bud: Hey, Will. You're a pretty bright guy, what's your IQ?
Me: 78.
Bud: Why are you picking your nose?

IQs are a fun way to try and gauge intellect, but the truth is that they're not really the end-all be-all of measures for intellect. I would argue that there is no way to objectively gauge intellect.

Intellectual vanity is a sign of stupidity, though. The "twats" are people that identified with the Ninja Turtle Donatello, and somehow that expanded to a "I must be very smart. Look at how smart I am!" attitude. It's silly.

[Wraitchel]

High intelligence is just another tool people can use either for good or ill. It really doesn't matter much, and I don't want to know.

Rachel-from-a-family-of-smart-asses

[Squid]

I will admit that I have never be administered a formal IQ test and therefore I really have no clue what my IQ is and I don't care.  I have some issue with the current measurement of intelligence such as the "gold standard" measurements.  I do think that Howard Gardner's idea of multiple intelligences is a step in a better direction but much more work in the field is still needed.

[Sophus]

Stephen Hawking would agree with you there:

People who brag about their IQ are losers.

A lazy fellow with a high IQ is peanuts to someone who makes a great contribution to society with a lower one. For example the man with the highest IQ in the world hasn't really done anything significant that I've heard of. Bill Gates, whose IQ is estimated to be more than 50 points lower, has revolutionized the world with Microsoft.

Intellectual vanity is a sign of stupidity, though.

Only if you're intellectually vain and stupid. If arrogance is rightfully earned then I don't see them being stupid for being arrogant. Then again maybe I'm just excusing my own intellectual vanity.

[Tom62]

Shit, and I just wanted to brag about my IQ    I'd only taken an official IQ test once, that was in another language than my mother tongue. So, I can't tell you what my real IQ is, because some language related questions in that test where just too subtle or incomprehensible to me.

[Will]

Only if you're intellectually vain and stupid. If arrogance is rightfully earned then I don't see them being stupid for being arrogant. Then again maybe I'm just excusing my own intellectual vanity.

Arrogance is never rightfully earned. Pride, yes, confidence, yes; arrogance, never. Knowing that line between pride/confidence and arrogance may very well be a sign of intelligence, too.

[LARA]

Is I.Q. meaningless?  I don't know.  I do know that whe I was young and stupider (I'm hoping this to be true   )  I was told I had a high I.Q. and it did me no benefit.  My goals in life at that point were to own lot's of fish, preferably a pet store, and once my I.Q. was known, my goals in life were supplanted by my parents goals of me being anything I  (read: they)  wanted.  So my own personal happiness was not served by I.Q. tests.  I think I.Q. indicates that a person might have a higher ability to learn the types of material on I.Q. tests, as much as that knowledge is useful in society.  They of course, don't indicate kindness, compassion an ability to control one's mouth, or other types of handy skills.  So I.Q. is what you make of it.  If your high I.Q. helps you achieve something that brings you happiness, then so be it, but attaching any great meaning to a number like this is bound to lead you into some kind of disappointment.

What I'd really like to know is what is stupid?  Other than obvious mental retardation that prevents an individual from leading a normal daily life, I think stupid is rather a subjective tag as well as what is insane.

[Sophus]

Only if you're intellectually vain and stupid. If arrogance is rightfully earned then I don't see them being stupid for being arrogant. Then again maybe I'm just excusing my own intellectual vanity.

Arrogance is never rightfully earned. Pride, yes, confidence, yes; arrogance, never. Knowing that line between pride/confidence and arrogance may very well be a sign of intelligence, too.

Surely a man as smart as you would know that this is a mere matter of opinion. Preference in moral affairs does not depict ones intelligence or lack of. Was Hitler stupid for his hatred and killing of the Jews? No. It is for those reasons we call him evil. What made him stupid was his idiotic war tactics and overriding his genius generals plans. Had he been a military genius himself he would have had every right to be prideful, confident and arrogant in that matter. Only in his misjudgment of ability can we say Hitler was foolish for owning arrogance.
If a truly intelligent man's logic says arrogance works best for him in life then you can judge him morally. But as far as intellect goes he is still perfectly capable. Consistent confidence is just going to be perceived as arrogance anyways.

[karadan]

I once knew a guy who built his own bass guitar and amp from scratch. He then learned how to play the bass guitar (to a very good standard) in a matter of weeks. He knew four languages and was a member of Mensa. He also blew up a microwave because he put a tin of beans in it.

IQ is overrated.

[Will]

Surely a man as smart as you would know that this is a mere matter of opinion. Preference in moral affairs does not depict ones intelligence or lack of. Was Hitler stupid for his hatred and killing of the Jews? No. It is for those reasons we call him evil. What made him stupid was his idiotic war tactics and overriding his genius generals plans. Had he been a military genius himself he would have had every right to be prideful, confident and arrogant in that matter. Only in his misjudgment of ability can we say Hitler was foolish for owning arrogance.
If a truly intelligent man's logic says arrogance works best for him in life then you can judge him morally. But as far as intellect goes he is still perfectly capable. Consistent confidence is just going to be perceived as arrogance anyways.

Arrogant: exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one's own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrogant

Pride and confidence are by definition equal to ability or worth whereas arrogance is an overbearing exaggeration of one's ability or worth. Hitler was confident he could take over Germany. Hitler was arrogant to believe that he could take over the world.

[Wechtlein Uns]

I actually scored really high on the IQ test I took when I was in first grade. I don't remember what the exact number was, but I was in the top 5% of the population for kids.

It hasn't really helped much, except to alienate me from my peers.

[Kyuuketsuki]

I think I'm about 130 but not sure, it's based on TV tests and so on which probably isn't to accurate and even if true isn't that high.

One thing I'm certain of, even if that is a respectable IQ it doesn't stop me saying or doing some really f***Ing stoopid things.

Kyu