Apparently it is popular to say that high IQ people don’t care about IQ. Look, let’s get this straight. IQ is intelligence. It measures how smart you are. Not how wise you are. Not your social skills. Not your psychological stability.
IQ is a test of raw brain speed. The higher your IQ, the faster your brain works. In addition, the higher the IQ, the quicker you can learn things. A high IQ person can learn faster than a lower IQ person. A high IQ person can retain more in memory. A high IQ person has better abstract thinking skills. They are better at coming up with the right answer. With putting it all together. With seeing and understanding relationships among things.
It is very popular and very silly in the US to say that IQ means nothing. What a preposterous statement. A person who states IQ means nothing is saying that intelligence means nothing. Isn’t that an outrageous statement? A person who says he cares nothing about his IQ is saying that he cares nothing about how intelligent he is. What a shocking statement!
In our culture, IQ is hated. You have to be very careful about talking about IQ or telling people your score. However, you can talk about it on other ways. I run across fairly intelligent people on a regular basis. Typically they have never taken an IQ test. I say, “Wow, you seem like you’re really smart. Have you ever taken an IQ test?” They usually say no, and I encourage them to go take one. I say , “Wow, if you’re smart, you should know your score. It’s important.” Some people have taken tests on my urging. They usually scored 115–121, very respectable.
This sort of thing nearly always goes over very well. You are complimenting the person on their intelligence and saying they are so smart they should take the test and find out how fast their brain works.
I do not usually mention my IQ in public, but fairly often it comes up, “Jesus Christ, how in the Hell do you know all this stuff, my God?” I shrug my shoulders and say I have a genius IQ. I also act sort of embarrassed about it or like it is no big deal. Then I usually say it causes a lot of problems, and I tell the person they don’t want to be this smart. I say I wish I was not this smart. This almost always goes over very well. I am not bragging about my IQ. In fact, I am saying it is a disability.
Most people respond positively to that.
I have known many high IQ people, over 140 IQ. They all knew their scores and rattled them right off to me. I have not yet met one very bright person who did not know their score or acted like they did not care about it. Over 140, most folks are rather proud of their score, as they should be.
I doubt if the “modest genius” who cares nothing about his IQ score even exists. I have never met one in my whole life.
But please be careful with talking about that IQ. It is a very touchy subject in the US and must be handled with utmost care so as not to violate social protocol.