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Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

scientificamerican.com

221–230 of 232 posts

Re: Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

#221
post #204

How do intelligent people cope with the thought that we can die at any time and afterwards all existence as you know it comes to an end? It makes things seem pretty meaningless. Even the top accomplishments that I aspire to do will, at the end of the day, be just a temporary thing. Add to this the prospect that in 50-100 years everything we do now and build now will be as quaint as people who stiched clothes by hand.…

> How do intelligent people cope with the thought that we can die at any time and afterwards all existence as you know it comes to an end?

Do you consider people that do believe that this life is not the only one - but actually part of a bigger one - to also be intelligent?

By the things I've read, I think some people and writings from hundreds or thounsands of years were smarter then the smarts of today.

Re: Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

#223
post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please elaborate

On the assumption that IQ and "chess skills" both contribute to "chess performance", then everyone achieving a threshold of "chess performance", such as being an "elite player", has been selected to have at least a certain sum of "IQ + chess skills". This means that, given high IQ, it's not necessary to have good chess skills to be in the elite group, whereas given low IQ, it is necessary to have good chess skills to…

Thank you, this makes a lot of sense

Re: Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

#224
post #41

I have a different theory, most cultures tell a kid that has mental issues or is unattractive that he's "smart" even if that isn't the case.because, after all,even with a good body and looks you can only go so far and if your social and emotional intelligence is low that only leaves academic intelligence. So,my theory is that people prone to developing mental disorders tend to also get encouragement from their parent…

> most cultures tell a kid that has mental issues or is unattractive that he's "smart" even if that isn't the case It's that really true? It doesn't ring true to my experience (which, in general terms, is born in the late 70s in Australia)

Sorry,should have said "most cultures that I have been exposed to." I was only speaking from the few cultures I have observed.

Although in some cultures I have seen,academic success and getting certain types of jobs is heavily encouraged by most parents and communities. I have also seen at least some US cultures that encourage extreme athleticism (sports scholarships and all)

Re: Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

#225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That makes a lot of sense, just like Dunbar's Number does. However, at least from my personal, anecdotal experience my number of friends and acquaintances isn't currently capped or was ever capped by my cognitive capability of being well acquainted with them, but rather by not actually meeting that many people and having very little time and energy to get to know the people I meet better. And on top of that things li…

> my number of friends and acquaintances isn't currently capped or was ever capped by my cognitive capability of being well acquainted with them, but rather by... having very little time and energy to get to know the people I meet better. What's the difference between "cognitive capacity" and "time and energy"? I have a near photographic memoy for faces and an exceptional ability to remember details about people's li…

Well the difference is this: If I'm sitting at home every evening because I'm too exhausted from work or come home late every evening and thus have very little social interaction is a very different limiting factor than what caps the number of people in a military unit that I can keep social bounds with. In fact I might be very effective at keeping good working relationships with a large number of coworkers. That doesn't translate at all though to having many friends. At one point in my career I knew everyone in an office of about 100 people by name and had frequently very pleasant conversations with then. Yet I had fewer casual (as opposed to close) friends in the city I lived in than can be counted on one hand.

Re: Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

#226

I've met plenty of incredibly intelligent people in my life, and very few mentioned Mensa. Those who did had a yearning for being recognized as smart or exceptional. Perhaps using Mensa membership to draw inferences about smart people in general isn't statistically applicable. It could be that people who want to be recognized as smart have those mental issues, which other smart people don't.

Christopher Hitchens did a great essay on Mensa, etc: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1996/09/hitchens-199609

Re: Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

#227
post #213
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is another possible causation: people with mental disorders tend to have high IQ (whatever it is that IQ actually measures). The blind typically have incredible touch for reading Braille. Some also have incredible hearing. These are not physiological benefits that they get at birth; their coping mechanisms train them.

Well, i don't know about specific disorders, but mental health declines rapidly with lower intelligence. The most mentally unhealthy people are the ones that are on the lower end, but still within what we expect to function in society. Source sadly not being verifiable since it is my psychologist wife that works with mental health in school with intelligence testing and extra resources to help those who need it.

That's an individual experience, not scientific proof. An experience limited to school kids of a certain age and location who share their problems with your wife.

Re: Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

#228
post #204

How do intelligent people cope with the thought that we can die at any time and afterwards all existence as you know it comes to an end? It makes things seem pretty meaningless. Even the top accomplishments that I aspire to do will, at the end of the day, be just a temporary thing. Add to this the prospect that in 50-100 years everything we do now and build now will be as quaint as people who stiched clothes by hand.…

I have had life experiences recently (great, great loss) that make me realise and see (quite clearly) that there is no 'point' to things either. Things just are, reality just is (you can do nothing about it, you can only accept it or try to fight against it), and 'purpose' is just meaning we choose to make of it - bullshit stories of our own self-delusion - whether knowingly or not. It's thrown me into depression (as…

I'd highlight that these thoughts did not produce your depression, but your depression produces these thoughts. I end up believing similar perspectives on life when I'm stuck too deep in depression, too. If you want to be happier again, work on the root of your grief. With the help of a professional, at best.

Re: Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

#229

Possible other explanation: People with higher IQ are just more often diagnosed with disorders, e.g. because they are more likely to go to a doctor

Flaws in those who are brighter also tend to be more visible, in my experience.

Could you elaborate on that?

EDIT: as in, you'd think a brighter person would be better at hiding 'abnormalities'.

Re: Superior IQs associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests

#230
post #227
post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, i don't know about specific disorders, but mental health declines rapidly with lower intelligence. The most mentally unhealthy people are the ones that are on the lower end, but still within what we expect to function in society. Source sadly not being verifiable since it is my psychologist wife that works with mental health in school with intelligence testing and extra resources to help those who need it.

That's an individual experience, not scientific proof. An experience limited to school kids of a certain age and location who share their problems with your wife.

No. She cited what was taught during her studies (she got her license 3 years ago, so the studies have all been within the last 10 years). According to what she was taught, Most mental illnesses correlate positively with lower IQ (apart from neurodevelopmental disorders, which this study measured, and bipolar disease).
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