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I suppose this is a question tailored to evolutionary psychology or perhaps exposes biases but when I was growing up, there were people who were blessed in many ways, for young men/women a lot of them were good looking and/or athletic.
Few however though were really intelligent. There was one guy in our whole year who got straight A's in his junior exams (9th grade) and then got straight A's in his hs diploma.
I'm not tooting my own horn here because I'm not smart myself but I wonder why intelligence is so much rarer than good looks/physical ability. Perhaps its confirmation bias and when someone is intelligent, you can't "see them" like you can with their appearance but even then, there are vastly few intelligent young people.
Might it be that extreme intelligence isn't necessary in evolution compared to good looks/physical ability? Might also be the fact that really intelligent kids probably have their talents noticed at young ages and get scholarships to elite private secondary schools and colleges.
Sounds like you concluded already.
So my two cents is moot.
I've had the pleasure of being around some college/doctorates. True there is a click that forms with this small group. Yet amazingly they still put their skirts on and don't forget to brush their teeth.
One chap I knew was later placed in a mental health ward. He was so pressured by his high skills that folks didn't realize stress free isn't part of the gift of high
intelligence.
I have taken several intelligence exams and score very high (genius level) every time. I really never had to study in school, all the way through college.
There are two things to consider about this that I think are extremely important:
1. How smart are you really when you are just spitting back out what someone made you think about? Even if your powers of analytical thinking are high- which they have to be to score well on these exams- that is only ONE kind of intelligence. That is the kind that is measured. I think it is completely off-kilter and not representative of real genius. I become extremely stupid when asked to do something that does not involve analytical thinking at all.
2. When one is highly (IQ) intelligent, one gets lost in every day life. It can be very hard for a high IQ person to be good at interpersonal relationships because it is as if he is using an entirely different strata of brain matter than everyone else at any given moment. It becomes frustrating for both parties to relate: the high IQ and the average IQ
I have taken several intelligence exams and score very high (genius level) every time. I really never had to study in school, all the way through college.
There are two things to consider about this that I think are extremely important:
1. How smart are you really when you are just spitting back out what someone made you think about? Even if your powers of analytical thinking are high- which they have to be to score well on these exams- that is only ONE kind of intelligence. That is the kind that is measured. I think it is completely off-kilter and not representative of real genius. I become extremely stupid when asked to do something that does not involve analytical thinking at all.
2. When one is highly (IQ) intelligent, one gets lost in every day life. It can be very hard for a high IQ person to be good at interpersonal relationships because it is as if he is using an entirely different strata of brain matter than everyone else at any given moment. It becomes frustrating for both parties to relate: the high IQ and the average IQ
example #2 - Not sure if it's a gift or a curse. Not able to relate or converse with the masses. Often thought of as an outcast. My Mother-in-law's opinion is ' It is easier to be dumb around smart people than to be smart around the dumb.'
dumb' is not the right word to use. Please don't attack, just educate on the PC term to use, OK
By definition "high" intelligence is relative to average intelligence. It has to be a smaller group compared to all other intelligence levels. That's how comparative measures work. Given that humans as an animal species (even the stupid humans) are extremely intelligent, then highly intelligent humans are even more remarkable.
In my experience, I don't think there are many more very attractive people than very intelligent people. For starters, attractiveness is subjective and maybe my standards are higher... or if not higher, just different? I also think people that are gifted physically are quite rare.
One's perception of the overall intelligence of any community is also highly influenced by the specific community. If you go to a school with the children of lots of successful professional parents, you're likely to think that school is just chock full of highly intelligent students. Education by itself can heavily influence whether a person is seen as intelligent... even though those are different things.
Also likely true, that extreme intelligence isn't that necessary from an evolution POV.
I have taken several intelligence exams and score very high (genius level) every time. I really never had to study in school, all the way through college.
There are two things to consider about this that I think are extremely important:
1. How smart are you really when you are just spitting back out what someone made you think about? Even if your powers of analytical thinking are high- which they have to be to score well on these exams- that is only ONE kind of intelligence. That is the kind that is measured. I think it is completely off-kilter and not representative of real genius. I become extremely stupid when asked to do something that does not involve analytical thinking at all.
2. When one is highly (IQ) intelligent, one gets lost in every day life. It can be very hard for a high IQ person to be good at interpersonal relationships because it is as if he is using an entirely different strata of brain matter than everyone else at any given moment. It becomes frustrating for both parties to relate: the high IQ and the average IQ
This describes a family member, who is now retired. She was invited into Mensa after absolutely crushing the GRE, never saw less than an A from grade school through grad school (college and grad schools were very prestigious). She's spent basically every adult spare moment outside of work in her bedroom reading books. I would describe her retarded socially, simply no clue at all.
example #2 - Not sure if it's a gift or a curse. Not able to relate or converse with the masses. Often thought of as an outcast. My Mother-in-law's opinion is ' It is easier to be dumb around smart people than to be smart around the dumb.'
dumb' is not the right word to use. Please don't attack, just educate on the PC term to use, OK
True.
I am not quite as awkward as duke944 describes, but I do often just keep my mouth shut and smile and nod when I am with friends.
Then every once in a blue moon, you'll find someone with whom you can actually have an intellectual conversation, and the both of you just kind of have one community EXHALE of grand proportions!
My husband is adorable. Everyone loves him. Not the intellectual stunner at all, though he is not stupid. He is athletic, hot, and funny. I think being funny is the true genius!
True.
I am not quite as awkward as duke944 describes, but I do often just keep my mouth shut and smile and nod when I am with friends.
Then every once in a blue moon, you'll find someone with whom you can actually have an intellectual conversation, and the both of you just kind of have one community EXHALE of grand proportions!
My husband is adorable. Everyone loves him. Not the intellectual stunner at all, though he is not stupid. He is athletic, hot, and funny. I think being funny is the true genius!
That's exactly what she's always done, smile and nod around people, makes sense since when she talks it's usually awkward. She's always been in a world of her own, because most really smart people aren't typically this socially regressed, and people who aren't as smart think she's just weird.
I suppose this is a question tailored to evolutionary psychology or perhaps exposes biases but when I was growing up, there were people who were blessed in many ways, for young men/women a lot of them were good looking and/or athletic.
Few however though were really intelligent. There was one guy in our whole year who got straight A's in his junior exams (9th grade) and then got straight A's in his hs diploma.
I'm not tooting my own horn here because I'm not smart myself but I wonder why intelligence is so much rarer than good looks/physical ability. Perhaps its confirmation bias and when someone is intelligent, you can't "see them" like you can with their appearance but even then, there are vastly few intelligent young people.
Might it be that extreme intelligence isn't necessary in evolution compared to good looks/physical ability? Might also be the fact that really intelligent kids probably have their talents noticed at young ages and get scholarships to elite private secondary schools and colleges.
IQ tests aren't the best benchmark for brightness and common sense. No tests are. It's on par with body mass (BMI) one size fits all.
I have met some of the most brilliant people (according to IQ) who don't have a lick of common sense.
I push 125 and I'm nothing special. Spent several decades as a contractor, but then adapted to CompSci in the 90s. When my body started breaking I had to use my brain.
I can adapt when motivated properly and joint failure is a really good motivator.
True.
I am not quite as awkward as duke944 describes, but I do often just keep my mouth shut and smile and nod when I am with friends.
Then every once in a blue moon, you'll find someone with whom you can actually have an intellectual conversation, and the both of you just kind of have one community EXHALE of grand proportions!
My husband is adorable. Everyone loves him. Not the intellectual stunner at all, though he is not stupid. He is athletic, hot, and funny. I think being funny is the true genius!
I'll have to look outside. I think the moon must be blue, because I know the smile & nod thing very well. Even have tried to perfect my smile to reflect current mood of the room when around more than 2 other people. (have not achieved success with that yet, but still trying).
100% agree with you. My wife sounds like your husband. She calls me a 'fine liner'. I think that is what the smart people used to call those that they couldn't relate to or even comprehend.
Fun, Funny, one of my theories is 'whoever laughs the most is the true winner'. I know, plenty of variations on that, but feel sure you get it.
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