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Why are some people... geniuses?
- Thread starter Deidre
- Start date
Short answer: nobody knows.
Longer answer: I've seen a report that the associative areas of Einstein's brain had more connections than is 'normal'. What relevance this has is anyone's guess.
I think we are all approximately the same, so we don't usually notice a genius very easily. Einstein was pretty smart, but he was still very human. He lived a long time as a patent clerk before his work got him noticed. I read on BBC that he slept 10 hours per day, so maybe that explained his genius. Someone once told me his brain had an usually large corpus-colossum, but they may have been getting him confused with Rainman (who had no space between the halves of his brain at all). Another possibility is that his family made him do some mentally taxing work during the formative years. Its possible that could account for it as well. Brains are electrical, and the more electricity they can generate the more they can do. Maybe his brain was exercised heartily when he was a child and had some extra charge ability in it as a result, or maybe he became skilled at channeling his mental energy into certain channels such as visualization.
Why are some people... geniuses?
Why was King Solomon the wisest (and richest) man in this worlds history? He was very humble in his request to God, he did not ask for wealth, but knowledge. I am not saying that if we do the same we would be rich also, but I think that our humble prayers and requests that we give to God have a lot to do with our quality of life. Both in this life and the life to come.
ronandcarol
Why was King Solomon the wisest (and richest) man in this worlds history? He was very humble in his request to God, he did not ask for wealth, but knowledge. I am not saying that if we do the same we would be rich also, but I think that our humble prayers and requests that we give to God have a lot to do with our quality of life. Both in this life and the life to come.
ronandcarol
VioletVortex
Well-Known Member
They are genetically superior to begin with. There is also a luck factor; not all genius will manifest, and even then, very few geniuses will become recognised for it.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
For me, it's probably because I have Asperger's, have been playing Tetris since I was a very young child, and started reading a few years later and have read a ton of books and other forms of literature over a broad spectrum of subjects. So, I'm basically "born and raised" to score high on an IQ test. And that's probably what it is in most people - a combination of having the genetic potential but also a need to have it nurtured.
If the brain doesn't learn to use a sword, steel in the hands of a trained idiot will win every time. So, who is superior now? Sometimes people with high IQs also have some sort of mental disorder. And the only people who put any sort of emphasis, stock, or pedestal placing are those who don't actually know what they are, how they work, their real world implications, and why they are even used to begin with. Without doubt there are many, many on the genius level who have never been discovered just because their life has never lead them down a path of being tested.
The Holy Bottom Burp
Active Member
Yeah, I've never heard a convincing definition of "intelligent" though, are we going by IQ score? Isn't that a rather narrow definition? You may have a PhD but you could still be highly gullible and naïve, and fall for scams and confidence tricks, so does that make you really clever in one specialist area, but really dumb in another? Also, people with little academic achievements have gone on to become "high achievers" in life, perhaps immensely rich, perhaps immensely powerful and charismatic, could they not be considered "geniuses" as well, with their "natural intelligence"?
I think the term "genius" is a tad meaningless, like Brickjectivity says, I don't think there is an awful lot between us in the final analysis. I've sometimes been surprised in life to find out when people I know (and consider to be a bright, thoughtful individuals) turn out to be scarcely literate or numerate. Is it right for me to say I'm more intelligent than them, because I am numerate and literate? No, it isn't, you could say they have used quite a lot of intelligence to navigate themselves into a happy and successful life with the handicap of not being good at understanding written information (which in today's modern Western world surely puts you at a disadvantage in some situations, you need to use your noodle to overcome those disadvantages).
Genius? Meh, it's overrated I say, if it means being extremely talented in one specialist field (like Mozart called be called a "genius" right, but not in an academic/scientific sense), lets just say that instead so we all know what we are talking about!
Confucian Mormon Buddhist
Member
Because of genetics. Next question.
VioletVortex
Well-Known Member
First and foremost, IQ is a misnomer. It is actually a measure of one's logical abilities, not so much one of their overall intelligence. Other facets of intelligence include one's ability to self-moderate and regulate their own emotions, one's intellectual processing speed (SQ), and one's level of perception of reality. This diagnosed as "high functioning austistic" generally have relatively high IQs, low EQs, and very high levels of perception. I was diagnosed "autistic" as well. I think that it is a scam used to normalize and justify the robotic conformity of most people today. If a kid doesn't like school, they will throw a label on him and then start forcing medications on him as a means of control. Similar tendencies will earn one the HFA label.
There are two very distinct kinds of geniuses. There are the more precise, mathematical ones who have extremely high IQs, extremely high EQs, and probably more average levels of perceptions, and then, there are the more creative, artistic ones, who are defined by their extremely high levels of sentimece. A high IQ and low EQ will generally accompany this as well.
Genetics
Last time I looked at the science on this issue, the prevailing opinion was that genetics accounted for about 80% of intelligence as measured by IQ, and that environmental factors accounted for the rest.
Another interesting question is why are some people stupid? If you think about it, it doesn't make much sense for there to be large numbers of stupid people in this world -- you'd think stupidity would be weeded out. But perhaps stupidity is not the liability that one thinks it is.
Augustus
…
This was similar to a topic that caused consternation for 'social Darwinist' scientists/philosophers in the late 19th/early 20th C.
Such people believed that the 'inferior' races and classes should die out as they were less well adapted to the modern environment. However, they couldn't help noticing that such people tended to have more children than their 'social betters' which suggested that they were more successful in propagating their genes. Cue much hand-wringing.
[Off topic, but an interesting bit of trivia: such people also wanted those who failed physicals for joining the military to be banned from marrying until a certain age. They feared such people were being left alone with the women while their 'better' peers were serving far from home. The 'weaklings' would thus get married and have kids sooner and produce an enfeebled nation of weaklings. This was seen as a grave matter of national security.]
Grumpuss
Active Member
And sometimes, they're just idiots.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
Genetics, environment, and practice.
Like everything else.
Like everything else.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
An IQ test actually covers that and more areas. You'll probably even be asked if you know who people like Gandhi and Catherine the Great were, who the current US President is, and even if you know the definition of several words. The "ink blot" test is even used by some to to explore the possibility of psychotic disorders.
No. Austism, especially prior to the DMS-V, is marked by learning difficulties, social difficulties, and many have an IQ on the level of being mentally impaired. High functioning, such as Asperger's, is marked by impairments in social functioning and a few other things. It's not "robotic conformity," but rather legitimate science that has observed the brains of those with Asperger's to discover their brains even function differently, with impaired functions in some areas.
I hated school and they never thew a label on me or put my on medications or tried to control me. What you say just is not true, and you embarrass yourself by poorly feigning knowledge in a subject you know little about.
I'll give it you that this EQ is an idea, however, if you go take an IQ test today it most likely won't be a part of it. And, no, being artistic and having a higher EQ has nothing to do with being more-or-less sentient. I am no more
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VioletVortex
Well-Known Member
Autism is just a label. In some cases, mainly with those who are seriously impaired to the point where they can't talk, there is an actual problem, but it is definitely not related to someone who is self-centered, won't look others in the eye, and is very devoted to their interests. There are many people in this world who are like that and function perfectly fine, these are the "Aspergic" people. Many, however, have been treated like **** by their parents who think that they are somehow diseased, and they become dysfunctional and start to scream and act violent, especially towards those who are treating them like they have some kind of problem. Before I was diagnosed with it, I was quite confident socially, I liked talking to people etc. The ***** who diagnosed me with autism ruined my life from a social standpoint. I find that I now have lost the confidence to speak. I used to love public speaking and whatnot, now I struggle with it.
I think that the reason I do not perform well in school is my hypothetically low EQ. Regardless of one's IQ (or more aptly, LQ as in "logical quotient", if they have a low EQ, they will not be able to weigh their emotions effectively and will end up procrastinating, being disorganized, not studying, not paying attention in class etc.
The concept of "varying levels of sentience" is a touchy matter for some as it seems to imply that we are not all worthy of the same treatment. This is not true, however. An unpleasant or pleasant feeling is universally that way amongst all sentient beings, this relates more to how how they react internally. No one should be mistreated unless they themselves habitually mistreat others.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
You figure it out genius. ;0)
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
Please actually learn about Autism and Aspergers before makiI think that the reason I do not perform well in school is my hypothetically low EQ.ng such assumptions. What you say "definitely not related to someone" are indeed common traits of people with Asperger's; but rather they they can and will look people in the eyes it's just another social thing they have to taught to do, their behaviors may make them appear self centered, and very often they do have only a few interests but a very zealous and passionate interests in them.
Just getting a diagnosis isn't going to change you. I was once diagnosed with a psychotic disorder NOS. Didn't suddenly change my behaviors. This "*****" didn't ruin your life.
Mines low and I graduated with honors and distinctions.
Grumpuss
Active Member
Touchy, indeed.
People often struggle with identity issues. They demand recognition by others, yet are still chronically miserable until they come to terms with their own aspirations and limitations. Their achievements and successes are their own, but their own disabilities and failures are somehow the fault of society. It's a sad pattern, and usually indicates clinical depression or some other malady, in addition to the Autism / Asperger's.
Such people should receive tolerance and understanding, but not an undue amount of patience. They can function very well in society, but are highly capable of having their anger and frustration focused in hideous ways (e.g. Jared Lee Loughner, Adam Lanza, Eliot Rodger, Cho Seung-hui, etc.). They more we can learn about their diseases, the better.