This is something that’s been on my mind for a long, long time. I know it seems self serving but, to me, this is getting to be a problem.
I read these boards and am impressed with the consistency of intelligence demonstrated by most of the members. I would like to be part of this category but…
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I learned very early that I was different from most of my peers. I did not want to stand out for being a “brainiac” (I miss middle school LOL). I wanted to stand out for my physical prowess (I was quite the athlete). I have wow’ed teachers and professors alike only to have them confused when I follow up a great exam performance with a grade of C the next test. I had everything calculated to the point that I once scored 100% (without much studying) on every test in the final term in order gain my exemption for chemistry. I wrote the exam anyway cuz the teacher explained that she didn’t think I had exerted myself the entire year and gave my exemption to someone more deserving…who was I to argue
I have taken several IQ tests for curiousity and have received scores ranging from above average to excellent (I’m not disclosing the scores). I tend to be very sporadic in terms of when my “intelligence” is available to me. Given sufficient warning, I can be ready. Pop a trivia or problem solving game in front of me without warning and I’ll usually play well enough to win (unfortunately, I tend to be smarter than most of my RL friends) but will not really play. The results are much different if I know we will play the game in advance. I know this could be normal but the results are vastly different. It appears that I need time to focus in.
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Now that I’m older (27, yeah I know, spring chicken), I find myself wanting more and more to be able to be much more consistent in terms of what intelligence I exhibit. I have a job that should push me in that direction (I’m a software developer), but even that can’t motivate me to push myself mentally all the time.
My question is, how do I stop covering up something that I’ve hiding been for 20 years. I have been married for 6.5 years and my wife has been instrumental in slowly encouraging me to be less self-conscious about my mind. However, after 6 years, I find that I’m not making the progress as fast as I had hoped to. It’s frustrating as this is most likely something I should have gone through many years ago but suppressed it and am now having to make the journey well after the fact.
Also, how do you motivate yourselves to continue to exhibit the intelligence that I observe on this board on daily basis?
To be more consistent with the intelligence you exhibit wil mean breaking the habits that you have and establishing new ones. You’ve put yourself into whatever category and lived your life so that other people put you in that category as well. Change your behavior, and it will change your perception of yourself, and ultimately the perception that other people have.
As for continuing to exhibit intelligence, that’s probably a pretty arbitrary term. To keep myself up to speed I read a lot, including professional journals and white papers, fiction, and non-fiction. I seek conversations with people whom I beleive are as intelligent or more intelligent than myself. I value people who question my opinions and tend to seek those people out because more than once I’ve been shown a problem in a way that I haven’t thought about.
I think of intelligence as multi-faceted: someone came up with a theory of 7 intelligences (linguistic, mathematical, musical, kinesthetic etc - I can’t remember the rest but the point remains valid). Everyone has their own different way of being intelligent: in response to a single question, different people will come up with very different ways to answer it intelligently. (We see this on this board a lot!) A well-researched and well-argued answer is no better (I believe) than a witty ironic response.
Having said that … you need to find people who share your intelligence. Join a book club, go see speakers or non-wide-release movies, watch public television. Post to the SDMB!! These kinds of things will allow you to pursue your interests with people who share them.
But I would ask you to keep in mind that ‘intelligence’ is a complex term and that if you are seeking people who fit your existing definition of it, you may have more trouble than if you broaden it to include different kinds of intelligence. Example: people educated in non-Western countries often have very different ways of thinking and speaking, which can give your brain a good stretch.
And another thing to think about: the IQ test has been widely critiqued as a measure of intelligence - it is more accurately a measure of the ability to do well on an IQ test, which depends on cultural, linguistic and social factors as much as any ‘intelligence.’ In fact it was never designed as a blanket test of intelligence, its original designer quite explicitly said that it should never be used to compare people across the board. See Stephen Jay Gould’s The Mismeasure of Man for a great discussion on the subject.
What welby said, plus, as far as motivating yourself goes, I would suggest ditching the friends you feel you must dumb yourself down for and hang out with people that inspire you to be intelligent and creative.
Keep in mind that things aren’t going to change overnight, especially not habits and thought processes you’ve had for 20+ years. Give yourself time and rather than knock yourself for not progressing quickly enough, celebrate the small changes that you have made.
Compare yourself to how you were a month ago, or a year ago, or even five years ago and you’ll begin to see that though slow, the progress is there and, assuming you truly want to make a change, that should help give you confidence that you’re doing it right.
For the record, I’m intending a very generic definition for the term intelligence when I use it in the OP.
I would have to agree that old habits die hard. I have started to read a lot more in the last year or two. I also have started actively looking for people to push me mentally, on any level, but that is appearing to be easier said than done (FYI: I live in a small mennonite traditionalist town). I am finding myself drawn to these boards more and more. However, that is not altogether a good thing (May the gods of these boards not strike me down for that comment). I want/need to spend time with my wife and kid(s) so it becomes an availability of time issue.
As for my friends, I reluctantly have to agree with soulmurk. I’m not sold on ditching them so I will most likely distance myself from them without really severing the relationship entirely. It’s all part of me joining in the Straight Dope cause of fighting ignorance
I guess the frustrating part of it is that I’m one of those who most everything comes insanely easy. When faced with something like this, where it can’t be mastered in a few weeks, it is almost demoralizing. But, there is growth happening so I must accept that, while I am trying to accomplish a goal, I am actually learning 2 things: exhibiting intelligence (for lack of a better phrase) and the value of perseverence. Problem is that perseverence can only be learned over time
cowgirl:
I believe Gardner did the study and concluded 7 types of intelligence: Logic/math, kinisthetic, musical, linguistical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and spatial. I should have qualified my statement in that I only meant a generic definition of intelligence meaning, as soulmurk used in the statement
As for the validity of an IQ test: yes they have been shown that there are some severe flaws in the tests themselves. Further, I am aware of their shortfalls but was intending the use of the IQ test as a microcostic representation of the way I seem to relate to people and life.
Did I mention I also usually don’t explain myself completely ( ) as it seems to take too long. I apologize for not qualifying my statements earlier and will make a sincere effort to do so in the future.
When it came time for me to refresh my mind, I headed back towards the science section of my local bookstore, found a book that looked interesting, and bought it. If it was good, I looked for more books by the author. If it wasn’t, I stayed in the subject but dumped the author.
If you’re not sure what you are interested in, grab a magazine like Discover or Scientific American that cover a wide subject area.
Also, stay here on the Straight Dope. There are some crazy smart people posting. And if they’re not smart, at least they are opinionated enough to provoke thought
These other posters are feeding you hooey. The best way to demonstrate intelligence is by picking on retards. I suppose you can call them developmentally challenged or whatever, just as long as you pick on them. Ask them to multiply add two numbers then roll your eyes when it takes them a few seconds. It’s just that easy. All your friends will be impressed and still like you.
I agree. For the past 3 years, I have kinda been lax. No serious math or science problems. Learnt nothing new.
Try to engage yourself. And not be a passive receptor.
But, it’s pretty easy to get into that rut.
If you want to do something that’s analytical, intuitive as well as aesthetic :), take up 3D CG.
Download Maya. Learn the program. Model and render your own room or create your own fantastical panorama. Simulate physical scenarios. Try to see how a dream would look when virtually fleshed out. Iron out the details. You’ll see things in a different light*
3D will engage your spatial reasoning, analytical reasoning, physics, aesthetics, imagination and most of all patience.
First of all, Greenback, simply stop concerning yourself with your intelligence. It seems you are focused in the wrong direction. Maybe you need to be more involved with intelligent people and show interest in their concepts instead of your own. Who cares what your I.Q. is other than you?
The way we perceive ourselves is often not the way others perceive us.
Also get involved in learning something new and unrelated to what you already do, read, are, and know. I doubt you know everything about everything, but just in case, start an interest group. Fellow classmates, neighbors, or workers interested in the same (not work related) subjects.
Believe in yourself but get involved in helping others.
Grannyjoy, it’s not that I’m completely focused on my own intelligence, it’s just that it happens to be the part of me and is feeling completely unfulfilled at the moment.
Also, it’s funny you should mention starting an interest group cuz I’m actually working on something like that right now. Hopefully will be set up in the next month or so.
Gyan9, thanks for the sites. I do plan on making some use of that. I’m not really artistic in the least so this represents untrodden territory.
Nice one noclueboy
Thanks czarcasm for keeping this thread in line.
Thanks for all the suggestions. This actually has served to be quite encouraging. If anyone has more suggestions (websites, books, free newsletters (I’m definately not made of money), etc), I’m all ears.
I’ve been here for a month and already I am starting to feel like part of community. Props to the dopers.
