Thread: Why Are Some People With Very High IQ Just Plain Stupid?

Originally Posted by sea dragon

I had always wanted to be something of a Renaissance person.

Me too. Specialisation and its side effects is probably half of what this discussion has been implying.

Originally Posted by sea dragon

I am castigated too often for showing a lack of thought.

Refer to my previous post the common sense is just that, common. Means others agree with you, but does not mean they are "right". Our lack of alternative solutions is one of the hallmarks of the human race. I love your line "Showing a lack of thought" betcha you dont feel that way, betcha you thought enough about it for your purpose, probable trouble is that your response isnt "common" enough.

As for intelligence measurement, a way of subduing variation in the species. As Demming said "What can be measured can be controlled" that scares me... what a way to kill off creativity.

Sebastiaan

Originally Posted by echnidna

I wonder if theres any vacancies for a specialist to train the woirkers how to put a bit of whitebait on a hook

There is also an eagerness on the part of some high academic achievers to display their knowledge, often at a rather inauspicious moment. They may try and use their knowledge at an instance where they have no experience, thus ending up looking like a complete dill.
In a roundabout way, Bob has done the same thing. For an obviously intelligent bloke to spell Echidna incorrectly, shows an eagerness of thought that presupposes he has no need for checking.

Though it should also show clumsiness on the keyboard resulting in a typo.

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

Refer to my previous post the common sense is just that, common. Means others agree with you, but does not mean they are "right". Our lack of alternative solutions is one of the hallmarks of the human race. I love your line "Showing a lack of thought" betcha you dont feel that way, betcha you thought enough about it for your purpose, probable trouble is that your response isnt "common" enough.

Sebastiaan

Common sense is not so common - Voltaire

Originally Posted by Frank&Earnest

Common sense is not so common - Voltaire

If common sense isn't common then it must be uncommon sense. Sense that is common to people of a particular field, would be uncommon in a newbie. Common sense as a generic term is very, very subjective IMHO. But everyone has some degree of 'common sense'. Even the idiot savant has the common sense not to walk in front of a train going at 60mph.

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

Also says something about the bright sparks who hire consultants or specialists and think theyre saving money.

I'm not so sure it says that at all! It certainly says something about my old boss's turn of phrase, though.

You know what they say about consultants:

A consultant is someone who borrows your own watch to tell you the time and charges you a fee for the privilege.

Nice work if you can get it.

I'm a consultant, by the way. (Ask me what time it is ).

Col the Consultant

A consultant is a gent with a briefcase, who's more than 50 miles (80km) from home.

Joe (another consultant)

I feel chuffed that my email evoked the blue pen response. Thanks, Bob. It sure beats the heck out of the red pen.
I am sorry to see such a lack of creativity from some who should know better, describing themselves as "consultant" To oil rigs and beyond? And only a "gent"? BRAVE CALL!!!

Me? I am a strategist most of the time, occasional wordsmith and learner. If you describe yourself as that to most people, they not unreasonably then say, "Yes, but what do you do?"
Sorry, must not highjack thread.

I was a 'consultant' for a couple of years. I did exactly what I do now, only I did it on contract rates. I suppose it attracted the consultant tag to justify the extortionate fee. Someone tried to consult me once, but I managed to wriggle out of it, thinking "that was close".

On a uni course once, we were given a technical assignment and told to tackle it as though we were consultants. The immediate response from several of us was "What would you like the answer to be?"