Ask HN: Higher IQ? What are your hacks for assimilating?

4 pointsby chiefalchemist7년 전3 comments

There was another NH thread:

"People with unusually high IQ, why are you still unsuccessful?"

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20722716

That links to:

https://www.quora.com/People-with-unusually-high-IQs-why-are-you-still-unsuccessful/answer/Susanna-Viljanen

It's a great, thorough and helpful answer. Understanding helps (e.g., alone in a crowd). But now what? How do you assimilate without selling out and dumbing yourself down?

For example, when I was younger I never read the sports page. I couldn't be bothered; until I realized such info gave me common ground with others, other I would normally effectively ignore.

But the struggle is real. It continues. What are your life hacks (?) for being more accessible and less island-y?

3 comments

tomohawk7년 전

I've seen people with high IQs be arrogant because they believe they are better. I've seen people with high IQs be extremely humble.

Guess who was better at getting along with others? Getting along with others has little to do with intelligence and a lot to do with attitude, which requires controlling yourself. Treating people with gentleness and kindness requires humility.

If someone really is highly intelligent, they should use that intelligence to first control themselves instead of blaming others for holding them back.

david_frier7년 전

Humility is a great start!

Humor, also. Amuse others with your wit. Don't be insulting, it's not necessary

Be willing to have your opinion discounted for a while (see, humility). When you turn out to have been right often enough they will come around. If it doesn't work out that way, hmmm, maybe you lacked some necessary knowledge.

Actual knowledge can often trump an ability to figure it out quickly. Pay attention to people with experience in a new situation, even if their CPU clock is running slower than yours. Respect their database.

gingabriska7년 전

I've high IQ but I don't struggle neither I've difficulty dealing with anyone, even toddlers are very interesting to me.

Also i don't see IQ is as good metric to gauge anyone's intelligence. It measures something but that's all about it, it doesn't measure intelligence as whole.

There is no special knowledge being fed to me automatically other than recognizing some common patterns across varied things which i do often.

I don't think IQ makes me any different than any other person.

I am pretty well off yes, not super successful like many others but I've easy life.

I moved from South East Asia to US to India. Despite average IQ difference between these countries, I don't feel it as personal level even when I interact with random people on street.