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).)

Why are you starting AMAs if you don't think you should share your thoughts? And why on earth would you think that people would want to know your thoughts so that they can then use them as a reason to think the same as you? Perhaps they're just curious to know what a self-proclaimed 'highly intelligent' person has to say on the issue, even if their knowledge is lacking.

Ultimately, it's an AMA. There's no reason not to give an answer, is there?

I think a lot of parents of highly intelligent children end up doing their kids a massive disservice by fixating far too much on their child's "giftedness" and - intentionally or unintentionally - teaching their kids to view their intelligence as somehow being central to their identity.

I agree that OP would probably benefit from concentrating on other parts of her identity, but sadly, I don't think she will welcome this suggestion.

OP won’t answer questions on EQ.

Would you agree that the current school system is failing gifted children?

I was a teacher for many years and saw huge amounts of money and effort poured into low ability children, to very little effect, and the main teaching targeted at average children, but almost nothing at all for the high ability children. There was very much an attitude that they'd get good marks on tests either way so there was no reason to stretch them or explore their full potential, and certainly not to investigate any learning difficulties they might have blocking them from reaching that.

I can't help feel that if we poured as much time and money into those children as we did with the ones that struggled we'd have a lot more people achieving incredible things.

I am also high intelligence. To pre-empt the "IQ means nothing" I had a full psychological evaluation as a child that tested me on multiple metrics and put me at the 98th centile on average, although this was pulled down by spatial awareness as I am dyspraxic. This was still above average because I have so many strategies to compensate for it in a testing environment. Sadly though, none of it has actually translated to being very good at anything useful.

My high academic ability made it easy for the education system to turn a blind eye to my obvious ADHD which has held me back in a myriad of ways.

You must be working with incredibly incompetent people if you feel there is a need for ongoing 'correction'. Or you have a rigid perception of what's right or wrong. Surely your work colleagues cannot be getting things wrong all the time? Or is it your partner, siblings, friends you feel the need to correct?

You commented on my ability to teach (‘If you're "bored waiting for someone to understand the German cases" then you're either not explaining it properly, not giving effective support and exemplar material, or giving poorly structured activities’). I’d written on boring conversations: ‘not when I am teaching - the focus then is to teach someone and the challenge is to help them learn’

So your conclusion that I was not explaining something properly seemed disconnected.

No, I stated factually that 'I went to school in another country where there was much less focus on results than here.' I cannot see that I complained.

What is your opinion on the Dunning-Kruger effect? Has it ever applied to you?

What is called "highly intelligent" usually equates with having a lot of specialized knowledge in one particular area that the average person does not have but usually at the expense of other types of intelligence.

Einstein is hailed as a genius (as so many autistic men are) but chose not to wear socks as these complicated his ultra simple and rigid daily routine. He also struggled to find permanent work for a decade due to his very weak communication skills. He forced his first wife to abide by a list of restrictive rules that dictated when she should speak to him and required her to act like an obedient servant.

A mechanic is not more or less intelligent than an electrician but they have more knowledge when it comes to cars than an electrician and vice versa.

This is a narrow take on what is means to be emotionally intelligent.

Being sensitive can be a handicap, whilst having empathy is helpful but is only one part of what it takes to be a emotionally intelligent. For example illumeably.net/posts/20-signs-of-high-emotional-intelligence/

How long have you been a lecturer and what is your career goal? 4 degrees is impressive!

You did.
You said that where you went to school there wasn't enough emphasis on exam success, so you stood out.
However, you've been highly critical of the UK system, which, you claim relies "too much" on exam success.
Contradictory.
"Try again". To borrow your phrase.

Yes, I will not engage with questions discussing giraffes eg. I find it mundane and boring and indicates that people are trying to be funny/provoke people. Similar questions are asked in many threads in the same way.

Yes, some people disagree and that is fine. Others, I would argue, do their best to diagnose me (and other people discussing intelligence). Not very fruitful, in my view.

You can think whatever you want about my 'lazy mind' :-) (Another attempt to diagnose, perhaps!)

OP, in real life, when you re not writing a research paper, the concept of a rigid right or wrong generally doesn't apply.

So I am very curious, do you feel the need to correct people in your private life or at work? I'd be surprised at work if you work with high achieving academic colleagues.

I am concluding (rightly or wrongly) that you struggle with accepting that other people have different experiences, perspectives and 'truths' - that is very odd as you appear to be an academic in a humanitarian subject, where subjectivity is actively sought and embraced.

I'm sorry I find your post puzzling.

When I was 10 in my home country, the government tested 26,000 10 year olds and put the top 400 of us in an accelerated programme to finish high school quickly and enter uni at 15. Some of the kids were clearly brighter than the teachers, solving maths problems much quicker etc. So I grew up with really bright kids and have stayed in contact with my best friend from high school.

I suspect this goes deeper than your intelligence. The whole population has a wide ranging IQ ... lots of people have to 'wait' for others to catch up or spend more time then expected explaining things - and they don't get bored or frustrated with it as they accept it as part of social relations.

My best friend from high school is a Dr - regardless that her IQ is in the top 400 of 26,000 kids she has a wonderful personality for a dr and is patient, reassuring and understanding.

What I do get though is that feeling of impatience and frustration when waiting for people. Its an ADHD trait.

This was me. I took an IQ test year’s ago before having kids and it scored high enough to be invited to Mensa (I didn’t join). Roll on a few decades I can barely string a sentence together, have become really quite inarticulate as I lose my thread of thought too easily, and now spend my time laughing at funny cat videos. I put it down to years of full on single motherhood and now I’m ‘free’ my brain has left home along with the kids 🤦‍♀️

Clearly it should be bow tie at the top, but tie and collar at the bottom.

Good point.
How on earth is this "boring and mundane", OP?

Having worked with and known a few people who were clearly incredibly intelligent on the academic front I can tell you that not one of them would have regarded themselves, and especially not told people that they were "highly intelligent" nor would they have bothered wasting their time with any IQ tests, then surely this must skew IQ tests.

When people talk about being in the top 1% of the population, it's actually the top 1% of people who are preoccupied with their "intelligence" to do one, which probably takes it down a bit.

Personality and practically wise they varied as much as the general population.

Would you say you have a good sense of humour? Do you find it easy to laugh at absurd things?

Do you think Hippos would look good in cravats?

Def best bit of the thread-and I am quite a clever clog myself

It isn't just questions about giraffes that you're choosing not to engage with, though.

I don't know what on earth you think I'm attempting to "diagnose" you with. I'm merely commenting on what I have observed from your posts. And as you wanted to get insights from this thread on how you come across to others, hopefully my observations will be helpful to you.

I can tell 😁

Yes, there are obviously a lot of times where there is not one answer (and I am often the first one to point out that you can look at something in two ways).

I'll try to think of a logical example. If you imagine that you're organising an event consisting of many talks for 100 people where some need to be in the same room sometimes, some must hear some talks, others must hear others. Some will arrive late and still cannot miss a certain talk. Add additional constraints etc. To me it would be a quick exercise to figure out how to plan that day. To others it would take quite a long time to think about this - I'd probably do it in a very short amount of time. I'd then have to spend time explaining 'ok so x needed to be there, and they are there; z and y will be late and that's been catered for...'. Not a great example perhaps but to give you an idea.

Defensive and stuck in your very own, rigid seeming frame of reference, not taking in and adapting to new information from others. It all is very familiar. It's all about you. That is why people in RL may feel apprehensive. Not because you are good at analysing things..

You say it's not 'fruitful' (odd expression) but it would be welcome by the person who is asking so it's fruitful to them.

One tip for you: stop correcting people unless it's a life or death situation, it will improve your relationships. This may be a fruitful outcome to you