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Do you like being intelligent?

If you are agnostic, you are statistically higher IQ than the general population. Being slightly more intelligent than most is nice, but being highly intelligent-around 140 IQ and above-usually comes with cons.

1.You might feel frustrated with "normal" people and only want to hang with intellectual equals.

2.most TV shows, books, and, of course, POLITICIANS drive you nuts with their idiocy.

3.most people haven't read the books you love, and look at you strangely if you mention them. Also your movie choices.

4.your relatives are likely as intelligent as you are, because of shared DNA, and could be snobby, critical, aloof, and difficult people to be with.

5.you don't care what other people think since you think them beneath you, and wonder what's wrong with everyone.

6.you have to watch, edit everything you say to normal people..sticking to weather, food, never saying anything deep or using big words.

7.with increased IQ and creativity, the percentage of mental illness mistakes on the DNA increases, so you could be suffering from depression, anxiety, panic attacks, etc.

8.you have a high likelihood of being LGBTQ-even if you don't realize it, since most high IQ creative people are androgyne (mixed gender). This mixing of gender hormones-male and female-causes hormone imbalances which also can cause health/mental problems.

9.your brain works too fast for normal people to follow, and to you, they seem to think in slow motion, if at all.

birdingnut 8 Apr 17
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45 comments

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1

Being on the right tail of the normal curve, I can say for me that #1, #2, #4, and your second #7 are true. #3 not so much, #5 sometimes, both #6s are sometimes true. Your second #6 is flawed as high IQ and mental illness are correlated but inferring a cause and effect is specious.

[scientificamerican.com]

I disagree with your first #7, LGBTQ is correlated with creativity, not intelligence. Many highly intelligent people aren't creative. I've been to enough Mensa meetings to know that.

I like being intelligent most of the time. It has helped me at school and often at work. It definitely limits my social relationships - see #1 and the second #7.

That why I said creative high IQ types, since that's a different category.

People with a higher IQ are at greater risk of mental illness, study finds [independent.co.uk]

Superior IQs are associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests [scientificamerican.com]

I looked briefly at the story about the study about high IQ. They tested people in Mensa. That could be high IQ people who join Mensa rather than high IQ people. That could have to do with the type of people who join Mensa rather than high IQ people. It's not a random sample of people with high IQ.

@Stephanie99 You are correct of course, as stated in the article, "The results of this study must be interpreted cautiously because they are correlational. Showing that a disorder is more common in a sample of people with high IQs than in the general population doesn’t prove that high intelligence is the cause of the disorder. It’s also possible that people who join Mensa differ from other people in ways other than just IQ. For example, people preoccupied with intellectual pursuits may spend less time than the average person on physical exercise and social interaction, both of which have been shown to have broad benefits for psychological and physical health."

@birdingnut Sure - you might be right about that. I'm not sure if the highly intelligent subtype of creative people fits the overall generalization but it might. I have not seen evidence that it does and I hang out with smart people.

I cited the same Scientific American article as you did and both articles are about the exact same study. This is also a correlational and self reported survey study so there isn't necessarily a causal relationship. The Independent's implied conclusion in the article title is wrong and they back it off in the article, "However, the study pointed out that a high IQ was not the cause of mental illness, but it could be correlated with the highly intelligent community."

As @Stephanie99 said, the sample isn't random either.

This is one of the flaws of reading non scholarly articles that interpret the results of a study. In a peer-reviewed scientific journal, they would cite supporting studies, the statistical tests used including what, if anything, they did to correct for sample selection, response bias...

10

I smell a trap here to weed out all those potential dates who are full of themselves.
Very smart.

Lol

9

Develop some comedic timing. Then you can openly mock people and have them laughing with you. Life can be boring otherwise.

8

Oh, I can be quite snooty about being intelligent. I hate stupid! Not as in someone who isn't a real quick thinker but someone who is WILLFULLY IGNORANT! When so much information is so readily accessible these days, those who refuse to look at information, accept known facts, do some research if they are skeptical rather than just dig in on what their opinion is. All that drives me nuts. Needless to say, the state of things currently is about to push me over the edge at times. 😛

7

Many of these "facts" suggest arrogance more than they reflect intelligence. I don't care what most other people think, for the most part, because I'm comfortable with myself not out of contempt for humanity.

If you have to watch and edit what you say and dumb it down for your acquaintances/associates, that's a sign you're rating your own intellect against a very low bar. You should consider spending time with people who challenge you not confirm your bias.

Open LGBTQ people have a higher average IQ, but it's statistically disingenuous to see a correlation as causation. Maybe LGBTQ people with more intelligence are more likely to come out.

Finally, you shouldn't rate yourself in the most intelligent segment of society if you cannot count to 9.

JimG Level 8 Apr 17, 2018

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7

I would never consider any other person beneath me. Neither would I post an arbituary figure based on whether or not you are good at working out sequences. Intelligence for me is far more complex. Some people on the ASD score highly on formal IQ tests but are unable to match their socks. Intelligence is about subtle awareness of the environment, of other people, of other creatures. It considers the past and the future and see each living thing as vital to our existence. Intelligence understands the complexities of human endeavour and conflict and respects all. There are vastly intelligent people who have never picked up a book. Respect all and always look for the best in everyone...you'll find it

LOL! If none of the list applies to you, then don't worry about it. It does to most high IQ people. In fact, 140 IQ is considered the boundary line for people being able to relate to others easily.
If you want to count beans and get picky and critical, you are demonstrating a typical high IQ response. Part of what I meant by high IQ relatives being difficult to deal with.

@birdingnut I would never be so gauche as to post an IQ score. It has no more relevance to me than my height.

@Amisja Exactly what a high IQ person would say, as they are often nitpickers! Nevertheless it's a more useful measure to say "high IQ" than to say "smart people."

5

Whhooh very little of that applies to me although I rather thought I was intelligent enough sounds like to be thought intelligent you have to be a wee nasty piece of work. Glad to be one of the other lot!

5

I tested out at 164 at 6 when I never slept and was reading at 3. Fuck being smart. Most tests are pattern identification, spacial awareness, logic processing and all linguistic based. Intelligence spans so much more. I can memorize sheet music, but I can’t perform. I can read 930 words per minute, but I can’t type without looking at the keyboard. I drink copiously so I can be remotely social. I identify with a few of these, but I don’t think you can list or quantify the human brain. I’d trade 20 points for a bit more empathy. I hate that I don’t care about any of this bullshit because nihilistic existentialism.

LOL! You sound like a typical high IQ type!

The keyboard thing, yesssss. I can type a mile a minute absent mindedly looking at the keyboard. The second I take my eyes off, gibberish.

5

I've been measured between 140 and 143. Very little of the list applies to me, at least AFaIK.
I get along pretty dang well with others.
I have been successful in college and in a fairly technical career. I like science books, documentaries and other thought-provoking movies.
But I like stupid humor and stuff like that, to a certain extent.
I think more goes in to being a snooty asshole than intelligence.

There are few normal "geniuses," but they are usually the exception to the rule. The usual IQ boundary line where people start statistically being unable to relate well to others is 140 IQ, if you read up on such things.

4

1.You might feel frustrated with "normal" people and only want to hang with intellectual equals.

5.you don't care what other people think since you think them beneath you, and wonder what's wrong with everyone.

Sorry but this is not really a symptom of true intelligence - both of these points are offkey..

Thinking people are beneath you is actually a flaw in critical thinking caused by specific types of personaltiy. Einstein for one made many comments to counter this view.... people of true intelligence tend to be accepting across the board .. although spending time alone may be essential if highly intelligent, all truly intelligent people will definitely claim they are no brighter than anyone else.. Just better suited to that environment.

Intersted in your sources here.

LOL! I wish! That is from experience, observation, and studies I've read. I can speed read as fast as I can turn the pages.

Have you ever met a "genius?" Usually it's not pleasant experience, unless they manage to behave themselves while meeting you. If you read their (honest) biographies you'll find that most of our intellectual heroes were zeros in many other ways.

@birdingnut

[uk.businessinsider.com]

[evonomics.com]

[independent.co.uk]

Generally it is accepted by most people highly intelligent people have a massive amount of empathy.

Suppose it depends on your definitions of intelligence .. more modern definitions tend to err on the side of, "the ability to adapt and survive in any given conditions" .. rather than measuring IQ which is highly biased to white middle class education. It's a very complex subject and just a point of view in the end.

Children again when young if highly intelligent tend to show on the whole much friendlier natures.. You have very little to be threatened by if you can truly out think those around you.

[bigthink.com]

@Nickbeee (sigh) Typical high IQ person, arguing and nitpicking over every detail, LOL!

The typical cut-off in textboks where high IQ people start losing their ability to relate to others is 140 IQ, but people close to that level can be the same way.
My kids rolled their eyes at us when they were babies, correcting us, and acting like they wished they'd been adopted by more intelligent parents.

@birdingnut Ha ha. You're causing many to step into it and self-identify with the hoi-polloi out of defensiveness.
I'm a curmudgeon, myself, except when I am around intelligence from others.
Heaven.
I dunno, I do feel better than others when I observe aggressively selfish and stupid behaviors.
So, sue me.

4

I have an IQ of 145, but I have almost always fought most of the tendencies you describe. As a child and young man, I had the privilege of knowing some remarkable uneducated people and from whom I learned some important things. I am repulsed by elitism, including intellectual elitism. In 1968, while in graduate school I received a written invitation from Mensa to join the group. I declined in writing, citing the elitism I saw in people I knew who were drawn to Mensa.

Intelligent people are not elitist ... now that is a fact the writer is not aware of, clearly 😉

@Nickbeee Your statement is false. More than a few people with high IQs are full of themselves and do see themselves as superior to most people. Those people have high IQs, but little real intelligence or wisdom.

@wordywalt SInce when was "wisdom" synonymous with "intelligence? Many high IQ people have learning disabilities or are on the autism spectrum, and statistically, after 140 IQ and higher, people often tend to lose the ability to relate to others.

@birdingnut They might be introverts

4

Have you had your IQ tested?

I don't believe that some of those "facts" that you mentioned are actually facts. Do you have any evidence, for example, for the correlation between high IQ and likelihood of being LGBT?

I haven't heard of the connection between high IQ and mental illness either.

yes I am concerned about some of these so called facts too. Birdingnut please source your data. Being agnostic has more to do with cultural upbringing than IQ. China, Japan, Iceland are mainly secular. Most Australians don't believe in any organised religion. If children aren't indoctrinated by religion, IQ isn't the influence. I think there are a long list of assumptions above. Not all are intellectual snobs and many are inspiring teachers. Some with high IQs are so limited by their field of interest that they don't know Syria is at war. I've never had much use for IQ tests, it is so difficult to find them impartial. THey don't take into account artistic or musical genius. And they don't take emotional intelligence into account.

4

My IQ is 139, which I suppose makes me a stupid genius. 🙂

I find it frustrating when I make conections people don't see. I remember in an online forum defining creativity as being able to look at something from a 90 degree angle, instead of looking at it straight on. They didn't get the point, which made me the stupid one.

One woman I dated was not merely unattractive: she was strange looking. But she was intelligent, and i missed her terribly when it ended.

139 IQ is plenty high-it's not an exact science. I had mine done by brain scan since I was so dyslexic, the tests weren't reliable for me. My son's IQ is 160 and he's way out there.

At 139 you definitely qualify for DENSA. I gather it is populated heavily by members of Mensa who have a sense of humour.

3

I doubt that I will ever find out what my IQ is.

Around thirty years ago I took a quick IQ test and scored fairly highly. On the strength of this I booked myself in for a MENSA test. The test was to be held in a city about 20 miles away. At the time I was quite poor and owned an old moped with a two-stroke engine, so I decided to use this to travel to the test venue. Unfortunately, on the way there the moped broke down. The cause was that I had not added sufficient two-stroke oil to the fuel mix, totally my fault. I was stranded on the roadside until a kind motorist rescued me. By this time it was too late for the test and I was taken home along with the moped.

The moped engine was terminal. Due to not having enough oil there was damage to the piston or the cylinder or both. This was the end of my Garelli Concorde moped and I have never since owned another motorcycle of any description.

I never went back to attempt the MENSA test because in my mind I had failed completely by causing this avoidable breakdown. A genius would not have done this.

Contrary to the movie portrayals, high IQ people are more likely than the general population to be forgetful, awkward, and socially clueless. Also a high percentage of them have learning disabilities, such as dyslexia.

There's always a story behind a successful machine. The Garelli Concorde moped, as well as (usually) working well also was usually a cheerful electric blue colour or blue and white and had clean Italian lines.

Garelli himself was a proponent of the two-stroke engine who by the age of 25 had developed a remarkable engine which became referred to as a 'twingle' having some characteristics of a twin and some of a single.

anyway here's a 1978 model and a 1980 model to ogle:

@birdingnut
Right on, write on.

3

I have a few degrees but I'm still stupid and enjoy it.

2

I must say I feel your pain and it's very frustrating. It's like you get the average person but they never get you. So I find myself selling out intelligent people to listen to. Since I can't be around them. I could go on but I'm not. It's just nice to see that I'm not alone (which I kinda figured LBVS). It's just sad how many people there are who really aren't smart at all. It makes me angry at times so I've just been trying to find other smart people to communicate with.

2

Can't say I fit in the LGBTQ love looking and being attracted to women. Would not look down on anyone everyone has something to teach. Can say I am misunderstood a great deal of the time. My brain is in constant motion. I can invent and create on a whim.

2

The sad part is when I was young and attractive in the 1970s, I thought something was wrong with me. Men didn't want women who were smarter than them. I was well into my 30s before I realized I was surrounded by fools.

2

What are the statistics you are talking about? I would like to see them, because your blanket statement that agnostics are more intelligent....I'm quite interested.

marga Level 7 Apr 17, 2018

Here's a couple a links: Why Atheists Have Higher IQs [huffingtonpost.com]

Belief in God is associated with lower scores on IQ tests. [digest.bps.org.uk]

@birdingnut Thanks....I still think that this whole question/subject/post is false. Just another way to put down religion, imo.

@marga LOL! You sound like the alt-right, always yelling "fake news!"

@birdingnut I'm really getting tired of all the personal insults. You have no right to judge or insult. And making assumptions such as I'm alt-right, always yelling "fake news" is not only prejudicial and stupid, it's incorrect. I am a lifelong liberal, so please stop making assumptions.

Why does everything have to be so divisive? And why does any post devolve into insults in the first place? If you'll notice, I was talking about the subject and you started to make it personal. That is not conducive to open and honest discussion.

@birdingnut Geez, first it's 'google that for me', and then, 'I didn't read it but know what I know'.
Marga: case in point?

2

I have had difficulty meeting locals because I am a political activist and social justice warrior. Same with being Anti-Trump, can't be around cigarette smoke and pro-diversity. I've changed since my last relationship with a political science professor.

2

I don't look down on other people and think they are beneath me... no matter what... I have always agreed with bill hicks that we are "a virus with shoes"... I am somewhat a misanthrope.. It really irks me when people act like they are better... in my opinion its delusional (ego)

I've never cared to check my IQ. My brother has a very high IQ although that doesn't make him perfect... while he is very intelligent (more so than me in my opinion) he also sucks at a lot of other things. And while I may be good at some things too, I also suck at other things as well. (Life is about balance) This is why I think, if someone lacks in intelligence, they must have something else they can offer the world... even if you don't see it... no one is omnipotent obviously. Just because you have a high IQ doesn't mean you are great at everything or so much better than the next person. We are all in this together whether you like it or not.

@M3G4N666 LOL! This isn't talking about what people "should" or "shouldn't," do..it's a comment on how most high IQ people, even young children, look down on others.
My own kids were so smart they were correcting us when they were in diapers, and were right.

They thought we were morons and acted like they wished they'd been adopted. I couldn't argue with my five year son about anything, or he'd step to the bookcase, jerk out a encyclodpedia, flip to a page, read it to me to prove me wrong. Both my husband and I were intimidated.

@birdingnut you missed the point of my comment but ok ?

@M3G4N666 All we "hear'' is piety you hope we'll assume is false.

2

Yes, I have all those things in common, except I'm hetero

2

Geeze... high IQ? I just don't put up with crap. I must be the dumb ass in here. I think people that have money are smarter then me. Im sitting ok, but i can't travel the world like the well off...lol.

That's reminds me of the saying, "if your so smart why aren't you rich". That's why I'm not rich, the pursuit of money doesn't interest me, it's silly, too many other things draw my attention and peak my curiosity. My income is enough , lower middle class.

@buzz13 That's also typical of high IQ people..they generally don't care much about money, although there are a few exceptions, like Edison.

@buzz13. As far as money...If it were easy... ild do it.

2

I embrace my brains. One of the things that people point out about me is how smart I am. I often underestimate this, but I know it's true.

2

yay, maybe things are looking up for me, I think my age(senility?) has pushed me below 140. Normality here I come ladies.

2

No, I don't like being intelligent. I'd rather be tall. People either a) don't understand me, or b) resent me. So I feel a lot of alienation, and hand in hand with this, pure contempt for many of my fellow human beings. I try to work on this, because I am not without sympathy for this crap-shoot we call life.

I never really considered there might be a link between my gender-expression/sexuality and my intelligence. I do like smart women. I am not a very "manly" man, I'd rather read poetry than watch sports, and I am generally bored with displays of strength and prowess. That said, I am surprisingly very strongly heterosexual-I attended a college where being gay, or bisexual, or trans was openly accepted, and if I had any leanings that way there would have been no shame-and plenty of opportunity.

The jury is out on whether or not I am bipolar. I was diagonosed as such, but then had a long decade where I was very even-tempered, and now the mood swings seem to be back. I am profoundly suspeicious of neurotransmitter-mediating drugs. I think we're playing around with stuff we don't really understand.

I try to strike a balance between my intelligence and creativity, mostly because people seem to relate better to my creative side, it doesn't seem to threaten them as much. But more often, my creation is a solitary pursuit. It is less helpful at dealing with intellectual isolation than it might seem.

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