The Forum's IQ

I'm too uninterested in the subject to take one, but my general thoughts are that IQ tests show you how good you are at IQ tests. There are possibly some correlations to actual "intelligence", But the parameters of the test are far too limited. Focusing in only on certain avenues of "logic" in a very specific fashion and learning style. Having it timed can also limit how well one does on these tests as well since many people get extremely anxious when timed and do more poorly than they otherwise would. Personally I don't believe in inherent intelligence. Outside of brain damage and mental disability I believe that people can be as intelligent or unintelligent as they have the will to be. Beethoven couldn't do any more arithmetic than basic addition and subtraction, was Beethoven an idiot since he wouldn't have done well on IQ tests?
 
Radiant Shadow said:
Ah. I thought this was already established =) Numbers are symbols; they have no intrinsic value.

I attend an Ivy League university and see IQ-gloating all the time; it's quite ridiculous and, often, counterproductive to personal growth and achievement.
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What would you say the average IQs thrown around are? I'm looking forward to possibly entering an Ivy League university for medical school. I'd like to be a neurosurgeon and make as much money as possible so I can donate all of it to charity. The higher level the school I get into, the more money I can make for the good of mankind and the more lives I can save. How difficult was it to get into the school? How do people treat the students with somewhat less intelligence than themselves?
 
Hazard said:
What would you say the average IQs thrown around are? I'm looking forward to possibly entering an Ivy League university for medical school. I'd like to be a neurosurgeon and make as much money as possible so I can donate all of it to charity. The higher level the school I get into, the more money I can make for the good of mankind and the more lives I can save. How difficult was it to get into the school? How do people treat the students with less intelligence?
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Whoa, dude, slow down and do a quick reality-check. I don't mean to rain on your parade, helping mankind is nice, but your well-being is important, too. Going into a helping profession is noble, but it is also very draining and you will burn out fast if you are always focused on helping other people. I would also suggest purging yourself of savior fantasies; healing others is a marriage of equal responsibility. It requires a lot of patience and the ability to erect psychological boundaries around yourself. Medical school at any level is no place for rash idealism.

I couldn't tell you the average IQ score of an Ivy Leauger and, frankly, I wouldn't if I knew. It is not important and there are a million other things to worry about in college.

There is intellectual rivalry among some of the students in my classes, but most don't care; they're too busy. At this level, you have to be achievement-oriented in order to keep up, which doesn't leave a lot of time to speculate about academic potential (which is most of what IQ scores are used for outside of clinical settings).




 
[MENTION=4108]Radiant Shadow[/MENTION]
Good point which condenses what I was saying previously, and makes it apparent.

Applied intelligence is usually readily visible, because it is being applied. IQ isn't needed in this setting.

Even in the rare case of the savant, or the bunny ears lawyer, their giftedness is readily apparent - some times blindingly so.
 
Radiant Shadow said:
Whoa, dude, slow down and do a quick reality-check. I don't mean to rain on your parade, helping mankind is nice, but your well-being is important, too. Going into a helping profession is noble, but it is also very draining and you will burn out fast if you are always focused on helping other people. I would also suggest purging yourself of savior fantasies; healing others is a marriage of equal responsibility. It requires a lot of patience and the ability to erect psychological boundaries around yourself. Medical school at any level is no place for rash idealism.

I couldn't tell you the average IQ score of an Ivy Leauger and, frankly, I wouldn't if I knew. It is not important and there are a million other things to worry about in college.

There is intellectual rivalry among some of the students in my classes, but most don't care; they're too busy. At this level, you have to be achievement-oriented in order to keep up, which doesn't leave a lot of time to speculate about academic potential (which is most of what IQ scores are used for outside of clinical settings).
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Don't worry, it's not just rash idealism. I've calculated how much money I'd earn in the profession and how much money I'd need to spend on myself as well as on paying off a decade of medical school. My purpose is to save as many lives as possible. I can survive off $20,000 a year and if I manage to get into the profession I desire I'll be able to save a minimum of $10,000,000 to donate to charity by the time I retire while still living a decent, humble life. That will feed 4,000 starving children for a decade who might otherwise die. I'm not motivated by greed, I'm motivated by altruism. It will give me the desire to overcome all obstacles and accomplish all goals in my way. So I'll ask again, is there any way you can think back and recall a few of the IQs thrown around so I can get some idea of how much I'll have to push myself? (I'll push myself as hard as possible anyway.)
 
Hazard said:
Don't worry, it's not just rash idealism. I've calculated how much money I'd earn in the profession and how much money I'd need to spend on myself as well as on paying off a decade of medical school. My purpose is to save as many lives as possible. I can survive off $20,000 a year and if I manage to get into the profession I desire I'll be able to save a minimum of $10,000,000 to donate to charity by the time I retire while still living a decent, humble life. That will feed 4,000 starving children for a decade who might otherwise die. I'm not motivated by greed, I'm motivated by altruism. It will give me the desire to overcome all obstacles and accomplish all goals in my way. So I'll ask again, is there any way you can think back and recall a few of the IQs thrown around so I can get some idea of how much I'll have to push myself? (I'll push myself as hard as possible anyway.)
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Very well. Let me reiterate: I don't know what the average IQ score of my classmates is, nor will I endeavor to find out. There are more important influences in personal success and life satisfaction.
 
Radiant Shadow said:
Very well. Let me reiterate: I don't know what the average IQ score of my classmates is, nor will I endeavor to find out. There are more important influences in personal success and life satisfaction.
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I was hoping to evaluate where I stand in comparison to the students, that's the only reason I desired to know what their intelligence quotient was. What other influences are there for personal success and life satisfaction at college? I can think of many but I'd like to hear of some coming from you.
 
Hazard said:
Don't worry, it's not just rash idealism. I've calculated how much money I'd earn in the profession and how much money I'd need to spend on myself as well as on paying off a decade of medical school. My purpose is to save as many lives as possible. I can survive off $20,000 a year and if I manage to get into the profession I desire I'll be able to save a minimum of $10,000,000 to donate to charity by the time I retire while still living a decent, humble life. That will feed 4,000 starving children for a decade who might otherwise die. I'm not motivated by greed, I'm motivated by altruism. It will give me the desire to overcome all obstacles and accomplish all goals in my way. So I'll ask again, is there any way you can think back and recall a few of the IQs thrown around so I can get some idea of how much I'll have to push myself? (I'll push myself as hard as possible anyway.)
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Unrelated to OP, but if you are capable of earning that much, perhaps you ought to personally see to its charitable utilisation. Giving to a charitable organisation involves having some faith that the funds will be used well - which in part depends on the abilities of the charity worker staff.
 
I'm drunk right now and tried an IQ test out of curiosity. I never realised how boring most of them are. Anyway I got 101, considering I skipped all brain teasers (too damn long) it's not bad.
 
Jacobi said:
I'm drunk right now and tried an IQ test out of curiosity. I never realised how boring most of them are. Anyway I got 101, considering I skipped all brain teasers (too damn long) it's not bad.
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It's funny--my bowling average goes up when I'm drunk.
 
Hazard said:
I was hoping to evaluate where I stand in comparison to the students, that's the only reason I desired to know what their intelligence quotient was. What other influences are there for personal success and life satisfaction at college? I can think of many but I'd like to hear of some coming from you.
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You could probably fit in among them just fine if the limited picture of approximated intellectual potential is all you're looking at. Graduate schools want a more comprehensive profile, however. Grades, range of interests and courses, accomplishments, standardized test scores (i.e, GRE and MCAT), personality traits, extracurriculars, and general motivation are all as, if not more, important than raw potential. A rough breakdown of the influences I've found are:

Cognitive:
  • Understand your motivations.
  • Awareness and conscious erosion of biases and faulty reasoning.
  • Neutral analysis and detailed research; leave no stone unturned in your studies, especially when there is personal investment.
  • Be ready to give up everything you thought you knew, if necessary.

There is no substitute for honest, thorough introspection. To do well in life, you need to know your own mind: how it works, how it responds to certain situations, what it's good at, and where it falls short and how to strengthen those areas.

Behavioral (daily patterns):
  • Consistency. Have a regular schedule that covers basic physiological needs like hygiene, food, sleep, and exercise. A healthy body is necessary for a healthy mind.
  • Be proactive to create wiggle room for quality work and unexpected events.
  • Plan regularly and do your best to get, and stay, ahead of class material.
  • Devote a specific time and space for study and work.
  • Build and maintain a supportive social network. Friends are indispensable resources for strength and insight.
  • Give yourself time each week for rest and fun. You are more than a student and should treat yourself accordingly. Balancing your wants and needs is critical for a healthy lifestyle.

This is more about one's attitude towards themselves and their priorities than anything else. Pay attention to your needs, know what is expected of you, and do everything necessary to meet those expectations.
Emotional:

  • Frustration tolerance. Be able to withstand, respond healthily to, and mitigate sources of stress.
  • Self-awareness. Be able to identify when you are unwell, frustrated, acting out of character, or unhappy.
  • Motivation. Pretty cognitive faculties are useless unless applied.
  • Discipline and self-control. Perseverance through struggle is the cornerstone of achievement.
  • Realistic standards for yourself and others. People aren't perfect and the quality of their lives is an eternal work in progress.
  • Stability. Well-being and performance diminish rapidly if your psychological state is chaotic and unreliable.

Effectively managing your psychological state is obviously important no matter what you're doing. There is no way around learning how to healthily respond to life circumstances and avoid unhealthy habits and responses.
 
Radiant Shadow said:
You could probably fit in among them just fine if the limited picture of approximated intellectual potential is all you're looking at. Graduate schools want a more comprehensive profile, however. Grades, range of interests and courses, accomplishments, standardized test scores (i.e, GRE and MCAT), personality traits, extracurriculars, and general motivation are all as, if not more, important than raw potential. A rough breakdown of the influences I've found are:

Cognitive:
  • Understand your motivations.
  • Awareness and conscious erosion of biases and faulty reasoning.
  • Neutral analysis and detailed research; leave no stone unturned in your studies, especially when there is personal investment.
  • Be ready to give up everything you thought you knew, if necessary.

There is no substitute for honest, thorough introspection. To do well in life, you need to know your own mind: how it works, how it responds to certain situations, what it's good at, and where it falls short and how to strengthen those areas.

Behavioral (daily patterns):
  • Consistency. Have a regular schedule that covers basic physiological needs like hygiene, food, sleep, and exercise. A healthy body is necessary for a healthy mind.
  • Be proactive to create wiggle room for quality work and unexpected events.
  • Plan regularly and do your best to get, and stay, ahead of class material.
  • Devote a specific time and space for study and work.
  • Build and maintain a supportive social network. Friends are indispensable resources for strength and insight.
  • Give yourself time each week for rest and fun. You are more than a student and should treat yourself accordingly. Balancing your wants and needs is critical for a healthy lifestyle.

This is more about one's attitude towards themselves and their priorities than anything else. Pay attention to your needs, know what is expected of you, and do everything necessary to meet those expectations.
Emotional:

  • Frustration tolerance. Be able to withstand, respond healthily to, and mitigate sources of stress.
  • Self-awareness. Be able to identify when you are unwell, frustrated, acting out of character, or unhappy.
  • Motivation. Pretty cognitive faculties are useless unless applied.
  • Discipline and self-control. Perseverance through struggle is the cornerstone of achievement.
  • Realistic standards for yourself and others. People aren't perfect and the quality of their lives is an eternal work in progress.
  • Stability. Well-being and performance diminish rapidly if your psychological state is chaotic and unreliable.

Effectively managing your psychological state is obviously important no matter what you're doing. There is no way around learning how to healthily respond to life circumstances and avoid unhealthy habits and responses.
Click to expand...

This would have been really helpful for me to know before I started grad school. :m067: This is a pretty good comprehensive list.
 
I totally missed the beginning of this whole thread...work’s a bitch.
Anyhow, if you look around the forum there are several threads....I think one was called “Are you gifted”, where this has been discussed before, although it is always nice to have fresh perspectives on things.
IQ tests are interesting....I honestly don’t think any online IQ test is an accurate one. It should be administered by someone who actually does them in my own opinion...and even then, they are not infallible. I was tested when I was younger, and was nicely on the far right to where the bell curves. It’s nice to know when you are a kid and you were having difficulties in school such as I was that it wasn’t because I was stupid (difficulties in school have been discussed too btw if you are curious to look it up and resurrect a thread from the depths). For example, when given a math assignment sheet with 20 problems on it....I would do the first 2-3 maybe 5 if the teachers were lucky and then I would stop and stare out the window...play in my own head...but the work would not be completed. Here is the thing though, the answers were always right...and that was sort-of my elementary school reasoning...”There, I showed you I know how to do the problems...why should I do all 20...let’s move on to the next subject.” Of course, that isn’t how they teach....nor do they see someone (at least when I was in elementary school) who isn’t completing his/her work as someone gifted/intelligent. And I’m not saying that I was anymore intelligent than the rest of the children...everyone is intelligent and talented in their own way...while the other kids were busy growing their “social intelligence”, I was always left wondering why I don’t fit in anywhere. I think a lot of INFJs were probably socially inept if not socially retarded growing up and possibly still. And while as an INFJ, being socially intelligent may not be important to you...it doesn’t mean that those who are quite good at it cannot be seen as having a form of intelligence you don’t. (just an example)
My point being...IQ tests, test a certain baseline for intelligence....sort of your minds potential to learn and problem-solve...it is/was never really intended to be a bragging right. Whatever you do with that potential is what makes you intelligent or not...not the score you received...and even then....what one considers intelligent does not mean all will.
 
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[MENTION=5045]Skarekrow[/MENTION]

I was the same way. Except a lot of times I wouldn't do any of it.

I'd not turn in ANY homework and pass all the tests. How? I don't know. I just knew stuff. I absorbed things like a sponge and this was actually noted by my teachers - the sponge analogy was their analogy, I leaned it through their use of it to describe how I am, to me.

They knew I knew the stuff , knew I was different, fully admitted my intelligence right to my face, and then refused to give any quarter.
 
Furthermore, I was showed little compassion or consideration. They were like machines who couldn't think for themselves. I eventually got some 'help' yeah, begrudgingly, after I'd driven them crazy enough. They didn't help me out of care, they helped me because they were sick of their way not working.

It was like "be this way, or else" or else what? I'll be miserable? I'm way ahead of you there! Want to act like a machine? I can be a better machine. I poop bolts and piss oil! Don't argue with the machine!
 
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