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IQ Matters Less Than You Think

nautil.us

331–340 of 347 posts

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#331
post #179
post #10

I know a few people with >130 IQ and they all have executive disfunction and anxiety problems. So yes, the best CPU doesn't help if the IO is constantly blocked.

One of the few things we actually know for sure about iq is that it has a protective function when it comes to mental illness.

But this could easily break down for outliers while still maintaining the general trend

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#332
post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you so sure that IQ isn't just a useful fiction that masks a large number of underlying factors that we don't fully understand? Why are you so sure that it is the best predictor of success in these fields. Perhaps other traits are equal or better predictors of success in a particular field, like tenaciousness, or conscientiousness, and perhaps IQ doesn't matter as much if one of those aren't present. Perhaps…

> Why are you so sure that IQ isn't just a useful fiction that masks a large number of underlying factors that we don't fully understand? Why are you so sure that it is the best predictor of success in these fields. Perhaps other traits are equal or better predictors of success in a particular field, like tenaciousness, or conscientiousness, and perhaps IQ doesn't matter as much if one of those aren't present. Becaus…

Thanks for the reference.

FWIW, from the Wikipedia page[1] for g:

"However, critics of g have contended that an emphasis on g is misplaced and entails a devaluation of other important abilities, as well as supporting an unrealistic reified view of human intelligence. "

Interesting discussion all around.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G_factor_(psychometrics)

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#333

Well, I like to think persistence matters more but getting into top 1% of everything requires more than determination. 1. Going from bad to good requires x amount of effort/persistence. 2. Going from good to best requires 1000x amount of effort. When you've put 800x amount of effort, you'll realize this harsh bitter fact. You have already given up on your hobbies, family, social life, ... and you are still considered…

Yes, agreed. Combination of determination/persistence, belief/self-confidence that success is possible and thus will to continue even in doubt, intelligence, and also interest/passion in a particular area. Align those things and generally some flavor of success is possible for an individual. But why though? Because in general, your "competition" (that is, other people trying to do that same thing) will often lack that trifecta in some shape or form.

I do agree with others mentioning comparisons about the top 0.01% and top 1% and top 1% versus top 2% and all that. At a certain point of achievement, virtually everyone at that level possesses that trifecta to some degree or another and then, in those cases, often luck and a little happenstance play a big part in which opportunities emerge and create significant value and success for only a small few individuals.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He gives the example [paraphrasing from memory] of an individual with an IQ of 170 who was so intelligent it impaired his ability to relate to normal people and hold a job. High IQ doesn't do that (in fact, it makes it easier to understand other people, including those of average intelligence, if you are so inclined), though people with high IQ and a problem that does impair their social interactions may be incline…

It makes understanding people easier - much easier, in fact - but it doesn’t necessarily help you use that understanding any better. Firstly, as others have observed, it makes it hard to relate to others when the majority of people you meet seem to have the intellect of a child - I don’t mean this unkindly, rather more that one ends up looking at most folks as making grievous and avoidable errors incessantly, and alm…

[deleted]

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He gives the example [paraphrasing from memory] of an individual with an IQ of 170 who was so intelligent it impaired his ability to relate to normal people and hold a job. High IQ doesn't do that (in fact, it makes it easier to understand other people, including those of average intelligence, if you are so inclined), though people with high IQ and a problem that does impair their social interactions may be incline…

It makes understanding people easier - much easier, in fact - but it doesn’t necessarily help you use that understanding any better. Firstly, as others have observed, it makes it hard to relate to others when the majority of people you meet seem to have the intellect of a child - I don’t mean this unkindly, rather more that one ends up looking at most folks as making grievous and avoidable errors incessantly, and alm…

[deleted]

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#336
post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference between 99th and 99.99th percentile is 1.4 standard deviations, a common IQ test ought to be able to be accurate to that. Otherwise it couldn't measure the difference between 100 and 120 IQ (0 to 1.4z) which it clearly can.

I don't think your reasoning is valid. A test might be unable to discriminate accurately at the extremes not because it's uniformly too inaccurate but because it doesn't have enough range . Toy model: the test consists of one question that everyone in the top 1% can do and no one in the bottom 99% can do; one question that everyone in the top 2% can do and no one in the bottom 98% can do; ... one question that everyo…

Modern tests are delivered by computer and typically are adaptive. This means that as you answer questions correctly you get asked increasingly difficult questions until you get some wrong.

This means that you aren't limited to asking the same questions to everyone so you can have appropriate discrimination through the range.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surprisingly, many findings show there is not. Malcolm Gladwell explains this well in his book Outliers. https://www.honorsociety.org/articles/trouble-geniuses-malco... “Gladwell cites studies done by Arthur Jensen that indicate the IQ level needed to successfully attend and graduate from undergraduate college is 115, after which Jensen believe IQ becomes relatively unimportant. For comparison, Albert Einstein, a wel…

Gladwell has a real problem with appealing-but-unsubstantiated claims, and Outliers is perhaps his worst offense. The IQ content is less egregious than other flaws - his famous "10,000 hours" bit is so oversimplified that the authors of the study he cites have condemned Gladwell's treatment of their work. But even the IQ stuff is quite bad. The first note would be that the initial statement here is a shockingly stron…

Great writeup. I admire your dedication.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#338

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disclaimer, I'm not a psychologist. I think IQ is a measure on how good you are manipulating abstractions and detecting patterns. For this other part >> when it came to starting my own business, I needed a lot of active encouragement or I would give up too quickly For that abstraction and patterns doesn't help, this is about your temperament, I'd look on how you score in the big five of personality traits. If you don…

Someone successful enough could just hire an employee for encouragement. In fact lots of people do that, with executive coaches etc. Lots of others steal that service from their firms, by demanding lots of ass-kissing from subordinates.

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Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have any research backing up this position? It seems to fly in the face of every reputable study I've seen, which suggests the opposite is true - average genes, hard work, and sacrifice is not enough to "guarantee" anything.

It seems a bit nieve to think that you need to have an above average IQ to make it into Middleclass society.

A person who manages to accumulate a million dollars is far beyond middle class and a wage of 2x the median household income is well beyond middle class.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#340
post #212
post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the few things we actually know for sure about iq is that it has a protective function when it comes to mental illness.

Do you have a citation for that? On the surface it seems like an absurd statement, since IQ isn't a "thing", like for example, sickle shaped blood cells, which are protective against malaria. It's a human devised statistical metric, which says nothing about what actually causes a particular score. Even if there is a population wide correlation of higher IQ to better mental health, it would be heavily confounded by ot…

The studies of high iq and correlation to mental illness all seem to be pretty bad (like, "let's survey a bunch of mensa members"), whereas the studies of correlation of childhood IQ and later mental illness are generally better studies. One of the better examples is https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/lower-child...

The better studies of high IQ and mental illness seems to only show a slightly higher occurrence of bipolar disorders.

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