Letsrunners with high IQs, how do you manage to deal with average Joes?

Inspired by this thread, I watched this documentary/interview last night:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndW5uiwexL8

The guy took an IQ test in high school and scored 150, but he found out later that's as high as the test went, so he took more IQ tests and scored in the 170-190 range (according to him). He seems like a smart guy, though I'm a bit skeptical he has a 180 IQ... He definitely seems weird and socially handicapped though. I won't spoil the whole thing for anyone interested, but he kept forging documents and moving around so he could stay in high school until he was 26 years old. He worked minimum wage type jobs working as a nude model and bouncer. Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall hearing of anything significantly useful he'd actually contributed to society. If this is a typical genius, I'd think the average person is far more productive and "useful" to society.

Like someone said, the most successful people are generally smart (maybe 120-140 range) and motivated individuals who also have very good social skills. Being a genius doesn't really mean much if you can't interact with people or choose to live your life as a highschool senior/nude model as long as possible.

mwwwin wrote:

Actually it's the other way around...folks with higher IQs are typically very slow socially...no street smarts...don't know how to interact effectively...folks with high IQs only think they're "brilliant"...low self esteem often gets them to hit the books and shelter themselves when book knowledge has very little to do with real knowledge...they get their butts handed to them by guys with GEDs...

Guys with GEDs typically have a very poor grasp of statistics and tend to conflate "common knowledge" with fact. In this case, common knowledge seems to be based on old TV shows and 80's coming of age films.

Also, you're misusing the ellipsis.

Also, to the guy asking about quotation marks: in American English you're supposed to put the punctuation mark inside quotations, but I think that's confusing to read and looks bad. Outside is definitely better, but some people will tell you you're wrong for writing that way.

There is so much for you to learn. Ad hominem? Where? I see none. In fact, it is pretty apparent that I read you like a book, what with your insult-ridden defenses of both your profession and the validity of your outlandish claims. I said nothing out of line. I did not call you an idiot, or ignorant, as you would.

I called you arrogant and egotistical (check) and attempted to express to you that medicine is not a joke. To brag about your academic conquests and comport that you are high and mighty amongst your fellow future physicians only highlights the chasm between your visions of yourself and reality.

I do not doubt that you are becoming a doctor for all of the right reasons. I wanted to make it clear that (from a completely objective viewpoint) you stink of someone who is has been too fortunate all of their life to see a true need to delve into medicine, besides making a lot of green, that is. Bluntly, you are making the rest of us look bad.

To your point on stereotyping, I gave no inference that I make faulty decisions based on limited information. Rather, it is that when given a plethora of information on an individual, I tend to focus on one nick in their armor, likely due to any frustrations I feel about the intellectual distance between myself and themselves. I did not, however, say that I incorrectly stereotype with high frequency. In fact, my assertions are for the most part correct, but when I am wrong, I can be pleasantly surprised. So, surprise me.

Lastly, if you have never had an argument about intelligence, then how can you possibly hope to understand it as intimately as those who have?

To add to this thread, has anyone found that having an equally "smart" buddy in the room makes dealing with those around you easier, or more difficult?

many people who claim they are smart (and backing it up with

a mensa membership) and yet work minimum wage type jobs, are

not smart at all. They typically make the excuse that

they were not challenged in school, therefore got bad working

habits (it came too easy to them), and eventually dropped

out of college (if they got so far in the first place).

Highly intelligent people get a degree in physics, mathematics

or other fields requiring abstract thinking. This

obviously doesn't imply that they have social skills above

average. Some of us have, others not.

ggg wrote:

Highly intelligent people get a degree in physics, mathematics

or other fields requiring abstract thinking. This

obviously doesn't imply that they have social skills above

average. Some of us have, others not.

I am working on a PhD in mathematics and I don't feel very intelligent. I have a bad case of impostor syndrome. I hardly understand what I'm doing. I feel like I just woke up from a dream in which I was intelligent and confident, and now in my actual life I'm mediocre and my whole life is fake. The only thing that feels real is is running, and improving my fitness and PRs.

Huh? wrote:

ggg wrote:

Highly intelligent people get a degree in physics, mathematics

or other fields requiring abstract thinking. This

obviously doesn't imply that they have social skills above

average. Some of us have, others not.

I am working on a PhD in mathematics and I don't feel very intelligent. I have a bad case of impostor syndrome. I hardly understand what I'm doing. I feel like I just woke up from a dream in which I was intelligent and confident, and now in my actual life I'm mediocre and my whole life is fake. The only thing that feels real is is running, and improving my fitness and PRs.

Give it time. That's why you are doing the PhD. Remember, you're trying to develop original work in an area you were interested in (but probably not widely read). I always look at stuff and remember the informal rule of thumb:

- freshmen don't know they know nothing yet

- sophomores know they know nothing

- juniors don't know they know something yet

- seniors know they know sometime

The same spread can be applied to the 4-7 year PhD track. If you're still in the first couple of years it'll become all too familiar before you finish.

Sir, I think you need to relax for a moment. I don't presume to be better than anyone, no matter our differences. However, I wouldn't argue about not having a high opinion of myself, as I see self-confidence as key to self-motivation.I feel completely justified calling a troll an idiot (and ignorant) who equated surgery to carpentry. You can't claim that you're not using ad hominem because you believe what you say to be true, that's simply not a valid argument. You called me arrogant, egotistical, said I made other doctors look bad, said I was disconnected from reality, and then claimed that I sounded like a trust fund baby and life has been too easy for me. That sounds like ad hominem to me. I have tried my best to address what you say, not who I think you are. Now I'll continue addressing what you wrote:The claims (from the troll) were that the mere entrance to med school made people think too highly of their intelligence, and I brought up my prior education as a counter-point that I have had exposure to different fields, and have no inflated or deflated sense of self before and after. I debated it for a while, and ultimately using that as an anecdote was offensive to some so it was the wrong decision.As for outlandish claims, I do not feel that I made any, although your opinion may differ. As an aside, I am offended that you would assume that I'm exaggerating anything. Perhaps I should have used more tact, but I do not believe that an accurate description of one's abilities is exaggeration. I think it is wrong of you to assume that you know what the true "reality" is. My appraisal regarding my peers is completely based on quantitative data, and feedback (formal and informal) from faculty and peers. If my assessment is still way off, blame them, not me. You say us, I was curious what kind of doctor you are, Macro? Also, your statement was not objective at all, by any stretch of the imagination. You (like everyone else) have your own developed internal biases that slant your opinion. That you would stretch your logic to say that I've been "too fortunate" all my life to go into medicine strikes me as an outlandish statement. Since when is hardship a prerequisite for medicine, or for caring and wanting to serve your fellow human beings? And even if it was, how could YOU ever know what hardships I have or have not endured?I don't know you one bit, but it definitely seems to me that you have a "chip on your shoulder." I apologize for offending your sensibilities anonymously on a running forum.

That much typing makes you sound like an dude who feels the need to be right. Let it go...each post makes you look more like the thing you claim not to be. What you have is called a lose-lose hand.

Average GI Joes wrote:

For anyone on here with an IQ of 126 or above (95th percentile) do you have any problems dealing with people? Have you found it difficult to find people you can have meaningful relationships with? I don't think I'm particularly intelligent and yet I still find myself thinking most people around me are complete idiots. I just wonder what it's like for the brilliant people out there.

____________________________________

Perhaps the right word is smart as opposed to IQ because outside of academia, I have not met anyone who is great at anything simply because of their high IQ. I had a young guy that worked for me who supposedly had a genius level IQ; he completed a computer science degree from Amherst in three years and an MS from Wake Forrest in 18 months. I hired him with no work experience, but I was intrigued by the fact that at age 22, he already had a CIS MS degree. I also thought it took balls to say you were a genius in a job interview. - Straight to the point, he worked for me for close to 3 years, he could not keep up with trade school graduates and the only reason he lasted 3 years was because he came into the company through a special program where he was supposed to be mentored and fast tracked into management.

Intelligence is a complicated thing to measure, applied knowledge, creativity, personality and tenacity is a much better combination of attributes. Btw, Smoking Joe Frasier, Stevie Wonder and Vincent Van Gough were geniuses, although they may not have scored too high on an IQ test. I don’t recall ever taking an IQ test, but I think I’m a relatively smart guy, but I am impressed with interesting people and by people who can do things and I could care less about their IQ.

Sorry, but you lost me the minute you stated your IQ.

I use a simple intelligence test to separate smart from dumb. If you don't believe in man-made Global Warming despite years of propaganda and indoctrination in school, you are likely pretty smart and show the ability to think critically and analyze data. If you believe in man-made Global warming you are dumb and a "useful idiot" for politicians and other users.

Bubby99 wrote:

I use a simple intelligence test to separate smart from dumb. If you don't believe in man-made Global Warming despite years of propaganda and indoctrination in school, you are likely pretty smart and show the ability to think critically and analyze data. If you believe in man-made Global warming you are dumb and a "useful idiot" for politicians and other users.

-273.15/10

lame wrote:

That much typing makes you sound like an dude who feels the need to be right. Let it go...

OK

People give me grief for saying this, but, I subscribe to Gardiner's theory of multiple intelligences. Santana may not score high on an IQ test, but, that guy is a musical genius. Derek Trucks, etc. Genius is an overly broad, mostly misunderstood title. There are many different aspects of these things people lump into one big bucket. One of the most interesting people I've seen in a long time was a writer/philosopher named Simone Weil. The truth of the matter is almost no one has heard of her...but, she is off the charts genius.

Also beware of all these online IQ tests. They give greatly inflated scores to make you feel good. You are likely much less intelligent than you think you are. I score consistently 30 to 35 points (150-155) above the legitimate tests I took in the the late 60s and early 70s where I scored in the 120 range. Also the medium IQ on those legit test was 100, the average "online" score is much much higher and is fantasy.

Also, as TrackCoach said what you actually accomplish and the knowledge you posses is worth far more than IQ. Intelligence without knowledge is worthless and often dangerous.

Fixed.

I do have a chip on my shoulder. I've become increasingly frustrated by far too many doctors (and even more surgeons) who come in every day with a wry smile on their face because they have the big house and the fast car and the supermodel wife (gold digger) yet make no contributions to medicine besides the menial. It is truly painful to observe the demoralization of the field.

A few points I will address and that you should think over (after re-reading my earlier posts) before providing a response:

You said that you honestly think everyone is an idiot, including those in your med-school classes. That is not feeding a troll. That is acting superior to those that you are likely not superior to. If you are, then go out and prove it. Where is the quantitative data proving all of your peers are idiots and that you are the gold standard? Remember, you said EVERYONE.

I stand by my claims. You are arrogant, you are egotistical, you are disconnected with reality, and you do sound like a trust fund baby. There is a slim line between confidence and cockiness, and you fall on the wrong side of that line (at this point in your life).

You are not a doctor. Yet. You are a student.

I did not say you were too fortunate to go into medicine. I said you seem like someone who has no intrinsic desire or even need to go into medicine besides the paychecks. No harm, no foul there.

Do not underestimate what can be inferred from an anonymous message board. Anonymous posts often reveal true feelings far better than conversation would. I see precisely who you are, rather than the guise you (and we all) put on daily. I, as well as many other posters on this site, probably know the real you better than most of your acquaintances and many of your friends. And that's only from a few posts.

My certs are in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism as well as in Internal Medicine.

Lastly, I write to you because I see a prospective doctor who has his priorities misaligned. I have no doubt you can accomplish great things, but I fear that you have the misfortune (or privilege) of being your own greatest obstacle.

My wife took an IQ test in middle school and scored very high; I think she said she had the highest or one of the highest scores in her school district. I took the military's DLAB (language attitude) and AFAST (flight school attitude). I passed, which is an achievement, but my scores were about average, so I am pretty sure I would not score too high on an IQ test. However, I kick my wife's butt in Scrabble and she's amazed that I do my own business taxes and she was blown away when I changed the brakes on my car. My wife thinks I am brilliant, which is cool, but I am definitely not brilliant. I am very good at figuring out what I need to do, to get things done.

To me, the minute you ask a question on a test, you have put some people at a disadvantage. Education, environment, socialization, command of language, effort and how important a person takes the exam, etc., all go into how someone answers questions on a test. Ask an Eskimo to arrange 2 long lines and 2 short lines into the shape of a skyscraper, I bet a kid from Bronx would kick the Eskimo’s butt, but the kid from the Bronx would have any idea how to get a fish from underneath the ice. Show 2 people a bag of popcorn, put them in a corn field and see who figures out how to make hot butted popcorn...that's smarts.

I use to be a speed coach for a football team and when we had open tryouts all the kids swore they could run a 4.5 40yd, but most of them could not break 5...it is often a matter of how things are measured.

This thread demonstrates the pompous, self-absorbed nature of the LRC crowd. Big whopping egos (and penises) haunt these forums. Most people here lack substance, both intellectually and morally.

smarter ass wrote:

This thread demonstrates the pompous, self-absorbed nature of the LRC crowd. Big whopping egos (and penises) haunt these forums. Most people here lack substance, both intellectually and morally.

Indicating that you are both intellectually and morally superior to most of the people on here. Thus, one can deduce that you are indeed a pompous, self-absorbed (smarter) ass.