How do you "know" if you have above average intelligence?
- Thread starter Vault101
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I was thinking this after reading another thread. It is one thing to think you are above average intelligence, but just because you have above average marks in high school means nothing. Being above average intelligence is/should be subject to opinion of your peers, not a general IQ test. As well testing is not always accurate, many brilliant people have testing anxiety or other issues which affect their testing ability while not reflecting how bright they may in fact be.
Also in my opinion intelligent people are the ones who do not admit to it. I can list all my credentials and try to make myself look "above average" but I know where I stand and I don't need to talk it up for an ego boost.
Also there is the saying you can be a big fish in a little pond or a small fish in a big pond. It depends on your surroundings, just because you are the best in that little pond does not mean you will even make average in the big pond.
Also I despise the "I am smarter than average but I am an underachiever". If you were smart you would not be an under achiever.
Also in my opinion intelligent people are the ones who do not admit to it. I can list all my credentials and try to make myself look "above average" but I know where I stand and I don't need to talk it up for an ego boost.
Also there is the saying you can be a big fish in a little pond or a small fish in a big pond. It depends on your surroundings, just because you are the best in that little pond does not mean you will even make average in the big pond.
Also I despise the "I am smarter than average but I am an underachiever". If you were smart you would not be an under achiever.
I hypothesize that intelligence is permanently dynamic, within the physical boundaries of your brain. Which means that I think people can learn how to... well, gain intelligence. Like several other people said in this thread, there are several different parts to intelligence, and all of those can be subject to change should the person work at changing them. Basically, you can learn how to learn better, or how to improve your memory (something which I would really need), and to develop the ability to analyze in greater detail.
Oh boy, you're really going to hate me, because everyone tells me I am a genius, but everyone also knows I can't be pushed to do fuck-all for my grades, damn stubbornness.Nayr said:
that was from the other thread...Nayr said:
where does that come from anyway?
then again a smart person could fail in school if they had extra issues that prevented them from being able to work with in the "systm"
or in other words they may have fallen through the cracks
I agree, external issues like an abusive home or a persons own "demons" definitly do affect a persons ability achieve. I sometimes wonder what the scientific community would look like at my school if people did not fall through the cracks and if everyone had equal opportunity to study and be their best.Vault101 said:
When I posted the underachiever thing I should have been specific in that I meant people who were just too apathetic to try, however they still considered themselves smart haha. Thanks.
We have a winner (+1 internets is your prize today).Shymer said:
This idea works, people are capable of comparing themselves without THAT massive a bias. I for instance, know that I am terrible at ball sports in all its shapes and forms, I know my ability to speak my second language, afrikaans, is next to non-existent, I know that my ability to retain, analyse, and understand information as well as think logically is decently above average. I know that despite not working too hard, I can easily, in school, outperform many people who work twice as hard. These are observations, and things that I have been told time and again. My classes uses me as a benchmark for all three of my chosen subjects -.- IT, Science, Geography and AP maths too (extra subject) I am used as the top of the scale for other people. It is sad sometimes, but I would be lying if I said I didn't like the recognition
And I know that I have many many flaws and there are many many things that many other people far surpass me in, physically I am average average, with bad skin. Artistically I am useless, I have no talent in art, and the only time I ever did well in art was when I could do something more design and less talent-orientated.
Most people have some area they are at least somewhere near good in, and they will let that be known, and they will want to put themselves with other people who are the same, everyone does it, and the fact that you are using a computer and able to spell shows that you are likely more educated than a decent part of the population as is, and intelligent people rarely pop up out of nowhere without some stimuli like technology, information, education et cetera.
I do believe I've said somewhere on here I'm dyslexic, but those mistakes I should have picked up with a skim read after. The current wireless keyboard likes to miss letters out whilst I'm typing, especially if my mobile is near the receiver, it's why I changed back to a wired keyboard until my ex spilt OJ all over itMr.Numbers said:
haha I try to not hate anyone, just a pet peeve of mine. I believe more in ability than intelligence. Since intelligence is so narrow. I like what you said about the learning to learn better, I agree completely, that is sort of the "ability" thing I believe in. People start out at different abilities but I believe people have the potential to better how they comprehend and how they analyze.alimarin said:
Also you may not have found what drives you. I know I used to be very apathetic towards school then I found what makes me passionate in school. It does not have to be school either that you need to have a passion for, if you are the best mechanic you are still very intelligent in my opinion.
It depends on your peers. I think that's really cool, I know I can't do that. But where you stand with your peers and how they view the quality of your work is how that sort of thing would be measured. If you are talented at it, of course you are intelligent at that thing. But then again, I have no idea how to do any that works and where you stand with your peers. If you were to send me a research paper in like microbiology maybe then I could say where I count that haha.alimarin said:
But because you don't strive and work hard in like school does not mean you don't work hard at something else. I wouldn't say you are lazy when you plan on making a video game haha.
All I know is that I know nothing.
Intelligence will always be subjective and heavily influenced by one's bias. I bet most of the escapist would label me as 'stupid' just for being an American conservative.
Intelligence will always be subjective and heavily influenced by one's bias. I bet most of the escapist would label me as 'stupid' just for being an American conservative.
I can't think of too many ways you can really tell.
Being at school you can compare grades, and if you've done IQ tests you would tend to know. (because IQ tests are supposed to be normalised to 100, if you have an IQ over 100 you are 'above average' by definition - Assuming the IQ test in question hasn't somehow become skewed or inaccurate.)
There are certainly other possible indicators (like the kind of words you use, and the relative amount of knowledge you seem to have), but much of that isn't very reliable.
(But to be fair, I don't think IQ tests are all that reliable either.)
Being at school you can compare grades, and if you've done IQ tests you would tend to know. (because IQ tests are supposed to be normalised to 100, if you have an IQ over 100 you are 'above average' by definition - Assuming the IQ test in question hasn't somehow become skewed or inaccurate.)
There are certainly other possible indicators (like the kind of words you use, and the relative amount of knowledge you seem to have), but much of that isn't very reliable.
(But to be fair, I don't think IQ tests are all that reliable either.)
You either have average intelligence or you're a douche, not saying becoming smart makes you a douche, but assuming you know more then aqny average person does make you one. I can't believe no one realizes this, it's like I'm the only intelligent person ever.
