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Ask HN: Any Parents to “Average” Children?

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Re: Ask HN: Any Parents to “Average” Children?

#34
post #32

An IQ test for a preschooler. Is there any less valuable metric out there?

Yeah, I'm not sure what the point is. Good IQ tests usually test vocabulary and text comprehension, which a preschooler will not have, period.

Testing kids earlier than 12 seems like absolute nonsense.

Re: Ask HN: Any Parents to “Average” Children?

#36

OP, I'd really, really recommend that you are able to answer these questions before you start projecting assumptions, wishes, or expected failure onto a pre-schooler: - are you happy, right now? - are you living a life that you chose? - what makes you happy - what makes a live "well-lived"? I have this growing pit in my stomach right now that I just can't shake. Your IQ is high and you make a ton of money... and I do…

> realize that helping your daughter navigate life and find happiness That's precisely what I'm working on here. There are countless guides for "average parents with gifted child." There are no guides for "gifted parents with average child".

This thread makes me irrationally angry. Labeling yourself as "the gifted one" is such an unbelievably absent-minded opener and toxic mindset to raise a child on, but your incessant infatuation with your daughter being a mirror image of your own capabilities is, quite frankly, deranged. What's the problem with her? Oh, she's normal? What a pity! Everyone, come gawk at this guy's normal child! Not only did you manage to thwart the chance of horrifying congenital disease or disfigurement, she didn't even get the genius genes!

Completely tone-deaf contributions like this make me hate HN more by the day. What's stopping you from just enjoying life with your daughter, spending time with your growing family, and fostering understanding? Maybe you both like the same episodes of Star Trek, or have the same taste in 90s music. Who knows!

Imagine her reading this in 10 years, working through the most difficult portion of her academic life. Do you think it would inspire confidence in her? Do you think it would make her appreciate you as a parent? Do you think she'd find greater respect for you knowing that you tried turning her into... yourself? This whole thread is like someone watched Gattica but their only thought was "the gene editing part was pretty cool I guess". It burns me up. I have no right to tell you how to live your life, but I should hope you have the same respect for your own kin.

Re: Ask HN: Any Parents to “Average” Children?

#37
post #23
post #22

Got 150, Im a mess never finished school, never did any study. Can code somehow which in this market is enough

Same here The more IQ the more mental illness

I don’t know… I was tested when I was 12 yo and got a 142, I am an extremely balanced, relaxed and happy person. Great self esteem too.

Re: Ask HN: Any Parents to “Average” Children?

#38

I have an IQ of 130 or a bit more (last I checked, it was many years). I have never gotten my daughter's IQ tested. If she has an IQ of 102, but is emotionally balanced, she's got a bright future. One of the features of an emotionally gifted/balanced/well-adjusted person, is their ability to use all of their mental powers to bear on a problem, without letting their wishes or fears overwhelm their intellect. Plenty of…

"Plenty of high-IQ people with emotional issues who do not do as well in living a happy and productive life. For example, figuring out what careers are both plausible and reasonably rewarding (financially and otherwise) is not actually an intellectually difficult one" It's not so easy. For example, what fraction of high school students who are good at math know what an actuary is? They have likely heard of doctors, n…

Maybe I should have been more precise. It's not actually an intellectually difficult problem: it may require a lot of research effort, but it is not intellectually complex. Lots of effort is something plenty of IQ 102 people can do, and by the way lots of high-IQ people cannot. Determining if that career will work for you, while emotionally fraught, is not intellectually difficult.

But, you're correct, it is not easy. Nothing about it requires a high IQ, though.

Re: Ask HN: Any Parents to “Average” Children?

#39
post #25

IQ is bullshit, don't put any importance whatsoever on it.

There is much psychometric research contradicting this. Some authors are Ian Deary, Arthur Jensen, and Charles Murray.

I don't believe that for a minute. I taught "dumb" kids with all Fs programming and now they're just as good as the best 150+ IQ guys. I bet their IQ test results increased significantly (I know for sure about 3 cases of big increase of 25+ points) . IQ is bullshit, you can't change my mind. I'm fully convinced it's 100% dependent on parents and environment and can be changed (given enough determination) at any point in life. Anybody can be taught programming, and programmers have good IQ test results - both of these statements have proven true to me again and again.

Re: Ask HN: Any Parents to “Average” Children?

#40
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here The more IQ the more mental illness

I don’t know… I was tested when I was 12 yo and got a 142, I am an extremely balanced, relaxed and happy person. Great self esteem too.

Better than winning a roulette, congratulations.
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