My big deal about you and me and my IQ

[curiosityandthecat]

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.

Same here. I've found IQ to be a measure of how interested people are in comparing their own level of intelligence to others (...the definition of what the IQ is supposed to tell you). I find grades in school do the same thing. People who, unprompted, talk about their GPA fall into the same category, as far as I'm concerned.

Intelligence should come out through deeds and presentation. Often, I find eloquence to be a much better gauge of intelligence than any standardized test. Command of a language is strongly positively correlated to level of intelligence, I've found (from my time being a teacher).

[Kylyssa]

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

Exactly.  It can alienate people from their peers and create unrealistic and sometimes weird expectations in family members and others.  People are also more likely to call someone with a known high IQ a loser if they don't meet those expectations.

I have Asperger's Syndrome.  In person, I'm about as eloquent as a rock and prone to do weird things unexpectedly.  Over the years I've learned (more or less) how to effectively interact with other members of society.  Over decades, I've managed to piece together what most folks know naturally by junior high.  I could compete in the Special Olympics of social interaction.

Social ability is yet another aspect which is ignored along with emotional development though I think the two are not equivalent.  Emotional maturity doesn't equate to social ability and neither equate to IQ.

[Wechtlein Uns]

wow, kylyssa, you've really gotten the short end of the stick, huh?

I mean, I don't pretend to have the best life, but dayum... you must have had a really sucky childhood, huh?

[Sophus]

]
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.

Depends upon where you draw your definition from:

Marked by or arising from a feeling or assumption of one's superiority toward others (thefreedictionary.com)

It's just pride in its most narcissist form.

[curiosityandthecat]

To the rescue, with the Oxford English Dictionary!

arrogant, adj. Making or implying unwarrantable claims to dignity, authority, or knowledge; aggressively conceited or haughty, presumptuous, overbearing. (Used of men, their actions, manner, etc.)

[oldschooldoc]

Kylyssa and Wechtlein...

I am with you on this. I was never picked on in school and always had plenty of friends (which is overrated, until you find the real friends who don't let you down). But, thanks to my grades and perceived intelligence early on, my family has berated me since I was a kid anytime I didn't live up to some unreal expectations. Oh well, gotta love free will. It's my life, deal with it.

[Marke]

A big problem with IQ tests is that they only test for a few different types of intelligence. Those types that are easy to test for but not necessarily the most important types. You can't really blame those that make the tests, we always look for keys under the street light.  

[Nazzer]

Stephen Hawking, when asked what his IQ was, responded "I have no idea. People who boast about their IQ are losers."

I agree wholeheartedly. For this reason, I refuse to reveal my IQ when people ask. I also refuse to take IQ tests unless required by school or work.

[Kyuuketsuki]

Stephen Hawking, when asked what his IQ was, responded "I have no idea. People who boast about their IQ are losers."

I agree wholeheartedly. For this reason, I refuse to reveal my IQ when people ask. I also refuse to take IQ tests unless required by school or work.

I guess I'd probably take an IQ test, not a formal one, and I'd be vaguely interested in the results but they are, as Hawking implies, pretty meaningless ... I'm not stupid, in fact I'd go as fart as to say I'm fairly smart compared to some but I'm also an idiot a lot of the time, I know many people who are really clever (I mean really, really clever) and they can sometimes be really stupid, often say the most dumbfounding things. All an IQ test does is "prove" you're good at doing certain things that other people find difficult and what it says about you (probably) is you're good at tests but the people I am really impressed with is people who put that cleverness to use instead of blowing sunshine up their own and each other's arses.

Kyu

[Tanker]

It's been my experience that a high I.Q. just helps someone do stupid things in more interesting ways.

[Asmodean]

To the rescue, with the Oxford English Dictionary!

arrogant, adj. Making or implying unwarrantable claims to dignity, authority, or knowledge; aggressively conceited or haughty, presumptuous, overbearing. (Used of men, their actions, manner, etc.)

 :pop: At least somewhat.

[DennisK]

It's just a label.  People use all sorts of labels to define themselves (many of which are a derivative of insecurity).  IQ tests can give a false sense of superiority in some and block potential in others.  What purpose is there for testing kids?  For their parents to say their child is "gifted"?  Labels.

[VanReal]

This is weird for so many reasons.  An IQ test is not really measuring intelligence, it's really measuring "intelligence ability" (this is why your score should really change much over time, even as you've done more "book-learning) and it tests nothing regarding common sense which is where most people fall short.  It's also strange because when they tested my son and his schoolmates in first grade or so the proctors were not allowed to reveal the scores, they instead used the scores to try to place the students in classe/courses better suited for their needs.  I don't think I've ever been tested, maybe they didn't do that back in the 70s/80s as routinely as it appears they do now.  I would think bragging about it would be setting yourself up for severe humilition when you are wrong about something....yikes, the guy/girl with the genious IQ is a dumbas*, hehe.  

[Kyuuketsuki]

It's been my experience that a high I.Q. just helps someone do stupid things in more interesting ways.

LOL ... yeah, wasn't it Shermer who said that intelligent people defend stupid ideas intelligently?

Kyu

[Ihateyoumike]

It's been my experience that a high I.Q. just helps someone do stupid things in more interesting ways.

You get my vote for quote of the thread!