I am highly intelligent, ask me anything

[nolinkname]

Using standard IQ scales/assessments I am highly intelligent. I have also done some research into high intelligence. Being highly intelligent has advantages and drawbacks. Ask me anything :-)

(Just to preempt some comments: No, I don’t think intelligent people are better human beings than other people. I think qualities such as being kind are more important for example. No, intelligent people are not always ‘better for society’, there is some evidence, for example, that really highly intelligent people carry out proportionally somewhat more crimes (white collar). No, I don’t look down on less intelligent people (sometimes I envy them), but it can obviously be a bit difficult to connect if you have very different frames of reference. No, intelligence does not have any direct links to social skills (positive or negative).)

I once read that intelligent people not only read widely, but tried to exercise their grey matter by trying to get out of their comfort zone
I found that interesting.

I tried to comment on why I started this early on.

OP you haven’t answered any interesting Qs about giraffes and ties, AI, religion, learning maths/music/languages etc, trans debate, what is your field etc. It’s AMA. Why so opaque? You need to tell us more than just your experience of being highly intelligent and waiting for people to catch up.

How old are you, what was your first career - you mention teaching but surely not just teaching in school, why did you switch to academia, what is your field, have you written and interesting thesis and done a phd?

What are your first two languages?

I don’t really understand why so many people on this thread seem triggered by you because I don’t think you seem particularly arrogant or show-offy.
I am the first person from my family to get a degree and grew up in abject poverty with a parent who left school at 12 but who self educated through being a voracious reader and someone who embraced the community they lived in despite barriers faced. Had they had the chance to be educated I think they could have achieved very highly- I’m basing this on highly successful and intelligent people I meet in my life now who have impressive grad degrees etc. I don’t think I am similarly intelligent as I never found sciences easy, although I did very well in other subjects.
How much of a role does ‘class confidence’ and socioeconomics play in discovering one’s high intelligence do you think, and had you grown up in poverty would it have been possible for you to do so well educationally, in your opinion?

So far this thread from the perspective of the OPs answers about his life hasn't been as exciting as I'd hoped. I assumed if you had been given Great Power you would also have Great Responsibility. It all seems a bit of a disappointment, really.

whole new meaning to tongue tied!

I agree that this is difficult. I think I chose the headings based on a belief that many people think it is the same thing. I don't think they are equal but it was a way of conveying what I meant.

😂😂
I'd love to have their eyelashes though (not literally).

I am in constant contact with academics - a really impressive and productive bunch of people. Despite how obviously intelligent and motivated they are, it seems to be fairly unusual to come across a true all-rounder - someone who a) has something really original (and truly intellectually honest) to say, b) knows why it is original (by which I mean they have a properly solid grasp of their field), and c) can organise their ideas in a cogent and well-structured way. My impression is that most very smart people require some help (e.g. from colleagues and editors) to get them to where they want to be - i.e. they are not independent and have a spiky competence profile. Many benefit from a lot of chivvying and vision-gifting before they get to the point of having something worth sharing. My question is: do you feel you are mostly operating independently?

(Lest this comes across as smug - I know well I may lay no claim to having a high IQ!)

Do you struggle not to be condescending to people? A genuine question. Thankyou.

That is ok. I am not writing here to get new friends. You could think about if any of your swift-thinking friends might also think about themselves as intelligent, although they would not say it/discuss it as such with you. I have never discussed my intelligence with any friend in such terms. It does not make anyone happy - many people get provoked, others get angry etc etc.

in my experience with above average intelligent people, it's the analytical part of the brain that is dominant and where their brain power takes place. However their thinking and speaking / communication isn't always aligned with where they are emotionally and that can come across as uninteresting and unrelatable.

@nolinkname would you say you react strongly to situations? Joy, happiness, sadness and do you correctly interpret and empathise with what others are feeling?

did you consider just channeling that intelligence into becoming extraordinarily rich and successful in a lucrative career? You would have a beautiful life and be surrounded by interesting and intelligent people. If not, why not?

I think people generally don't want to hear it because they are more interested in your interests than your IQ score.

Final comment more often than not, highly intelligent people tend to be on the autistic spectrum.

Another male needing the woman’s touch eh?! And don’t lady giraffe’s wear ties too? Seems a bit sexist!

I’m probably similar to you @nolinkname as is my eldest DD and even though intelligence comes from the mother, my father was an incredibly intelligent man.

I think there is plenty of evidence to link very high IQ and mental health issues and as you’ve said plenty of very high IQ people have subjected others to devastating histories, so I guess it links to personality disorders too.

It has been a very mixed blessing in my life. It has allowed me to assess damaging interpersonal situations very rationally but it doesn’t save you from the emotional fallout of those realisations.

It makes my job much easier and I only realise this when I’m engaging with peers and we have to analyse information, I find it much easier and I didn’t realise that until I saw it in action over the years.

DD is very similar, her ability to analyse and create out of that analysis is incredible.

My father had a touch of the evil genius about his intelligence and definitely came with an incredibly dark side to his genius that thankfully my DD and I escaped.

How is it that you’ve “often been asked about it”? Do you go around declaring to people that you are in the 1% of scorers on the MENSA test? How or why would people even know this about you?

Ok no answer to ghosts. What about aliens op, as a highly intelligent person able to interpret data and evidence what do you think?

OK, OP, since you didn't seem to like my previous questions, I'll try a different one.

You said in one of your earlier posts that you "probably come across as arrogant sometimes" even when you are genuinely only trying to be helpful. Why do you think this might be?

I think it is a blessing and a curse. It is hard to think about what I would swap it for - I like to be able to read a lot, learn a lot etc - but my life would clearly be easier if I were able to spend less time thinking about difficult things/the state of the world etc. (The latter is probably due to my personality too, trying to fix things that are 'wrong'.)

What is your academic field? Do you know how a laser works?

Yes if were highly intelligent I'd have aimed to be loaded. Flash car, staff. The lot.

Hello! I also have a Mensa IQ. I work in an academic field but also with people. I relate to a few things you have said.

I’m thinking from your posts you are female - has this caused people to underestimate you? Do you have any role models?

I ask as in my University department I am one of very few women to have made it to my postdoctoral level. And I am the only one with children. I feel I have no role model and am quite tired of being a “pioneer”.