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Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

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Re: Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

#21

Post by stephengillie »

nils-m-holm wrote: post #3
quickben wrote: post #2

From a limited dataset: They get by. Find balance. When you ask them for a coffee, they tell you they don't have the $5 to take the subway to meet you and are very sorry for that. Some have other problems they are trying to work around, and all their energy goes to that and not inventing the next quantum equation. They drop out of being the hottest developers in the software industry, they stop being the top performe…

Author of the article here: yes, the most interesting question is, what can we do to help? The article makes some suggestions. Short version: Spread awareness, especially among professionals (medical doctors, psychiatrists, etc). I have seen lots of high-IQ/highly sensitive people who got terrible advice from psychologists and psychiatrists. Educate those professionals, so at least they don't do any damage. Also: a c…

So tell the experts that they're wrong, and that they are ignorant about part of their field? That sort of behavior rarely has a beneficial outcome, and can appear egotistical.

> When one of them learned that their high IQ might cause some of the trouble they experienced, they once again looked for professional help, only to find out that the problem is widely unknown out there.

How did they learn of this - that their IQ might cause some of these troubles - what was their authoritative information source? Essentially, they've found multiple professional authorities who dispute the information they heard somewhere and chose to believe.

---

Learning and technical skills have always been easy for me, understanding people less so. I got an undergrad business degree specifically to understand why businesses do some of the nonsensical things they do. What I learned is that companies are essentially just organizations of humans, money, and things - and humans do all kinds of 'nonsensical' things because we are humans.

Re: Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

#22

Post by hunterwerlla »

japhyr wrote: post #15

Teachers disliked him, because they knew how easily he picked up information. I'm a teacher, and this is one of the things that frustrates me deeply about our education system. I welcome students like this; they're so much fun to work with. But I usually have to make them feel accepted before I can begin to work with them. I teach in a small alternative high school, and by the time bright students get to me, they're…

You are taking that quote way out of context the next part of the sentence "but then he never made an effort to improve his grades" is the relevant part. They dislike him because he didn't try to improve not because he was good at picking up information.

Re: Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

#23

Post by JoeAltmaier »

hunterwerlla wrote: post #22
japhyr wrote: post #15

Teachers disliked him, because they knew how easily he picked up information. I'm a teacher, and this is one of the things that frustrates me deeply about our education system. I welcome students like this; they're so much fun to work with. But I usually have to make them feel accepted before I can begin to work with them. I teach in a small alternative high school, and by the time bright students get to me, they're…

You are taking that quote way out of context the next part of the sentence "but then he never made an effort to improve his grades" is the relevant part. They dislike him because he didn't try to improve not because he was good at picking up information.

In fact that may be the curse of the smart kid - things come so easily they won't put in effort when it is required. They become lazy.

Re: Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

#24

Post by japhyr »

hunterwerlla wrote: post #22
japhyr wrote: post #15

Teachers disliked him, because they knew how easily he picked up information. I'm a teacher, and this is one of the things that frustrates me deeply about our education system. I welcome students like this; they're so much fun to work with. But I usually have to make them feel accepted before I can begin to work with them. I teach in a small alternative high school, and by the time bright students get to me, they're…

You are taking that quote way out of context the next part of the sentence "but then he never made an effort to improve his grades" is the relevant part. They dislike him because he didn't try to improve not because he was good at picking up information.

I read never made an effort to improve his grades as refusing to do the rote work that schools often require in order to earn a high grade. I've seen so many situations where students pass their tests with perfect scores, but receive low grades because they don't do their homework and don't do all of their in-class assignments.

Re: Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

#26

Post by NegativeLatency »

mikeash wrote: post #14
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right; Mensa demographic is high-IQ non-achievers. Kind of the point - a club where you can feel appreciated even though you don't find that anywhere else.

69% of Mensa members make more than $50,000/year, and 47% of them make more than $75,000/year. I'm sure they have some non-achieving members but it doesn't look like their main demographic.

Yearly earnings is not the sole measure of success.

I don't disagree with you completely, just want to make a point that you can have an unfulfilling job and still make a lot of money.

Re: Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

#27

Post by CiPHPerCoder »

japhyr wrote: post #24
hunterwerlla wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are taking that quote way out of context the next part of the sentence "but then he never made an effort to improve his grades" is the relevant part. They dislike him because he didn't try to improve not because he was good at picking up information.

I read never made an effort to improve his grades as refusing to do the rote work that schools often require in order to earn a high grade. I've seen so many situations where students pass their tests with perfect scores, but receive low grades because they don't do their homework and don't do all of their in-class assignments.

That was me, except I did most of the in-class assignments. Homework was actually detrimental to my understanding: I'd lose interest in the subject and forget things.

(I'm glad that, instead of doing homework, I spent my spare time teaching myself more interesting subjects.)

Re: Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

#28

Post by infinite8s »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #20
mikeash wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

69% of Mensa members make more than $50,000/year, and 47% of them make more than $75,000/year. I'm sure they have some non-achieving members but it doesn't look like their main demographic.

That sounds sort of average or even below. The Elks club probably looks like that. For the top 2% intelligent people in the world, that counts as non-achieving. Working in a bookstore or running a gas station is not what you'd expect from geniuses.

How about working as a patent clerk or a lowly mathematics lecturer.

Re: Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

#29

Post by mikeash »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #20
mikeash wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

69% of Mensa members make more than $50,000/year, and 47% of them make more than $75,000/year. I'm sure they have some non-achieving members but it doesn't look like their main demographic.

That sounds sort of average or even below. The Elks club probably looks like that. For the top 2% intelligent people in the world, that counts as non-achieving. Working in a bookstore or running a gas station is not what you'd expect from geniuses.

Median income in the US is not quite $52,000, so Mensa is somewhat above average.

Re: Where Do the Failed 0.1% Go? (2015) [pdf]

#30

Post by leeoniya »

itnAAnti wrote: post #18

I know of at least two other people from small towns whose IQ and life stories are similar to those shared in the article. I think high IQ individuals becoming isolated, social outcasts is more common in small towns, where accelerated curriculums and gifted and talented programs are more rare. If you know a highly gifted child, refer them to the Davidson Academy, a free public school for the profoundly gifted. http:/…

> online options as well.

fairly certain this is the opposite of what they need

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