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I've never taken an IQ test, nor will I ever take one. Am I smarter than the average person? undoubtedly. But if my IQ is high then I fear I'll avoid doing u

I've never taken an IQ test, nor will I ever take one. Am I smarter than the average person? undoubtedly. But if my IQ is high then I fear I'll avoid doing useful things because they're beneath me. And if my IQ is not high, I fear I'll avoid doing things because they're above me. There is nothing useful that can come out of knowing your IQ, and as others have said, there's other things that are so much more important. Smart people are unusually good at deluding themselves, for example. They get so used to being right they start to believe if they can rationalize it, it's obviously true and anyone who disagrees isn't as smart. Having said that, I once made a girl angry in college because I asked the professor if grad school will actually be challenging because undergrad math for me was ridiculously easy. I think the best way to describe IQ is that it defines your potential (w/i a margin of error), but it's everything else that determines how effectively you use that IQ. A child with down syndrome will never win a nobel no matter how much they want to or how much effort they put into it. But having an IQ of 160+ will never guarantee you don't end up homeless in a ditch.

maximus-decimus 4y ago
I have a dream : I would like to do research and do breakthroughs in the field. Knowing my IQ would let me know if that's reasonable and if I have any kind of shot at it. I know I'm smarter than average, but am I smart enough to be a top scientist? If i'm too stupid to attain my dream and I went for a phd, I would just be wasting my time, my life, my earnings for a dead end. It would be like dedicating your whole life to being a pro basket-ball player while having no shot because you're 5'10" (taller than average, but not tall enough).
- P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
  I read a book years ago (forget the name or the author) about an alien species that came to earth and claimed they were in a war and were looking for the single best specimen from each species (1 per planet). The one they settled on was a man in a wheelchair. Through technology they fixed all his ills. They then put him on a ship with all the others and he was immediately attacked. It turned out there was a hierarchy and it had to do with physical violence. They wouldn't let you die and all injuries would be healed so it was safe, if painful, to do. Throughout the book you learn the aliens that came to earth are very logical, by the book, run the numbers. So this human realizes this and realizes he wants more control so he starts working his way thorugh the hierarchy. he gets to the 2nd highest rank, but cannot beat the highest rank alien, but he keeps trying ... and trying ... and trying. Finally the highest rank alien asks him why, he explains, the highest rank alien steps to the side and gives him the highest rank. Later on in the story the aliens fighting the war decided the statistical odds weren't there and they were going to let all the worlds where they had gathered specimens be overrun. The crew on this ship with the humans rejected it, overtook the ship, and went to fight on their own. They did well enough on their own to tip the numbers just enough that the aliens fighting the war chose to re-engage. ---- The point here is this. You cannot live life by the numbers, you'll be wrong because it doesn't take into account risk. I know you, and many others, will argue against that, but it's true. Here's an example: Statistically speaking, you should never cross a busy highway. If your child is on the other side of that highway and in danger, you will 100% do it. Statistics can never take into account the reasons for the risk or the worthiness of the risk. ---- The numbers are lying to you. Yes, there's a line at which you'll never be able to do better, but once you're past that line there's a large margin of error. Don't live your life afraid of that margin of error, embrace it.
  - maximus-decimus 4y ago
    Sorry, but I don't find a science fiction book to be an inspiring argument. Find me a below average height person who made it at the NBA or somebody, anybody, with a below average IQ who got a science Nobel prize and you'll have my attention. But if you have to rely on a pure fantasy novel to find a counter-example, it doesn't give me any confidence in your theory.
    - P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
      > Sorry, but I don't think you can learn anything from allegories, they're not "real life". there, fixed that for you. As for the rest ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shortest_players_in_National_Basketball_Association_history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shortest_players_in_Na... The shortest NBA player was 5'3" and played until 2001. Isaiah Thomas is the shortest player to play in an all-star game at 5'9". --- But hey, good luck, I'm sure you're smarter than the rest of us and you'll do just fine without allegories.
      - maximus-decimus 4y ago
        You've caught me, I'm an allegory hater. Thanks about that NBA player list. Truly inspiring somebody who's 5"3' could play in the NBA.

maximus-decimus 4y ago

I have a dream : I would like to do research and do breakthroughs in the field. Knowing my IQ would let me know if that's reasonable and if I have any kind of shot at it. I know I'm smarter than average, but am I smart enough to be a top scientist? If i'm too stupid to attain my dream and I went for a phd, I would just be wasting my time, my life, my earnings for a dead end. It would be like dedicating your whole life to being a pro basket-ball player while having no shot because you're 5'10" (taller than average, but not tall enough).

P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
I read a book years ago (forget the name or the author) about an alien species that came to earth and claimed they were in a war and were looking for the single best specimen from each species (1 per planet). The one they settled on was a man in a wheelchair. Through technology they fixed all his ills. They then put him on a ship with all the others and he was immediately attacked. It turned out there was a hierarchy and it had to do with physical violence. They wouldn't let you die and all injuries would be healed so it was safe, if painful, to do. Throughout the book you learn the aliens that came to earth are very logical, by the book, run the numbers. So this human realizes this and realizes he wants more control so he starts working his way thorugh the hierarchy. he gets to the 2nd highest rank, but cannot beat the highest rank alien, but he keeps trying ... and trying ... and trying. Finally the highest rank alien asks him why, he explains, the highest rank alien steps to the side and gives him the highest rank. Later on in the story the aliens fighting the war decided the statistical odds weren't there and they were going to let all the worlds where they had gathered specimens be overrun. The crew on this ship with the humans rejected it, overtook the ship, and went to fight on their own. They did well enough on their own to tip the numbers just enough that the aliens fighting the war chose to re-engage. ---- The point here is this. You cannot live life by the numbers, you'll be wrong because it doesn't take into account risk. I know you, and many others, will argue against that, but it's true. Here's an example: Statistically speaking, you should never cross a busy highway. If your child is on the other side of that highway and in danger, you will 100% do it. Statistics can never take into account the reasons for the risk or the worthiness of the risk. ---- The numbers are lying to you. Yes, there's a line at which you'll never be able to do better, but once you're past that line there's a large margin of error. Don't live your life afraid of that margin of error, embrace it.
- maximus-decimus 4y ago
  Sorry, but I don't find a science fiction book to be an inspiring argument. Find me a below average height person who made it at the NBA or somebody, anybody, with a below average IQ who got a science Nobel prize and you'll have my attention. But if you have to rely on a pure fantasy novel to find a counter-example, it doesn't give me any confidence in your theory.
  - P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
    > Sorry, but I don't think you can learn anything from allegories, they're not "real life". there, fixed that for you. As for the rest ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shortest_players_in_National_Basketball_Association_history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shortest_players_in_Na... The shortest NBA player was 5'3" and played until 2001. Isaiah Thomas is the shortest player to play in an all-star game at 5'9". --- But hey, good luck, I'm sure you're smarter than the rest of us and you'll do just fine without allegories.
    - maximus-decimus 4y ago
      You've caught me, I'm an allegory hater. Thanks about that NBA player list. Truly inspiring somebody who's 5"3' could play in the NBA.