Why are there so many self proclaimed geniuses?

[ShiningStar]

Because I'm a naracasist

problem?

*Narcissist.

And here you are calling yourself a genius. This exactly what the OP is talking about.

 

[EnDash]

this is what geniuses are today:

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[Moe22]

Because I am.

Even when I do not try to be. I have something of a Midas touch when it comes to just about anything I put the slightest amount of effort into. I am instantly accelerated to the 90 percentile simply because I have basic observational skills and am not an insult to the notion of sentience.

I don't really view myself as superior. I view myself as the standard. It is those who cannot or will not achieve that same standard due to ignorance or complacency who are inferior.



These all have their truths.

But they also speak to the ideal as opposed to the reality. It was not nice and kind people who propagated our species. It was cuckoldry and deviousness. It was not the generous who survived times of shortages - but those who made careful allegiances and brokered their resources intelligently.

Only during times of plenty and general complacency of the populous are notions of the ideal advantageous to one's position. When the wine is flowing - buying a round gives you social networks to call upon. Being a patron gives you nodes within those networks to call upon. Being well-liked gives you power.

But complacency can only be temporary - because ideals are not reality and will not survive extended exposure to it.

Socrates was speaking to the fact that any intelligent person, upon discovering one fact - will realize a dozen new questions. Intelligence is, thus, not being able to regurgitate information - but being able to interpret the consequences of that information. The consequence of new information is a host of unknown bits of information. The more you know - the more questions there will be.

Though people generally like to try and say: "Well, someone who proclaims to be smart must not be" - it really means that there should never be a time where an intelligent person believes there to be no gaps in their knowledge or understanding of the world.

Which plays into the Socratic Method of teaching - whereby the teacher would ask open-ended questions that were not necessarily supposed to have answers - but rather expose that one can always find a new question - a new experiment or possibility to probe/explore.

But, stupid people have destroyed the meaning and genius of that idea, as well - using it to justify their stupidity rather than embrace the quest for knowledge.

And you can't always tell what a person's heart is by how they treat their "inferiors."

I could have a whole chamber full of women who I take care of very well. None of them have to worry about security, food, bills, etc - and they are even given the ability to run businesses or the hobby projects of their dreams.

If I try and broker marriages or child birth contracts for those women... what's that make it?

I'm taking care of them - seeing to their every need and as gentle and understanding as can be... and never force them into a contract they do not willingly accept...

Or what if they are simply having my children?

Does it make it something other than what it is?

Of course not. I've just changed the environment to be less objectionable and used subversion rather than domination.

Does that make me kind... or even more dangerous/cunning?

In the real world - it boils down to who has the kids who survive to be the most influential/successful. What is most influential/successful will vary with the times. Soon - it will be the time of warlords. After a century or two of that, it will be the time of Justicars. After about a century of that - it will be the time of Federalists. And about a century after that - it will be the time of Idealists. To be followed by Warlords once again.

Though there are micro-environments within the macroscopic picture that allow for different types of individuals to experience extreme success even when the macroscopic picture does not favor them.

It's the Red Queen. At any point where a particular 'establishment' is failing to make progress at a meaningful rate - the 'establishment' will collapse and be replaced by one that does see high rates of change (generally, this is somewhat cyclical, as the change that can be affected is related to the type of establishment - which means there is often a preferential replacement).

But, I'm getting off track, a bit, here.

The smart people are those who can operate well within one or two of those 'establishments.'

Then you have those of us who see the larger system and can become anything within it at will. Buddhism refers to this as the "outer path." We are fundamentally unnatural as we can observe nature in such a complete manner as to be able to, momentarily, transcend it.

Ultimately, though, we all fall within nature. Even those of us who are gods among peons and bishops cannot escape its rules and laws. And, more than likely - there is a tier of existence above our own.

You're preaching to the wrong crowd pal. I didn't ask why you're a genius. Everything you typed could've been a lie, you didn't even manage to raise my eyebrow. The thread wasn't asking "Show me how smart you are and how good you are at everything!" I don't really sense any humility in you. Also yes, you can judge someone by the way they treat their inferiors. Transcend nature? Tell me how you did that lol
Get off your high horse. You obviously haven't changed humanity in anyway so you're not as awesome as you say you are.

 

[GhostProject]

You're preaching to the wrong crowd pal. I didn't ask why you're a genius. Everything you typed could've been a lie, you didn't even manage to raise my eyebrow. The thread wasn't asking "Show me how smart you are and how good you are at everything!" I don't really sense any humility in you. Also yes, you can judge someone by the way they treat their inferiors. Transcend nature? Tell me how you did that lol
Get off your high horse. You obviously haven't changed humanity in anyway so you're not as awesome as you say you are.

To be honest, I think you both just exhibited what this thread is supposed to be about, but then again who am I to judge.

Regardless, I think the reason most people want to self proclaim themselves geniuses is because of how society expects others to look. An intellectual going into a high level college is expected to treat themselves like an elite, a politician is expected to be a perfect paragon (which ironically, usually corrupts them), an entertainer is typically expected to have popular opinions, and yet a hard laborer is held to nearly no comparable esteem...none of which are actual human conditions in these positions.

I think people have become too motivated to fit the molds of society, that they are willing to push something that they are not, to be respected. If someone doesn't fit a mold, then they are generally outcast or seen as lesser and unsophisticated. I imagine most people on here are an intellectual type of some sort, since right now society values intellectual strength over physical and moral, so in order for them to be respected or even most respected among the group, they see themselves as required to be a genius, and will require themselves to be superior to their 'competition' for the genius spot.

I agree with the purpose of this thread. I'm not saying competition is bad, but on the internet at least it has reached an unhealthy level of bitterness. My belief is that when people can stop competing for the 'perfect mold,' and realize they're an individual with unique ideas and views, then we will stop seeing all of the self proclamations and see people's true value. I think the root of the problem is mostly just how people expect themselves to be expected to telegraph themselves :eww:

 

[Funky Tiger]

hi there op. i'm sad to see that you're mad about us [/b]genii. i took an iq test

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and got an iq of 176, which put me above even mensa. sad to see people like you who don't have an iq like mine.

 

[Moe22]

hi there op. i'm sad to see that you're mad about us [/b]genii. i took an iq test

You must be registered for see links

and got an iq of 176, which put me above even mensa. sad to see people like you who don't have an iq like mine.

2 things. First, IQ tests are shown to be inaccurate. Second, you're mistaken. I like geniuses and creative people, but I don't like narcissistic bastards like yourself.

 

[Jenga]

2 Type of humans on this planet called earth.

The ones who are born smart and those who study to become smart.
The rest are ignorant morons who want to party their whole life and can't get a job afterwards and then you see them walking on the streets asking for money or having a bunch of kids that they can't take care off , making the kids suffer and go through alot of drama , while all of this could've been avoided if they had studied while they were young.

 

[Aim64C]

You're preaching to the wrong crowd pal. I didn't ask why you're a genius. Everything you typed could've been a lie, you didn't even manage to raise my eyebrow. The thread wasn't asking "Show me how smart you are and how good you are at everything!" I don't really sense any humility in you. Also yes, you can judge someone by the way they treat their inferiors. Transcend nature? Tell me how you did that lol
Get off your high horse. You obviously haven't changed humanity in anyway so you're not as awesome as you say you are.

And what good is humility?

The whole purpose of humility is to turn your own analytical abilities around and to analyze yourself and all the ways in which you could be incorrect/wrong. No truly intelligent person will ever be satisfied with one answer. They have a whole spectrum of scenarios they could get into and explain - but most people are taxed to think about one of those scenarios.

No human being can change humanity. Humanity is nothing more or less than what it is - a pack of animals. Trying to change nature is a fool's errand.

As for how truly intelligent people can 'transcend nature' - it is how we can defy nature through awareness of it. Such individuals decide their nature at any given point in time. Their nature is to defy classification within known natures.

Behaviorally - this means these individuals consciously choose their behavior and even emotional states. They shift through the various responses as needed to accomplish their goals (which can be any range of things from constructive to destructive). It goes beyond mere acting or simple manipulation; these people have nearly 'inhuman' resistance to taunts, bribes, etc.

Academically - you're looking at people who can learn and apply any range of subjects to each other with equal ease. No one really 'teaches' them. All one can really do is show them a few interesting facts and watch as these people construct the knowledge of a Master's degree out of the primitives of a 101 course within a couple hours of conversation.

Then they take subjects that normally don't talk to each other and revolutionize processes, materials, devices, etc.

Often, the memory of these people is 'unnatural.' Not only is memory storage and recall exceptional among these individuals - it's also remarkably resilient to the effects of 'memory modification.' The influence of entropy on the minds of these individuals is considerably muted.

Then there's the fact that they learn any 'subject' or discipline with relatively equal ease - because every subject is ultimately part of the same picture - the same structure - the same construction. Which is also why they so readily combine 'diverse' subject groups with no regard for institutional decree.

And you did, in fact, ask why I'm a 'genius.'

That's one of the fun things about internet forums. What you say is recorded for later reference. You must be relatively new to the internet. Allow me to introduce you to its native form of humility.

So I want to start with NB. Why do so many of you think you're either superior or smarter than others?

I do believe I answered your question.

Though I cannot comprehend why any sentient creature would so pointedly ask a question, then say he/she did not a few hours later.

 

[Aim64C]

2 things. First, IQ tests are shown to be inaccurate.

Not in the way you're thinking.

Standard IQ tests take into account one's age and grade one's correct/incorrect answers versus others in that age group. Exact formulas differ from test to test - but IQ tests are generally accurate regarding intelligence metrics +/-15 points of IQ 100.

Outside of that range - IQ test scores start to become inflated and difficult to compare. The difference between a 100 and 120 is immense. The difference between a 120 and 140 is a few questions that can be hair-split as to the correctness of the answers available.

There has been a lot of debate about how to properly evaluate and rank intelligence within the top 5% - but that, itself, begs the question: "How do you write a test for people who may very well be smarter than you, if nothing else in certain tasks and abilities?"

The answer is that you can't. The only 'test' is that of the real world - but that removes 'standard' and 'control group' from the realm of possibility. Circumstance and individual willingness/determination play a role in what one can or will accomplish.

Thus - you can only measure someone's potential to be "immense" and do case studies on those who appear exceptional in the real world.

 

[Transcendence]

Societal constraints. People want to be held on a high pedestal because of how society treats certain instances (this one being intelligence). I am not a self-proclaimed genius. There are however many instances where people have called me a genius in various works. By 3rd grade I could calculate any varied equation off the top of my head. By 6th grade my teacher called me a bonafide mathematician. In High School up to this point I have missed a lot of school for varying reasons but I get by just fine and beat out many people in marks who are there consistently. For the last two years even during my absences, when I would come back, people would ask ME questions on a lesson I had not even been taught. So...yea.

I am not self-proclaimed at all, only acclaimed but certain others. But to stay on the topic at hand; besides the societal constraints, the reassurance that you "are something" (in this case a genius) that people get out of such self-proclamation is what get others by. Sadly this is usually associated with superiority complexes and arrogance but you can't really do anything about it.

What you're proclaiming in the OP is highly illogical though. People like Newton only come around once a generation for a seemingly well rounded revolution in their fields. They had the best combination of intelligence and work ethic possible. Many people now have the needed intelligence but they lack the work ethic to accommodate it. You can't single out actual intelligent people and not call them genius' because of your faulty criteria. That's very counter-intuitive.

 

[Disquiet]

I hate to sound repetitive, but there could be several reasons here.

Society - We live in a world where a high intelligence is more or less universally seen as 'superior', not to mention 'needed' in not only the political and economical aspects of society, but in relationships as well (which at times, is a result of the first two) Not many want a partner that's going to bring the both of them down with his/her 'stupid' actions, or make them look bad in their social life. When introduced to friends and parents, it is expected of the partner to at least be of average intelligence. Although you may not get the answer in an open-questioned survey, you will undoubtedly see it more frequently in a multiple choice survey; individuals stating 'smarts' as a prerequisite in a relationship. Compare this to facets such as built, looks, etc. and I'm sure it will be a more periodic requirement. I'm certainly not saying every couple is 'intelligent', poor neighborhoods and conditions, along with people making similar choices will undoubtedly breed people of more or less equal intelligence. Though I should say, people that don't tap into their brain's full potential. Of course there are other factors that is a cause as well, not only can a higher intelligence be intimidating, but there are many that are arrogant because of their high intelligence. I'm sure we all heard the phrase "I want someone that's intelligent but not arrogant." It's the way some of us associate it. So, that's two reasons why someone would choose a partner of equal or less intelligence. What people often don't understand is, a lot of behavior and thinking is contingent upon society. What is seen as 'wrong' could easily be seen as necessary in the absence of society. Vice versa, what is seen as 'necessary' could easily be seen as 'wrong' in the existence of a society. What I'm getting at is, intelligence gets a lot of its significance from the existence of society, and the progress thereof. There is one thing that is absolute though, it is always normal for a human being to value their own survival. For the most part, survival means participating in society. A lot of people want to get to that point where they can survive comfortably and easily; without worry. This induces conditioned behavior and thinking. This cognitive experience will definitely play a role in our choices and decisions. To end this segment, I'll just repeat something I said earlier: intelligence gets a lot of significance from the existence of society and the progress thereof.

Intimidation/Manipulation - Some people use it to intimidate and manipulate. If I spout a thousands facts to you, how likely am I to get away with a lie on my 1,001 'fact'? Using intelligence as intimidation means less people questioning you, less people questioning equates to you getting your way. People who are unsure will think a hundred times before they open their mouth. This is a common strategy by an intelligent person, I see it a lot. It is often done in a condescending manner, obviously if I'm all lovey dovey, you'll be less intimidated (though this approach can have a great deal of manipulation as well). Needless insults are a big giveaway (Waits for the person to come to tell me insults are never needed. Yes yes, I know. Don't take it literal). Yes I know, even an 'idiot' can insult, but it's much more meaningful and effective when a person of high intelligence does it. Use of an advanced vocabulary is normally utilized as well. Once they make you feel inferior intellectually, they can pretty much take over all the planning, lead any discussions that will have a significant role in future operations, etc. Now of course, this is a benefit of being intelligent without necessarily being manipulative, but devious calculating can return results more beneficial for oneself rather than in the best interest of those involved.

Insecurity/Failures - Even if they truly are intelligent, certain failures and underachieved goals can cause them to value their intelligence more. If we focus on our fails, we are likely to love our 'pluses'. This produces ego; something that's capacity is only limited by the individual himself. Intelligence is...one hell of a thing to become egotistical in, we all have a brain, and even more, mostly all place a great deal of significance on intelligence. You don't care about working out, no big deal, it's not like life is a gym. However, imagine that one guy, 6'5" and full of muscle, going into the gym and outdoing all the guys there. Yeah sure, he's proud and all, but he can only assert his ego on a select few (compared to countless that prioritize intelligence). So what I'm saying is, if everything about an individual is dark, save for their intelligence, you better expect it to shine. And if the person is as you say, a freaking genius, then a broken relationship can be detrimental to their psyche and pride. It's a rude awakening that he/she is not the be all end all; they're lacking. Yeah a broken relationship for anyone can be a sign that they're lacking, but this can be especially hard for a genius, since they're able to think far ahead and envision concepts and scenarios that an average person could not. Well they can think of it, but how come they never done it? This will eat them up from the inside, especially if that was the regular basis of argument within the relationship, "How come you never can do this?", "You suck at that.". It gives him or her the mentality of, "I know I can do this", I know I can do that", "I know I'm better than that person". Then there's also the possibility that they don't get much recognition, despite being a genius.

Recognition - Something that society is built around, failure in this category is more substantial for a genius, if you bear in mind the last three points I made. We all want those little acknowledgements, whether it's those little gold stars adhered to our shirt as a child, or a promotion in our job. We want others to recognize our capabilities. The thing is, these accomplishments almost always entails some level of intelligence. If a genius, is living the life of an average person, I don't really see them not having a huge ego. He or she, a 'better' being, is dwelling among far 'inferior' individuals. These individuals around this genius is always complaining about their lives, but who has more right to complain than this genius? To these type geniuses, none is more deserving of life than they. To them, the wishes of those around them is seen as petty, while the world revolves around their own (in their minds). These thoughts and energy build up, and we sometimes may get to see that on the internet, where there is little consequence for doing so. They log on and see all these people talking about their insignificant matters, and it really irks them. These people that encompass his or her space are whining about something they don't have the capabilities to do, while these highly-intellectual individuals just know they got what it takes, and more. Sometimes, even though we believe we're right, we just can't accept it if others don't believe we're right as well. You see, if a genius isn't making it far in life, there's a good chance that it resulted to them having their own ideals of life; including life's accomplishments (or societies rather). They have reasons (even if most are fabricated or tweaked) for their current lifestyle, and in their eyes, these reasons must be made known. People must look at him and say "Oh that guy, yeah he's a genius. He's only living like that because of some selfish and devious people that he trusted", or, "He's a genius, he can definitely have whatever he wants, he just doesn't see the point of it all". Both may very well be true, but it still must be drilled into the heads of those they encounter. They won't be psychology at peace until then. Now of course, I've been speaking about recognition more along the lines of being an insecurity. As with all individuals, there are those that are egotistical because they do get much recognition, and not because of a lack thereof.

Truth - It may simply be the truth. If a thread was titled "How good can you draw?", and someone posted "My drawings are great.", I won't immediately assume that person has an ego, they could merely be telling the truth. If that person made it a point in each of his posts, then that's a different story. Still though, such things don't really bother me, I can normally pretty easily tell why one is behaving and or talking the way they are. Even so, appointing myself as judge is in itself egoism.

False- Not to much to say here, if they're lying about it, then it's probably for one of the reasons I listed above, or a combination.



I wouldn't let it bother you if I were you, though their intelligence may not be average, their behavior is (Of course not all, but that goes for the people of average intelligence as well).



EDIT - Just realized I left out competition and dominance, I was intending to include those two potential factors and explain what I mean. Oh well, too lazy to do it now.