How are some people just so highly intelligent?

[michael3478]

I know some old coworkers already working towards master's degrees but here i am with just a high school diploma and dropped out of community college. How are some people just so intelligent?

[Chazmatazz269]

It doesn’t require intelligence at all to graduate college. It’s literally just an extended course in taking orders and finishing projects with gradually less oversight. Complete morons graduate university all the time. There are several prominent examples but my current favorite reference is the millions of college graduates who went to higher education because they were pitched that they will make MILLIONS more than those of us who didn’t. Then they turned around and begged the Biden administration to force us blue collar dummies to pay off their student loans because they can’t afford the debt they incurred from that VALUABLE education! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I didn’t go to college. I’m far smarter than most people who have or do. I make six figures easy and i don’t even have to work all year long. My bills are paid and i carry zero debt.
College is part of my retirement plan. I want to become an arachnologist or an entomologist. I don’t think i’ll be able to do that on intrinsic intelligence, enthusiasm and work ethic alone. So i’ll probably have to take at least some classes.

[RavVid]

To be fair, who would have thought a Feminist Studies Degrees wouldn't earn a mint in the workplace?

Great idea on college as a retirement plan. A guy I worked with is doing archaeology ib his retirement.

[Chazmatazz269]

I think that would be fascinating too. But i’ve been enthralled with insects my whole life. It’s just a natural passion that would make the learning less laborious and add job satisfaction to my elder years.

[RavVid]

It is a great plan and passion most certainly makes learning easier. I don't share your passion, mine is more towards history. It is an inspiring that my work colleague and you are planning to spend their later years dedicated to an area of study they have a passion for.

I am now looking forward to when I have leisure. :)

[Anonymous]

Some of us are just born that way. It is mostly a genetic thing, and it's not something that we try to do necessarily, but it is something that is with us always. Most of us that are this way and nurture it diligently. We are also, in many ways, abused for it by others who apparently feel jealous or envious of us. When I was in grade school, before I went to college, I was abused almost daily with the phrase: "You are not living up to your potential." In fact, I was in all AP classes, and I got A's in every single subject I took. I studied a reasonable amount, and yet others, particularly adults, were not satisfied with my efforts, apparently. The other phrase I heard often was, "You must learn to take responsibility." At the time, I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, but I was fearful of asking, lest I suffer some even more dire consequences.

To this day, and I am a little older now, I have absolutely no idea what they were referring to. It seems to me that compared to my peers and to contemporary standards in general, I was an outstanding person at that point in my life, and still am in many ways, and yet, it has never been enough.

Nobody dares say to me that I must learn to accept responsibility or that I am not living up to my potential now. But when I was younger and more vulnerable, they didn't hold back. The presence of multiple graduate and professional degrees seems to have shut them up to some extent, but not completely. The discrimination is still there; it's just more subtle now. Being different is no fun.

[SecretsofKB]

Some have already commented about hard work, and I would agree with that as well. I have slowly been working through a graduate program, and it is a lot of work.

So I am a nurse and with that, I am around so many different levels of degrees and more doctors than I care for lol. These doctors work incredibly hard throughout their schooling and residency.

But many do have this innate level of intelligence. They are able to understand things quickly and many of these complex systems and topics come to them much more intuitively. Some people do just have that innate intelligence.

[Chazmatazz269]

Without more context, what you’re describing has more to do with aptitude than intelligence. A lot of people just excel at certain tasks and subjects where others might struggle. Then those savants might struggle where others excel. Unless you’re observing them excelling at everything academically with very little effort, their successes are more a matter of aptitude and hard work.

[ArrowheadSW]

@SecretsofKB Yes I used to work with doctors previously in my career. (Sometimes more than I cared for also.) You really had to hand it to them for the level of knowledge and the ability to integrate it all. As YOU know from working in the medical industry also, there is A LOT to know out there!!

[FreyaRed]

Having good memory and having analytic mind isn't the same. People who are good in learning aren't necessary intelligent, they can just good memorize.

[AI Opinion]

Intelligence can be a combination of various factors, including genetics, environment, motivation, and access to resources. Some people might have a natural aptitude for learning, while others develop skills through dedicated effort and resilience. It's also important to remember that intelligence manifests in diverse ways. Pursuing higher education may be one path, but skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities are equally valuable. Focus on your strengths and passions, and don't compare your journey to others. Exploring opportunities for personal growth and continuous learning can also enhance your own intelligence and potential.

[MrChinaski]

For the record, I think my daughter is smarter. The genes run strong.

[ArrowheadSW]

I met a lady who is a physician. Highly regarded as an authority in her sub-specialty. She said that she got her PhD in biology when she was 20. Then went on from there to medical school. Then went on to internal medicine and sub-specialized from there. My gosh, a PhD in biology when she was 20.

[MrChinaski]

Be born gifted. It is almost entirely genetic. Start with good genes, grow through childhood without malnutrition or severe illness (vaccinise your kids, good people) then you are highly intelligent. You can pick up skills by gaining knowledge studying particular fields and developing a toolkit for approaching particular problems, but the same genetic abilities tend to be widely applicable and study doesn't make you more intelligent. How hard you work will determine how well you turn that gift and those skills into success, whatever 'success' means to you.

Speaking as someone with a high IQ... no actually high, not like the 95% of GaGgers that say they are in top 1% on intelligence... the main challenge I have found is staying motivated. I prefer to graze across subjects and the economy tends to most favourably reward narrow specialisation... I've found a career path that reasonably manages these two forces.

[Chazmatazz269]

Hey, genius, the word is vaccinate.
Please, tell us more about how much smarter you are than the rest of us. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[MrChinaski]

@Chazmatazz269 Lol!!! Good spot, friend. Sometimes I type fast and break things.

[MrChinaski]

For the record, I wasn't suggesting that the site isn't populated by many smart people. Rather, that when the usership is surveyed it would appear that 90% of users are in the top 5% of intelligence. The site is also populated by people who make colourful representations of themselves.

[Malwi93]

meh i scored 130+ on that kid test, and as an adult im a mess not to mention didn't score so high

[zagor]

Some are highly intelligent, others just work hard and are persistent. I've had a couple roommates while in college who were very intelligent but they also put a lot of time into their studies. Both have doctorates now. I was much lazier but still managed to get an master's.

[OlderAndWiser]

Perhaps the difference is not intelligence but instead is work ethic and dedication.

[Nikki1989]

Education and have avoided the mainstream.

[RavVid]

Don't confuse academic quals with intelligence.

[Chazmatazz269]

“Quals”?
If you meant qualls, then i have to know. How many dead words do you throw around on a daily basis?
Ell oh ell!

[RavVid]

@Chazmatazz269 It was quails - typo. I have never seen a quoll :)

[exitseven]

I think some is genetic and some people just are better at college. It is not for everyone.

[jahaims]

Nature and nurture. Also most highly intelligent people are neurodivergent. Basically they have better hardware so they out perform allistics.

[Malwi93]

do you not have a degree cause you didn't want to get it or cause you couldnT?

[mukon]

This isn't about intelligence; it's about hard work and discipline.

[queenofcardio]

It takes hard work