C

conflagration

Student
Jul 29, 2022
181
High IQ can be a curse as well. Everything that falls outside 'normal' range creates potential for problems. If there is someone to blame, blame normies not high IQ people.
 
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Doom

Doom

Student
Nov 21, 2022
108
I'm going to do what I'm socially unpermitted to do and claim high intelligence. In high school I dropped out my sophomore year, went into my GED on drugs, and scored 99th percentile math, 99th percentile science, 96th percentile reading, 94th percentile writing. Also I am summa cum laude, 2.5 years straight A's in upper division courses, phi beta kappa, senior thesis and oral defense, etc. I'm a self-taught engineer and became the youngest technical director of a medium sized organization at 31 just by intelligently talking my way up. It was like a game for me. I won't tell you about my side hobbies, but I'm pretty much a savant.

Intelligent people seem to be the most unhappy. It's a terrible, tremendous burden to always "see" things that others don't. I am seemingly endlessly promoted but I have to quit jobs after 6 months because they realize that I "see" too much. They start to share their confidential information with me, ask me who to hire and fire, and really me to solve the biggest challenges for them. Business will love you because they want to capitalize. But that's about it. In dating and social relationships, you'll be awkward. People won't understand you. It's lonely at the top. I take drugs to "lobotomy" myself so I can see the world like others. I used to go to work blackout drunk as a director of engineering... And people still followed my direction. I can't relate to people because what's on my mind is the latest original idea I have on "Hegelian brain" or other esoteric things that world require hour long conversations just to get people up to speed to receive my input. I spend most my life in imaginary dialogues with philosophers. Its like talking to yourself alone all day, month and years long. It's truly aloneness. And in today's "humble" society you can't reveal yourself or what you're thinking about. I probably should be in some think-tank military or private sector, or where the other savants are, but I never found them.

I see a lot of happy low intelligence people. They don't care about what they don't see. I think what matters in this life is your relationships with others. People often want my brain, but they don't want anything to do with me. I'm pretty much rich, I get job offers in 5 minutes or less, and will be forever employable. But I still drive to firearm stores and look at 45 calibres. There are African tribes where people can't even write their own names and they smiling and laughing.

If you're claiming low intelligence, then let me "educate" you that intelligence does not solve anything. I hope that's not talking down on you. I met this guy in church years ago. He must've been in the 60 IQ range. Barely functioning. The way he talked about overcoming his addiction! Truly brilliant. What's weird is the high and low intelligence people seem to really "understand" each other. The people in the middle of the curve seem to like to hang out with others in the middle too.

Many intelligent people feel guilty and take drugs to diminish themselves, like I do. They feel bad they got a "gift" that others didn't. My brother is homeless. Why? I don't know, but my high powered brain sure loves to punish me over it. And yes I agree, intelligent people are snooty. People don't like my intelligence. They stay away, get suspicious when they see it. Unless they can use it for their personal advantage like increase their business revenue or fix their security model.

I think in life, things look good when you don't have them. The married people wish they were single. The single people wished they were married. The younger people wished they were older. The older people wished they were younger. It seems to be nature's way. We only focus on the benefits and not the negatives. Like, wow it must be so great to be me, that they fly me around the country everywhere and keep offering me more money. But it's not so easy to see how alienated and separated I am from everybody, and how my brain is like a high maintenance dog that needs 6 hour walks everyday. I'm like a genius who wants to cut his own ear off... Often simply batshit crazy to people, because they don't understand my mental trainings.
Unintelligent people are only happy if they are not aware of their own inferiority, have no external pressure to demand greatness and are content with the petty life they lead. However, I'm not that kind of person. I am perfectly aware of my inferiority, I am not content with spending my entire life working all day and earning little. Money would solve at least 50% of my problems.
I'm somewhat ambitious, I don't accept my mediocrity.

I disagree that intelligence solves nothing. It's the opposite. Every(or at least most of them) unfortune in our lives is a consequence of our ignorance. If you could solve all your problems, you'd solve your suicidal ideation and you wouldn't even be here in the first place. Makes no sense to say that intelligence can be a burden, since your own burden is precisely due to a certain ignorance you have about your own life, which is why you cannot solve it.
People as smart as they are, still are not omniscient. Everyone have their own ignorance and their own problems and that's why even the smartest can end up in an unhappy life.
 
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jawdropped123

jawdropped123

Experienced
Mar 19, 2022
202
It's hard to believe you're talking about yourself because the writings you just put forward in your OP are coherent, well structured, and argumentatively sound. Dumb people would not be able to write like this. Have you really, truly looked at how many people write, with bad sentence structure, misspellings, incorrect grammar, illogical arguments, etc?
Bad grammar, bad sentence structure and misspellings doesnt equal intelligence....because the majority of people that have these are not american or from england. Im not american but i can speak four languages. I may not be the most intelligent but even i know this fact
 
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👁️👃👁️

Enlightened
Aug 14, 2022
1,292
🙄

I think this discussion would be more appropriate in the Off Topic Forum.
That's because it doesn't.


This discussion is part of this thread.

I was reading through this, interesting to get other people's perspective.

 
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LookingOverTheEdge

LookingOverTheEdge

Hello Darkness my old friend
Jul 13, 2020
356
I was given the gift of intelligence. And I wish I never had it. I genuinely believe ignorance is bliss.
 
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Doom

Doom

Student
Nov 21, 2022
108
That's because it doesn't.


This discussion is part of this thread.

I was reading through this, interesting to get other people's perspective.


There is a logic behind all grammar, some are even quite complex like my language for example, so clearly you have to be smart to learn grammar. Someone with an intellectual disability can be educated to write correctly, yes, but how good that individual's will be?
You don't expect a goof to become as good as a famous poet just because they spent years educating themselves.
 
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👁️👃👁️

Enlightened
Aug 14, 2022
1,292
There is a logic behind all grammar, some are even quite complex like my language for example, so clearly you have to be smart to learn grammar.
Smart? Or intelligent?
 
G

godhelpme313

Member
Dec 18, 2022
17
Unintelligent people are only happy if they are not aware of their own inferiority, have no external pressure to demand greatness and are content with the petty life they lead. However, I'm not that kind of person. I am perfectly aware of my inferiority, I am not content with spending my entire life working all day and earning little. Money would solve at least 50% of my problems.
I'm somewhat ambitious, I don't accept my mediocrity.

I disagree that intelligence solves nothing. It's the opposite. Every(or at least most of them) unfortune in our lives is a consequence of our ignorance. If you could solve all your problems, you'd solve your suicidal ideation and you wouldn't even be here in the first place. Makes no sense to say that intelligence can be a burden, since your own burden is precisely due to a certain ignorance you have about your own life, which is why you cannot solve it.
People as smart as they are, still are not omniscient. Everyone have their own ignorance and their own problems and that's why even the smartest can end up in an unhappy life.
First I agree with a lot of your points!! Well spoken. I honestly see you arguing both sides and maybe you just need to put them together. For example, you mention that everybody has their own ignorance, even the smartest people, and that unhappiness is due to ignorance. But contrarily you mention a deep desire to be more intelligent and I interpret your post as saying you are suffering because you are not as intelligent. Do you see the contradiction?

By your own words and (highly reasonable) critique of intelligent people, your gaining intelligence would not put you in a better position. I think you tell yourself it would, because you'd have more money for example. I hope you find the following an inviting interpretation and an extension of a friendly hand.

I think you are intelligent. I think are so because you are unsettled in your box and you want to expand beyond your limitations. Besides that, what else could intelligence possibly be? I think you are suffering from a relational problem. I think you have high intelligence, but perhaps others put you in a low intelligence place or you doubt yourself, and now you look "over the fence" at all the "cool intelligent kids" and feel jealousy, anger and hopelessness. I think you may be self limiting your own expansion, or worried that your mind can't do what you need it to do.

But I think you can reclaim your confidence in your own intelligence and go places that you want to go. Its not me puffing you up, only telling you this because you're bringing a high level discussion to the group and I'm here for that. If you were low intelligence the conversation does not flow like this.
Also I want to add that the pain of intelligence is knowing you are limited. The more promotions I got, the more I was involved in meetings where I knew nothing, yet people still looked at me for what to do. Intelligent people know they are limited and it hurts. I run a record label. That means I have to think like an attorney, a distributor, an audio engineer,a musician and countless other roles. I fantasize that what if I was "smart" like my attorney. Then I could write my own legal contacts to better serve me. Or if I had the intelligence of a business analyst then I could better pinpoint my label on the social map. I feel great despair that I'm not "smart" like all these people but what I'm really feeling is the lack of time or energy to master all these topics. In fact, I'll forever be in the dark on most everything I ever touch. I will always be working with people smarter then me. It's a mistake for me to interpret that as a lack of intelligence. The "smarter" I get, the more I am dependent on people who know more than me. I had an existential crisis one day imagining how a refrigerator works. I'll never be a refrigerator operator and yet I'm dependent on the mechanic. The further I go, the more I'm in a room of people who can talk circles around. But that's the exciting part of intellectual development. It's a wonderful thing to be "dim". I hope this makes sense and is helpful
 
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ksp

ksp

Arcanist
Oct 1, 2022
435
i am smart enough to see how dumb i am - life is bliss, lol
 
E

Enemy of Evolution

Member
Nov 9, 2022
46
Because no one has the patience to deal with unintelligent people. Without flashy traits, everyone will judge you. They will start blaming you for all the problems that plague you, because they think that lack of intelligence is purely the individual's fault, they never come to the conclusion that it is not our fault we have low IQ, it depends more on genetics and the environment in which we grew up. We can't just wake up one day and be as efficient as normal or intelligent people - Especially when that deficiency leads to other problems like depression and low self esteem.

There is no merit in intelligence. The world's geniuses didn't have to work hard to have the IQ they have. They were born with such high potential and all they did was take advantage of their high cognitive abilities to learn things they were already capable of learning all along.

The most intelligent people tend to be the most judgmental as well. They become proud of their intelligence, which is just a benefit they won in life's lottery, and go around spitting phrases of motivation and meritocracy - and they use those same phrases to judge those who didn't win like them.
Sorry to say this but there was a time when I was among the arrogant intelligent people. Yes I was proud of it. But time has taken it's turn. I had to learn the reality of life in a painful way. I have asked forgiveness from few on face to face. From some I asked forgiveness through message.

Now I don't judge people. I don't feel proud. I am ashamed of what I was. Now I am humbly waiting for the day when I have enough courage to kill myself.
 
Z

zeenatax

Specialist
Dec 15, 2022
313
I thought I was smart all this time. I was really good and top of the class until 15yrs or so. Then as my hormones started to wreak havoc with my mind and my studies went down. I entered college a bit late, few years later than I should be. Then I picked up studies fairly well but not to the level as earlier but much more better than many of my peers. Somehow in my career I did not excel because I did not like my profession at all. My mind was all over. I wanted to do a lot of things in my life. I never thought about making money even though I could have made good amount of money in my profession. I always thought money as evil. I wanted achieve things considered intellectual. I read well, have a curious mind and expanded my horizons but never achieved to show. Lately I started to question my intelligence as I have nothing to show whether it is monetary success or intellectual achievement. Then out of curiosity I took a IQ test very first time and guess what? My IQ is bordering average. Does that explain? Or am I just lazy? I used to be little cocky thinking I am smart but I am shattered now.
 
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Winterreise

Student
Jun 27, 2022
183
In early 2000s iq tests were hotter than anything else.it was a radio topic, television entertainment, internet quiz. People started talking fast and stringent. It was the beginning of a lot of the" self services", and "smart products.". Always the recurring word "smart". It was use to revere, to insult, and to sell. You could not find products that didn't have, or wasn't somehow tagged with it. Human gestures like Eyebrow raising and Einstein thounge were common. Or they would shame you severely if they had to explain things twice. The endless quizzing and smartassery. Questions about your virginity were replaced by questions about your iq. Worst was they expected you to follow their line of thought and understand it instantly. You could hear them say " as I pointed out", "i have said it twice", "it's on the wall". Some even spell checked the heck out you. Being smart is fine, but I don't care how smart people think. I think with own brain. And the secret to solving problems is to allow yourself to be dumb. Cos a lot of the dumb stuff isn't dumb at all. And if it is, so fucking what?
 
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Jarni

Jarni

Love is a toothache in the heart. H.Heine
Dec 12, 2020
377
We are all a dumb for somebody. There will always be people more intelligent than us... But it is really good to find a talent. It needs lots of tests in different domains.
 
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C

conflagration

Student
Jul 29, 2022
181
Unintelligent people are only happy if they are not aware of their own inferiority, have no external pressure to demand greatness and are content with the petty life they lead. However, I'm not that kind of person. I am perfectly aware of my inferiority, I am not content with spending my entire life working all day and earning little. Money would solve at least 50% of my problems.
I'm somewhat ambitious, I don't accept my mediocrity.

I disagree that intelligence solves nothing. It's the opposite. Every(or at least most of them) unfortune in our lives is a consequence of our ignorance. If you could solve all your problems, you'd solve your suicidal ideation and you wouldn't even be here in the first place. Makes no sense to say that intelligence can be a burden, since your own burden is precisely due to a certain ignorance you have about your own life, which is why you cannot solve it.
People as smart as they are, still are not omniscient. Everyone have their own ignorance and their own problems and that's why even the smartest can end up in an unhappy life.
TBH your analysis and conclusions points that you are pretty smart, you are just painfully aware of your own limitations. Quoting Shakespeare
"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool."
If you think your IQ is preventing you from getting a good job, it is probably not your IQ but something different like problems with motivation or other emotional problems.
 
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Doom

Doom

Student
Nov 21, 2022
108
I don't see contradiction.
And sure, intel would put me in a better position, when I'm right in that hole due to lack of it.

I think you are intelligent. I think are so because you are unsettled in your box and you want to expand beyond your limitations. Besides that, what else could intelligence possibly be? I think you are suffering from a relational problem. I think you have high intelligence, but perhaps others put you in a low intelligence place or you doubt yourself, and now you look "over the fence" at all the "cool intelligent kids" and feel jealousy, anger and hopelessness. I think you may be self limiting your own expansion, or worried that your mind can't do what you need it to do.

I mean, there are multiple intelligences, so defining exactly what "intelligence" is is tricky, but it's easy to tell when someone doesn't have it. When they does not demonstrate great skills, difficulty in memorizing and understanding what most people would easily understand, it is a clear indication of below average iq. Im not smart for wanting to get out of my box either, that's just a instinctive reaction to the suffering my limitations have caused me.


""A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool." "Also I want to add that the pain of intelligence is knowing you are limited"

If you were less smart, you would definitely depend more on people and still be exploited by them. I think being aware of your own limitations has more to do with your own personal experiences; it means you are being tested and forced to confront your own limitations. Anyone regardless of their intelligence can reach the arrogance to believe they are only wise and have no limits , that just means they still haven't found a test to match their skills yet or haven't even been tested at all.
 
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P

pyx

Wizard
Jun 5, 2024
618
pretty based thread. people always like to jump in and claim that "b-but high IQ people suffer too! it's such a burden!"

verbal intellect online can be easily manufactured, and appeals to external opinion, not obviating the actual effort required to articulate and structure ones writing in a way which doesn't deviate from the popular conception of 'good' writing. analytic thinking is far less ambiguous, so i think that it's generally a better indicator for intellect outside of empirical measurement. dyslexia won't qualify you as unintelligent, but dyscalculia will
 
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EvisceratedJester

EvisceratedJester

|| What Else Could I Be But a Jester ||
Oct 21, 2023
3,543
I had a friend in elementary school who was very smart. They were considered to be gifted I think. I remember feeling crushed and holding a grudge against them the day when I found out that they were talking behind my back, complaining to others about how annoying and dumb I was. It hurt a lot at the time, especially since the year before, when they were out of the country, I was dealing with a lot of thoughts about wanting to die and had been wishing that they'd come back. A small part of me still hates them for that, despite the fact I understand that she was just a kid at the time. The worst part though, is growing up to realize that they were right. I was always aware of the fact that I wasn't very smart, but just how dumb I was is something that took time for me to fully realize.

It takes me longer to understand most things in comparison to my peers and I literally have to idiot-proof my notes because I know how easy it is for me to become overwhelmed with feelings of confusion. I'm pretty talented at making people who don't know me very well think I'm smart. It's pretty easy when you are a quiet person since most people seem to associate being quiet and reserved with high intellect (at least in certain settings). It's also easy to trick people into thinking that you are smart when having to interact with them since you just need to word things just right.

Some people like to call themselves dumb as a way to sound humble or relatable and it tends to bother me a lot. Idiocy is something that you literally feel in every part of your being. It's something that goes beyond making simple mistakes or accidents, like pulling a door that you have to push to open or misplacing something when you weren't thinking. It runs much deeper than that. It's reflected in how you think and perceive the world around you. It's demonstrated through how much effort it takes for you to learn things that all your peers can grasp in seconds. Sometimes, I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy when I hear about things in regard to my brother's intellect, which is pathetic since he is a lot younger than me. He's objectively very smart for his age (he's been tested), meanwhile I remember having to work much harder when I was younger to even get by. It's humiliating knowing how far behind I am from my peers. I probably would not have even graduated from high school if it weren't for the pandemic. My stupidity is something that contributes to my self-hatred and suicidal ideation.
 
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WhatPowerIs

WhatPowerIs

Paragon
Jun 19, 2022
980
It is weird how so many intelligent people I know in life are also graced with other remarkable qualities such as physical beauty or a natural charisma. I think it is true some people really are just given everything in life and it all comes down to luck.
 

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