Insecure about intelligence

[Inferno]

Does anyone else feel insecure about their level of intelligence? I find myself compensating for my average IQ by writing verbose paragraphs and pretending to know more about a subject than I actually do. When I was 15 years old I had to take an assessment and my full scale IQ was found to only be 102 (I got 114 for verbal intelligence but I digress). I always hated the fact that I was never special, that I wasn't as smart as I thought I was. Despite this I always get comments about how I'm "too smart to be doing this". It's mostly from my parents who think I'm some kind of genius for whatever reason. I got into a real bad argument with my parents over me not wanting to go to university and my father kept complaining how I was "too intelligent to not go to university". Truth is I'm just an average loser, I wouldn't survive doing some degree that takes brains. I brought this up and how I would be comfortable working a menial job like being a bricklayer or doing a trade but my parents refused to let me. It's frustrating, I wish I was smarter.

 

[Rainy_days]

Do your parents know that experienced trade workers are paid really well? They are in the US anyway. Spending years and going into debt for the sole purpose of having a degree to appear smart with seems so silly to me. It's another matter if you're actually interested in and want to work in a subject which requires advanced degree. And please don't call yourself a loser for not being good at academics. It's a very specific skillset that sometimes doesn't even transfer to useful things or even signify very great intelligence.

 

[pickajack]

Hi @Inferno. Just sending you some encouragement. I believe that you (and anyone) can be successful at almost anything they actually want to do.

I relate to a lot of what you wrote. I'm not sure why we need to feel different or special and I'm not sure why it's so important to people around us.

Whatever anyone (even yourself) tells you you can or can't or should or shouldn't do, it's all biased opinion. Even the tests are just attempts by others to quantify what you are or aren't capable of.

It's a real struggle to figure out what you actually want and how much you're willing to put into achieving it.

 

[Kualk]

I feel you, I got constantly told by my family that I was extremely smart and that it was my duty to be the first in my family to hold a collage degree. 5 years later and it's honestly degrading to leave the bedside every day just to watch other people be better than you at everything with half the effort. Then I got a menial desk job and its honestly the happiest I've been in a while, unfortunately it wont last long as I'm already getting pressure from all sides of the family because "that position is to low for someone like you".
Hope you have better luck than me in collage if you eventually decide to go.

 

[pyamu]

This is exactly how I feel. I hate when I come across a concept I quite literally am not able to understand and encounter those significantly smarter than me. I used to be a "gifted child" but now I'm just stupid.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

Don't worry, intelligence doesn't really guarantee much of anything.

 

[lonewolf22]

I'd be worried if my IQ score was 80. 102 is good enough to find success in occupations ranging from construction contractor to general surgeon. You have the smarts to run a business as well. I think you are beating yourself too much over a number. For one IQ can increase up until a certain age before it plateaus. At 15 years old you may have been 102 but maybe now you are at 115 or even 120.

 

[bluville]

I feel u, i place so much value on my intelligence. I have no idea what my iq is but I never want to find out

 

[CTB Dream]

This all human nonsensia tell one intlg one not. Most thing life no effcent nothing all put obscl brain understand. There no thing mean no understand complx artificial acadmy make, make easy study see how most ppl brain understand. Intlg concept iq all bad. Society all human no help person advance no help ppl understand topic, this all make Pyramid capital etc.

If better world no one say intlg not no one say integer iq decide life , topic all understand all help

 

[Inferno]

Do your parents know that experienced trade workers are paid really well? They are in the US anyway.

I tried to tell them that but tradies have a negative reputation in Australia. They're stereotyped as bogans.

I'd be worried if my IQ score was 80. 102 is good enough to find success in occupations ranging from construction contractor to general surgeon. You have the smarts to run a business as well. I think you are beating yourself too much over a number. For one IQ can increase up until a certain age before it plateaus. At 15 years old you may have been 102 but maybe now you are at 115 or even 120.

I understand what you mean but it's disappointing because my mother's IQ is 140 and she's a nurse. I guess I could just go for a nursing degree at university because it's only 3 years.

 

[lonewolf22]

I tried to tell them that but tradies have a negative reputation in Australia. They're stereotyped as bogans.

I understand what you mean but it's disappointing because my mother's IQ is 140 and she's a nurse. I guess I could just go for a nursing degree at university because it's only 3 years.

That fact alone, about your mother being a nurse should tell you that IQ scores don't always map on to reality. We would expect someone with an IQ of 140 to go into more cognitively charged professions like Neuro surgery or aerospace engineering, yet nursing as an occupation, is far down the totem pole of intellectual rigor next to those fields. If you have enough of an interest in a specific field, you will become very good at it even if your IQ score may not be up to par. IQ scores are good at predicting success but that's where their utility ends. An IQ of 100 is good enough to achieve success in many different lines of work.

 

[Fadeawaaaay]

I went to a top university, so I'm supposed to be intelligent but it's probably just Booksmart. I've always been pretty incompetent at basic every day stuff. Most challenges leave me to feel extreme anxiety. There's lots of different kinds of intelligence.

 

[pickajack]

she lacks logical thinking. I don't blame her considering she's a woman

I get that you're frustrated with your situation, but I suggest you revisit your assumptions around gender.

 

[GasMonkey]

she lacks logical thinking. I don't blame her considering she's a woman

You are gonna get flamed bro, hahaha.

 

[Inferno]

I get that you're frustrated with your situation, but I suggest you revisit your assumptions around gender.

Did I direct hate towards women in my post? I clearly said I don't blame her or think it's her fault. It's just that men and women think inherently different. Women are more likely to be compassionate and caring for others while men are colder. You could even make this an argument about how men are actually worse because they're less likely to care for others. I apologise if you misconstrued what I said.

You are gonna get flamed bro, hahaha.

Yeah I already knew that but who cares, I'm just saying what's on my mind.

 

[bolt]

Does anyone else feel insecure about their level of intelligence? I find myself compensating for my average IQ by writing verbose paragraphs and pretending to know more about a subject than I actually do. When I was 15 years old I had to take an assessment and my full scale IQ was found to only be 102 (I got 114 for verbal intelligence but I digress). I always hated the fact that I was never special, that I wasn't as smart as I thought I was. Despite this I always get comments about how I'm "too smart to be doing this". It's mostly from my parents who think I'm some kind of genius for whatever reason. I got into a real bad argument with my parents over me not wanting to go to university and my father kept complaining how I was "too intelligent to not go to university". Truth is I'm just an average loser, I wouldn't survive doing some degree that takes brains. I brought this up and how I would be comfortable working a menial job like being a bricklayer or doing a trade but my parents refused to let me. It's frustrating, I wish I was sm

standard intelligence tests measure only a handful of skills. They do not measure many other ones. There are also strengths and weaknesses that make big difference, e.g. poor memory or slow processing speed. So even the person is bright in one area, they are struggling because of something else. People struggle with IQ below 70 and while intelligence is relatively stable, many things can change it -e.g. brain damage (accidents, viruses, drugs, etc.).

 

[Ultracheese]

For what it's worth, I don't find IQ to be a good measure of intelligence. Most IQ tests are very focused on step-based problem-solving and visual thinking, and there are plenty of intelligent people that aren't good at those things. There's lots of different kinds of intelligence, whether traditional forms, artistic, social, etc. The general assumption is that your IQ won't change a lot from when you're young compared to when you're an adult, and I find this line of thinking rather foolhardy.

 

[imcadt99]

Does anyone else feel insecure about their level of intelligence? I find myself compensating for my average IQ by writing verbose paragraphs and pretending to know more about a subject than I actually do. When I was 15 years old I had to take an assessment and my full scale IQ was found to only be 102 (I got 114 for verbal intelligence but I digress). I always hated the fact that I was never special, that I wasn't as smart as I thought I was. Despite this I always get comments about how I'm "too smart to be doing this". It's mostly from my parents who think I'm some kind of genius for whatever reason. I got into a real bad argument with my parents over me not wanting to go to university and my father kept complaining how I was "too intelligent to not go to university". Truth is I'm just an average loser, I wouldn't survive doing some degree that takes brains. I brought this up and how I would be comfortable working a menial job like being a bricklayer or doing a trade but my parents refused to let me. It's frustrating, I wish I was smarter.

Your point about verbosity is so relatable to me. I wouldn't say I consciously do it out of an attempt to seem intelligent, but rather as a result of limited social interaction. Like I have had so little contact with people that I've forgotten how to speak succinctly, worried I won't get my point across. It's something I'm trying to break out of though, especially because I think it discourages people from interacting with your posts on this site when it's just a block of text.

Regarding your point about feeling average, I can relate to that as well. I was extremely academically successful in high school (graduated 2nd/540 people) but when I got to college I lost my stride. I watched as those I had disregarded in high school soared past me in the game of life. I won't lie, I'm somewhat resentful but it's purely my fault. Was I successful because I was intelligent? Do I have brain damage now? I don't know, but if I was given the option I would rather be a moderately happy stupid person than a miserable "intelligent" person if I ever even was one to begin with.

I'm sorry your parents are pushing you to pursue a life that doesn't interest you. If trades interest you, pursue it. Your happiness is all that matters at the end of the day, even if it isn't seen as prestigious in the eyes of others.