antanarchy writes:
I believe that one of the main reasons that people with IQ’s around the 115 bracket often present themselves as smarter is because, as you say, they tend to have more mental health problems – which do often affect IQ scores. When I was 12, I scored 133 and 136 on two separate tests (I can’t remember which ones) – but six years later, after experiencing a bout of crippling depression, my IQ had decreased – rather dramatically – to 112.
I just didn’t feel smart at the time, and it felt as though my brain was functioning at only 50% of its actual capacity. Deep down I knew the smarts weren’t all lost, but they emerged a lot less frequently than they used to. I made the mistake of (and to a certain extent, still am) equating my overall value as a person with my IQ, which comes with its own set of problems. My academic performance suffered, the belief in my ability to solve complex puzzles (IQ tests) had been compromised and even posting on forums had become a challenge.
So I’d argue that there’s quite a good reason for believing that people around 115 are smarter – it just might be that they are. With age, there sometimes comes doubt. It was only when I tried to eliminate it, did I notice an upward shift in my overall intellectual functioning. I also have ADHD, so I don’t think any IQ test score (low or high) is going to accurately represent my general intelligence – my concentration varies too much for that to be possible!
Still, interesting post. Thanks for sharing your insights – most of which I wholeheartedly agree with.
P.S. I haven’t read enough of your blog yet to know if you’ve touched on giftedness? A friend of a friend, who works with gifted people suggested that I might be twice exceptional. If not, then it’d be interesting to hear your thoughts on the concept of giftedness, and how gifted people may differ from those who simply have high IQ’s.
Quit taking IQ tests. Your IQ is ~134.5. Call it 134 or 135, whichever you wish. Those two scores taken around age 12 are good for life.
There are a lot of morons on the Internet who insist that a child IQ score is not relevant to an adult IQ score, but they are wrong as they are about most everything.
There are two types of these dolts.
One type are HBD racist, sexist reactionary spergs who are IQ-obsessed. These types typically say that IQ declines with age and therefore a childhood score is no good and you have to take it again as an adult. No it doesn’t. Tests are normed for every age level, so you are always being compared to your age peers.
Another type are PC Cultural Left pinheads who despise the very idea of IQ tests and IQ scores and this is just another way they pour cold water on the issue. These types will also say that a childhood score is no good and you have to take it again. They do this because they hate the whole idea of IQ and this is a way of dismissing someone’s score. The truth is that most Cultural Left PC types are imbeciles who now nothing about IQ whatsoever. They always act like they know all about it, but once you start talking to them, it is clear that they don’t know what they are talking about.
I am acquainted with some of the top IQ researchers on the whole planet, and we talk by email sometimes, so I know this subject well.
IQ is quite stable from age 7 on. An IQ at age 12 should plot very well with your IQ for the rest of your life. Your IQ doesn’t rise or fall with age. Childhood IQ scores are not artificially elevated. People on the Net are morons.
Don’t base your self-esteem on your IQ score. Bragging about IQ is like bragging about being poor. It’s worthless. It’s a joke. Really almost nobody values IQ, so hardly anyone is going to impressed or like you better if you have a high score. Most people think IQ tests and IQ scores and stupid and they hate any talk about them. The probable reason for this is that most people’s scores are not very high so as a psychological defense, they say intelligence is not important or has negative value.
America is a fiercely anti-intellectual culture, and it always has been. Europe we are not. You hardly ever meet anyone here who envies or even respects high IQ people. In fact, high IQ has a negative value as most folks will just think you are a brain or a geeky nerd. If society puts no value on something, then it’s not possible to brag about it. You can only brag about things that others are impressed by.
I think most people with 115 IQ’s actually have an IQ that high. The argument that they have more mental illness that lowers their scores doesn’t make sense because as IQ goes up, people tend to get stranger, odder and weirder, and quite a few high IQ types have anxiety disorders at the very least. Many are psychologically crippled. Minor mental illness doesn’t seem to effect very high IQ types, so I don’t see why it should effect 115 IQ types.
Just keep your 135 IQ score, take it to the bank and quit taking tests. It’s been confirmed on two different tests already. If some moron tells you that childhood IQ means nothing and as an adult, you need to take the test again, tell him to go to Hell. People on the Net, leftwing and rightwing, are simpletons.
You already are gifted. 132+ is gifted. Congratulations! You are smart enough to do anything you want to do, even get a PhD.
I do not know what twice gifted means.
Yes, I write about giftedness a lot on here. I am in the gifted range myself; in fact, I am above gifted into the genius range, which is 140+.
The problem that there are hater Special Ed types all over the Net who bash me constantly every time I write about high IQ’s in the gifted and genius level. They think I am bragging. I am not, mostly because there is nothing to brag about as no one values IQ and most put a negative value on it.
I honestly do not know what their damn problem is, except maybe they are mentally retarded.