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From: Jasper
Date: 9/13/04
Time: 12:27:01 AM
Remote Name: 69.212.208.55
Lollie,
Intelligence is like ice cream. It comes in many flavors. Some forms of intelligence are more popular or apparent than others but none is superior to any other. The value of any form of intelligence depends entirely on what needs to be accomplished and which intellectual (and emotional) tools are best suited to accomplish it. Much of what appears to be superior intelligence is only superior memory, superior confidence or a rapid and inflexible learning style. The kids in school with 4.0 grade averages usually aren’t the ones you want on your team to do anything that hasn’t been done before.
When I was loaded with medication that sent the electrical impulses in my brain through a thick vat of molasses before they connected to other brain cells I understood what it meant to be mentally retarded. But I tend to be a stubborn old cuss in tough situations, which allowed me to perform almost any intellectual task that I could perform before I got sick – provided I had enough time to work on it. It took me hours to do what I used to do in minutes but I stuck with it. Were talking here about a personality trait, not intelligence.
The problem with standard IQ tests is that they are biased in favor of people who can find the “correct” answers quickly. That is, they don’t measure what people can do; they measure how quickly they can do them. That’s why so many “intelligent” people leaped to the conclusion that O.J. was guilty.
I could never answer the “easy” questions at the start of an IQ test quickly. I make ridicules mistakes, I change my mind often and I get very confused. If you saw me then you would think that I was an idiot, which I am not. If you saw me breezing thought the “hard” questions at the end of the test you would think that I was the smartest guy in the world, which I am not. I just have a different style of learning than most people have, which allows me to see patterns that most people don’t. That particular style (which you would never develop unless your were dyslexic) is my edge in doing artificially well on the entire test. I don’t do well on other tests of intellect but I am smart enough to take my time when dealing with them and to pay attention to the people who are better than I am at performing them. That’s why I pay attention to you. I’d be a fool not to.
“Common sense” is not as common as you think (actually, the kind of intelligence you have is rare). Vincent Bugliosi has an IQ of 171. Einstein’s was 145. I shouldn’t have to say any more about that. –Jasper