The Great Matt Baldoni was kind enough to guest write as I head across the finish line on "The Curse of the High IQ." Mr. Baldoni is a genius, and I don't mean that in a musical sense. I mean that in a literal sense, and conveys his experiences and thoughts growing up with a high IQ, experiences that will hopefully prove useful for your own lives.
The Handicap of a High IQ by Matt Baldoni
I didn't know my IQ was high until I paid to get it tested three different ways as an adult in my 30s. I had actually underestimated what the numbers would be by a long shot. It doesn't change much in my life now that I know, but it's a nice confidence booster. I sure as hell don't advertise it that much, but it's sorta like finding out you have a huge penis. You can't really tell anybody about it during a business meeting, but it sure helps you feel like a winner, which helps you out in the rest of life. I carefully chose three different standardized tests (The Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale, The Cognitive Assessment System, and Stanford-Binet), took them separately, and waited for results. Depending on who you ask, my numbers fell between 127 and 140. With a mean 100 and standard deviation 15, that puts me in the top few percent. Now, many say that these tests mean NOTHING, and while they don't mean everything, they mean something. Especially for children. Children who measure high on the intelligence quotient scale tend to favor the arts. That turned out to be true for me. High IQ kids also tend to shy away from sports and be more socially active within their comfortable circles. They also tend to develop cognitive ability faster, which makes them good at things like math. These kids also tend to develop self discipline and responsibility at an early age. All this turned out to be true for me. However, it soon became a handicap to have high intelligence in MANY different ways. Here are a few of them, starting with the two things I did to myself the most:
Self-destruction
People with a High IQ are more likely to exhibit self-destructive behavior, including addictive behavior. TRU DAT. When I entered my teenage years as a student and budding professional musician, it wasn't long before drugs and alcohol became a daily ritual. Those daily habits lasted for many years, and were destructive. Science shows us that many drug addicts/alcoholics tend to have high IQ's, which they think allows so many of them to be “functioning addicts”. Other people kill themselves with that shit, but we can function somehow, even while our physiological insides are getting eaten away.
Lying and Manipulation
People with a High IQ are more likely to lie and manipulate. We're also more likely to be sociopathic. I'm no clinical sociopath, or else the two licensed therapists I've seen would have diagnosed me as such. But I did speak with these two professionals about the fact that I have lied a lot. Mostly to get what I wanted or needed. Getting money, getting laid, manipulating a situation to my advantage, throwing someone else under the bus with a lie, lying to get revenge, I did them all.
People with a high IQ are more likely to have vengeful tendencies too, by the way. From teenage years to the bulk of my 20s, lying to women was almost a requirement. I sure did get laid a lot, though.
So...those are the two most self-destructive behaviors I put in to practice that science also says are more likely to be exhibited by subjects with my IQ numbers. Now let's look at how it played out in some other situations:
Immediate Family
One look at my family will tell you that most of them are bumbling idiots. My dad's no doubt the smartest of his entire household, but my mother's a wingnut and a lot of the rest of em couldn't spell some of the words in this essay or do long division if you held a gun to their head. They also reproduce like rabbits, which is a characteristic of lower IQ numbers. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that one, people with High IQ's are less likely to pass on their genes. Shocker. Being smart in my family meant that you were a “know-it-all” or a “smartass” or trying to prove something to everyone else. They always had great animosity to people smarter than them. Now that I've had time to think on it, it handicapped me in a few different ways with the large group of Italian Americans who raised me. They're loving people and they cared for me a great deal, but I did feel like an outsider. To this day, on the rare occasion I visit for a holiday glut-fest dinner, we don't have a whole lot to talk about or relate to. I should also mention my brother in all this. He's a real-life exception to the rule. He was a star athlete who was actually diagnosed as ADHD as a child. Usually great athletes don't exhibit High IQ numbers, but somehow, at age 20, upon graduating from the firefighters' academy in California, he not only scored in the top 5 for written testing, but also in the top 5 for physical agility. He continues to be one of the strongest and smartest firefighters in his world, and has excelled through the ranks with greater speed than anyone he came up with. He's set to be one of the youngest Fire Department Captains in the history of the state this year. According to the science, my brother is an anomaly.
Education
Hindsight is 20/20, and I look back on my K-17 education as a total joke. The absolute worst in leftist brainwashing, from kindergarten through dropping out of grad music school. Grad school was when I finally came to full realization what a bill of goods I had been sold, and I left hastily. I'm embarrassed it took me that long, but again, good science shows us that some with High IQ numbers are more likely to believe bullshit when they're young. I guess that's me too. Being a child of California public schools and the California State University system through the late 80s, 90s, and early 2000s was a recipe for disaster. Although the economy in California was robust for most of that, the system was failing fast and getting more and more and MORE government subsidy all along the way the years I was there. You had to be a blank slate with these teachers (90% of which were women, of course). There were no exceptions allowed. Some weird tests were given to me early on, something called the “gifted program”, and a few others. But for me, getting singled out like that was a recipe to get bullied and get the shit beat out of you at the bus stop, so I turned them down. It was my choice after all. By the time I got to a high-end private university for grad school, I saw that most of my colleagues were not intelligent at all, just simply rich. They had the dough to be there, and they were buying a useless degree in jazz guitar. So I got out. I still, to this day, feel so utterly embarrassed for buying into all of it and spending so much time on music education after public school, when I could have just been working. Thankfully, I don't have any debt from it anymore. I do not recommend it to any young musician with potential, especially ones that I see are very intelligent.
Religion
Okay, more good science, kids! There is a negative correlation between involvement in organized religion and IQ numbers. Dumb people go to church, basically. Smart people don't. I couldn't throw away Catholicism fast enough as a teenager, and what a bag-o-bricks THAT was to set down. I've lived an entire adulthood free of that guilt, and it's been a major component to my success. You can read more about why atheists in particular have High IQ's. It's no accident that large groups of people just hand over their money and their time to gigantic machine-like religions and churchianities. The bell curve of intelligence makes no mistakes. People of average or below intelligence need something to explain things to them, and who better than their imaginary friend Jesus and his dad?
Once you grow into young adulthood and can be responsible and make
some of your own choices, being surrounded by religion and having no choice in the matter can seriously handicap you.
Dating
Ah, this one's my favorite. As far as the IQ #'s in men vs. women, we must remember that much of this science is government funded. The numbers have to be often cooked in order to spew out the proper results so the scientists can continue to get their funding. And you just CAN NOT say that men are smarter than women, that's a big no-no, even if it's true. This is a topic of much debate for a long, long time. For centuries before the 1960s or so (when feminism was introduced), the science was pretty ubiquitous on men being ever so slightly more intelligent than women. Things changed, and now we're supposed to be the same. The testing was changed starting in 1974 to equalize the genders. But good science (in the private sector), to this day, still shows us that although gender plays no role in intelligence from ages 0-14, after that the curve bends slightly towards men. Particularly in the areas of math and science. No matter how much they try and cook the books, there is always that one difference between men and women. The general consensus is also that there is a mean difference of 3 IQ points to the advantage of males. That ain't much, but it's something.
How can this handicap a smart guy's dating life? Well, in many ways. First, hotter girls are generally dumber. Although easy to bang, you won't have much to talk about with them if you're dating them at any length or significance. Hot girls are dumber because there's no need for them to be smart. Men don't correct a hot girl when she's wrong because they usually wants to fuck her. Attractive girls can get things provided for them far easier for a far longer time. While it's easier for a smarter guy to manipulate his way into a hot girl's life (using game and general cognitive advantage), she will then likely expect provisions and resources from him, simply because biology and evolution suggest that women are attracted to men with more resources (intelligence and otherwise) for purposes of breeding. There is also a long-held direct correlation between intelligence and income. We make more money than dumb guys do, regardless of field, so we're more likely to have women around because we have more money. The handicap here is that we have a higher chance of getting manipulated out of our resources. After two decades of bachelored singledom and many, many relationships, I've found that the best bet for happiness is to find a 7-8 with lower intelligence than me.
These women are everywhere and can make a smart man very happy, even for a small amount of time. Let's also remind ourselves that we are far less likely to breed, which correlates to being far less likely to marry, which can send women of ALL intelligence levels packing very quickly. I've lost more good women because of my refusal to marry and procreate than for any other reason. Oh well!
Keeping hours
This one turned up a lot of results in my research. Higher intelligence people are more likely to operate best at night. I found this to be true at a very young age, and it's to my advantage now because I live my life in show business. We work when all the other worker bees are off, which is at night, on the weekends, and on holidays. This night-owl type stuff can also lead to depression, some science says. People with high intelligence can often experience frustration with many common interactions on a given day. Say for instance, everyone getting upset when you correct them during conversation. We don't even think about that when we do it, but it makes people very angry. Being called an “egomaniac” or a “braggart” when you're simply excited to share something you've learned. And after all this brow-beating, people still expect you to be a top performer when you're smart. This can frustrate us and make us feel shitty.
More....
A common association in many bullshit studies is that people with high IQ's are “more socially inept or awkward”. It may be true. But not if you associate with other smart people. If I'm in a fucking Wal-Mart or passing through a crowd of women watching the Kardashians, no, I'm sorry, I don't want to talk to any of you and I will act like an asshole to get you out of my face. If that makes me “socially inept”, fine. High IQ also commonly results in the individual requiring a higher amount of solitude and contemplation than the middle of the curve. People will call you socially inept if you like to be by yourself. They'll also call you depressed, lonely, and sad when in all reality you may be perfectly content. Being an “outsider” is very common for people with high intelligence, but thankfully, in this day and age, we are all connected through an insanely accessible network. It's easier today to find other intelligent people than it ever has been in any time before. It's easy to find those people like you, and spend time with them. When smart people hang with smart people, it's not an echo chamber, it's a wonderful exchange of differentiating ideas and yet another learning experience that can contribute to our intelligence. So go find each other.
Great post, Matt. Learning to just accept what people tell you even if you think it's bullshit is the hardest thing to do.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason people try to pull you down into the "weeds" where they can discuss meaningless things. Even when you go and take the "High Ground" as Scott Adams calls it, they try to drag you back down.
Just stop discussing, smile, say "Godspeed" and leave can be the hardest thing to do, but it's incredibly liberating.
Oh yes. Mucho identification, especially on self-destructive behaviours. I have a whole thing about "smart pretty people don't get married". Excellent post.
ReplyDeleteFemale.
ReplyDeleteReasonably attractive for pushing 40.
Four kids.
Tested IQ between 125 and 140.
Guess I'm doing my bit to fight the idiocracy??
Nah. I just enjoy being an iconoclast.
ReplyDeleteOkay, more good science, kids! There is a negative correlation between involvement in organized religion and IQ numbers. Dumb people go to church, basically. Smart people don't.
I've heard this argument, but I'm not buying it.
Maybe offline this is the case, but online some of the smartest, well-written people I've encountered are religious and or identify as Christian - bloggers and writers like Free Northerner, Nick B. Steves, Mark Citadel, Zippy, WM Briggs, and more. It's many of these avowed atheists who seem dull and conformist.
Reading religious texts, as well as listening to sermons, at a young age also promotes literacy
"People with a High IQ are more likely to lie and manipulate. We're also more likely to be sociopathic."
ReplyDeleteAnd yet...
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2656755
In Israel, soldiers with higher military entrance scores were more honest. These findings appeared on civilians, too. This goes with my pet theory that a LOT of high IQ types really just have nothing more than pretty faces and visual spatial skills, from well placed eyes. Beautiful people can lie and charm and seduce and get away with it (and probably develop a healthy "verbal IQ" in the process, to some extent), and beta males with their boyish looks make great engineers, orienting and manipulating mechanical constructs. Great eyesight. Leftists usually have this kind of IQ in abundance, or even a plethora of it.
This doesn't make them any more logical than anyone else, in terms of pure general intelligence, and this is before any consideration of creativity or emotional skills other than being blatant sociopaths.
Addiction is probably the clearest sign of low intelligence in the real world. Real intelligence is always finding new things to work on, finding pleasure in little novelties that would go unnoticed to the dull, instead of cheap dopamine hits from drugs or worse yet gambling. Addiction is a consequence of sentiments overriding executive functioning. It is stupidity.
Interesting stuff, and it does kind of track with my own experience. I'm reasonably intelligent (back when the SAT maxed out at 1600, I got a 1540), and throughout high school I noticed that I just couldn't be effectively social with a lot of people. It's less that you're anti-social and more that you just can't summon the enthusiasm to be social except with a very few people.
ReplyDeleteI do think it's kind of funny that in the same breath he said he was more likely to be a drunken sociopath, but at least he's not religious.
I read somewhere (perhaps it was brainwashed science), in "Brain Rules" by john medina that men get their brains entirely from their mothers. So...feminist science? Political science? Or actually, science??
ReplyDeletePublication idea for you Captain:
ReplyDeleteWe need a man-club list of universities with these unconstitutional anti-man policies (read link). Men need to avoid both attending and working for the schools on the list... contributors should pull out too. Also a man-friendly university list is needed.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/california-colleges-to-make-proving-innocence-a-punishable-offense/article/2580663
Matt,
ReplyDeleteGood post. It was a pity that we didn't get to hang out in Melbourne when you were over, as reading this it turns out that I missed a fellow high IQ traveler. Maybe next time.
Adam.
My world continues to shrink as I become less tolerant of dealing with the morons around me. My greatest frustration these days is accepting that there are way more stupid people than intelligent people and that the stupid people's vote and/or choices cancel out the intelligent people's in so many walks of life.
ReplyDeleteI'm a loner, and Have been criticized for it. I have decided that it is very hard to find people who show compassion for others. I have seen so many People be Two-faced and judgmental toward others . I'm tired of being judged because I chose to withdrawal myself from these people and become drawn into the drama that is played out in this society everyday. I don't claim to be a genius, maybe I am, I haven't had myself tested, But I believe that I'm smart enough to know that I believe in myself and IF I did not, then where would I be. Any others feel the same way I do? Lets talk. Like the Author of this blog said "Go fine Each Other"
ReplyDeleteHi Matt
ReplyDeleteYou make a lot of interesting points in your essay, some I agree with and some not so much.
I was always the loner in school and felt like a geek. I went on to get my bachelors and graduate degrees and do not regret them one bit. I love school and would be a professional student if $ allowed! I have never had my IQ tested but have always been in the upper part of my class peers. I, like many, do not tend to do well with standardized testing but I do not think this terms one as having less of an IQ. Most people seem to fall somewhere in the mean of the Bell Curve, and hopefully having some common sense to balance the intelligent quotient.
I see where you are coming from with self destructive behavior with high IQ persons. Some may come from boredom of being in mainstream classes and others just the feeling of not "fitting in". My father was somewhat self destructive, as was most of his siblings. However, he did his drinking away from home.
My brother and I had a great childhood and we and our parents were very close, not saying we always agreed, but we knew we had each others backs.
Religion, I definitely agree with a previous comment to your essay. I strongly believe there is NO correlation between those of lower verses higher IQ's and their belief of a higher power. There are MANY forms of worship and this may be confused with lower verses high IQ levels. I agree with a previous comment that digging deep into God's Word, reputable followers such as Dr. David Jeremiah, Rev. Billy Graham, and many others and their writings and the way they live their lives are paramount of God's existence. I find that those of higher IQ levels pour themselves into learning MORE and how could one not be assured of HIS existence when looking into the vast universe we live in. The Oceans, the Mountains, the Canyon, and SO many wonders that surely reflect that God exists. I would encourage everyone to dig deep into finding out for themselves more about God and His plan of Salvation for the world.
Most parents do what they feel is best for their children and everyone falls short at one time or another. Looking back, one can ALWAYS see the mistakes made, but the key is did they love? Most parents love their children and guide them in the directions they feel are best for them, wanting a better life for their offspring than they had themselves. So, do not be so hard on your parents. They love you and always have your back. Thanks for letting me express some of my feelings and I hope I have not gone over the limit of my space! CHOW>
Matt,
ReplyDeleteYou make some very interesting points throughout your blog. I just received Cappy's book on Higher IQ's and enjoyed your forward to the book. Looking forward to reading it.
I have been following some of the posts and blogs to Captain Capitalism and I am embarrassed at most of the comments made against women. Men and Women of higher or lower IQ'S or in any other format should be treated as equals. One sex is NOT superior to the other. It is like clumping all men into the category of being lazy, inferior, stupid, users of women. It does not feel so good, does it. Not all women are out to take a man for all he is worth as I am sure the same applies to men. People should be looked upon for their individual character and not thrown into a mass collection. What is wrong with men and women having mutual respect for each other and seeking pleasure with each other's company without expecting to be taken advantage of? And God forbid, we must always "get laid" under no circumstances! I would have thought that mentality would have died out long ago, especially with what is know about STD's, AIDS, and other disease issues. Have some respect for yourselves as well as those of the opposite sex.
And, by the way, we all learn, or should, from past mistakes and life experiences. One can ALWAYS look back and see , "I shoulda, coulda, woulda". Come on, learn from experiences and move on. Everything that is wrong with one's life is NOT your parents fault. Grow up! We are responsible for the choices we make and our choices have consequences. Education is NEVER a waste and neither are relationships, even the bad ones. Some of us just want someone to talk with and get to know, companionship, if you will. Get up, move on, and be grateful for another chance. I know I am.
Hey Man,
ReplyDeleteI just ordered Aaron's latest book and I am looking forward to reading it. I agree with the last post about men and women treating each other with respect. Being a fellow musician, I see, like you, ALL kinds of people during tours and even in local settings. It is difficult not to characterize all people in one category, however, a lot of times it is where we are working or hanging our that usually smudge the whole lot of humanity. I do not believe one should have to look for someone with a lower IQ just to hook up. Not all people, men or women, are looking to "get laid" the first time they meet someone. Hell, this puts humans lower than animals, and most of them tend to mate with one partner for life. Damn, maybe their IQ's should be tested, our animal friends seem to have a higher IQ than we humans do. I strongly believe women and men should treat each other with respect and as they would want to be treated. Referring to a woman as a cougar is about as disrespectful as calling her a whore. No one ever sees anything wrong with an older man hanging with younger eye candy, why is the same not true for older women. What I am trying to get across is that not all persons are looking to take advantage of the opposite sex and one should get to know a person before making this decision. Most men and women just want a friend with whom they can identify, have a cup of coffee or dinner with, converse, be friends and then if any chemistry is there, maybe a relationship. Everyone has had bad experiences, some more than others. They should be learning stepping stones. All future encounters should not be based on past bad ones. Just saying, we owe it to ourselves and to those we meet to give the person the benefit of the doubt. It may be the best choice one ever makes. Thanks man for letting me get my two cents worth in. Keep rocking!
Hey Matt
ReplyDeleteI am reading Cappy's latest book and finding it pretty interesting. A lot of what you talk about in your essay rings true. Growing up, I always felt more at ease with adults while now, I tend to feel more at ease with the younger generation.....young at heart, I suppose. It is amazing how well we fit into certain situations with no problem at all and then others, we are total rejects.
I find it difficult NOT to accept men and women on an EQUAL status. Both sexes have higher and lower IQ's than others(some high, some low, most in middle) but, all in all, we are all human beings and each have something of worth to contribute to the world. I think too much emphasis is placed on IQ ratings. I believe it falls into the personality of the persons involved. There are some women I cannot stand to be around, while others are my best friends. I find the same rings true with the male population. I do not believe either one is superior to the other, we are all humans striving to survive in this world.
While on the subject of surviving in this world, I strongly agree with several of your posts that religion is important to all humans. I read THE SHACK by William P. Young and it has enlightened me greatly in a better understanding of the Trinity and God's plan of Salvation. We Humans screwed it up when "FREE WILL" entered God's perfect world. Give it a read, think you will enjoy the message. There are also different form of worshiping as was mentioned in a post. While we tend to categorize those with lower intelligence in churches with more primitive forms of worship, there are many upscale churches for the highly IQ persons. All in all, it does not matter how or where we worship, ain't none of us, smart or not, gonna get into heaven without accepting Christ as our personal Savior. Eternity is a L O N G time to be wrong....and please guys and gals be nice to your parents, like it or not, you are a part of them and most parents love unconditionally. Find the person you were meant to be with as you mention in your closing statement. Not all women OR men want a commitment in a relationship, some just want a friendship and someone to hang out with, as someone before me mentioned. It is also good to have a good friend of the opposite sex in order to bounce ideas of how men and women view things alike and differently. Don't judge all by what a few have done and be glad we live in a country where we can get an education and be free to worship and live as we please. BY the way, I tried to find the book you mentioned regarding sleep and can't find it available, any tips on this? Take care man, and keep on making the music "Stayin Alive"! Any tours coming up that you are included in? Later.
Hi Matt
ReplyDeleteI do not have the IQ that you obviously have, however, I am no dummy. I have a graduate degree in Education, BS in Human Resources/PR, and two Associates in Music, Associate in Arts and Associates in Fine Arts, which I call my FART degree. I recently lost someone very close to me and that void will NEVER be filled, yet life does go on and having a friendship with someone can bring a great deal of comfort without ties of permanent commitment via marriage, children, etc. Just to have someone of the opposite sex to bounce ideas off of and to get another perspective.
I would love to be friends with you and just chat about things in life. While my music is strictly for leisure, I can appreciate all of the work that goes into being a full time professional musician and the demands it takes on one's body and life. I sincerely wish you all the best and hope that you continue to make the music that God has given you the talent to do. Many best wishes for a life filled with making others happy with the music you perform. God Bless you....
I have read the book The curse of high IQ. And I am surprised by two facts.
ReplyDeleteThe first is how well the author's experiences at school and employment match my own struggles.
The second fact is the surprise about other Mensa members and their lack of willingness to talk about the struggles of having a high IQ.
I have tried few times to talk about the subject on Mensa forums and I did not get far. While some make a valid point that Aaron's experiences do not necessarily match theirs, I suspect other people want to maintain their "convenient illusion".
What I your thoughts? Why some very intelligent want to pretend that life is a bliss?