Blog

A forum for discussion ideas

Can an exceptionally intelligent person come from a low-class background?

Blog / By

In answering this question, I will assume that “low-class background” refers to a low socioeconomic background. The good news for anyone from a low socioeconomic background is that your intellectual potential is determined to a large extent by the genes you inherit. In 2011, a large group of researchers published a paper stating: (See: Davies, …

Can an exceptionally intelligent person come from a low-class background? Read More »

What is the reason behind some people’s constant need to be right, even when others may have more knowledge on a subject?

Blog / By

We have all met people who speak with great certainty about things in which they are not well versed. When challenged they tend to double down on their certainty and refuse to accept the possibility that they may be mistaken. I had a brother-in-law, now deceased, who used to respond to any of my opinions …

What is the reason behind some people’s constant need to be right, even when others may have more knowledge on a subject? Read More »

Have there been any documented cases of individuals with an officially recorded extremely high IQ? If so, what was their life like after that?

Blog / By

High intelligence is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing part is evident to almost everyone. A person of high intelligence can learn easily, qualify for almost any educational degree and, if interested, can earn substantial income. The curse aspect is less evident, but high intelligence, or its proxy a high IQ, can be …

Have there been any documented cases of individuals with an officially recorded extremely high IQ? If so, what was their life like after that? Read More »

Were many geniuses initially perceived as slow or unintelligent by their teachers and parents?

Blog / By

Since applying the term “genius” to a person depends on consensus, usually after their death, I will provide instead some examples of high achievers of very high IQ who were perceived as slow or unintelligent by their teachers and/or parents. On February 11, 1847, Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan Ohio, the seventh and …

Were many geniuses initially perceived as slow or unintelligent by their teachers and parents? Read More »

Are you skeptical of the notion that high emotional intelligence (EI) is required for successful leadership?

Blog / By

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is typically assessed by these five traits: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Certainly, someone who is low in all these attributes is unlikely to be a successful leader. To be a strong leader, you must possess a high motivation, evident through your passion for a cause. You must also have …

Are you skeptical of the notion that high emotional intelligence (EI) is required for successful leadership? Read More »

What are some signs that someone has a high level of intelligence, beyond just academic or book smarts? How can one determine if they have above average intelligence?

Blog / By

Assessing someone’s intelligence is extremely difficult, whether or not you take into account their educational credentials or achievements. I have seen people who are highly educated, but who believe in superstitions that are entirely unsubstantiated by scientific observation. When their opinions are challenged, they become defensive and move quickly from rational to emotional mode. I …

What are some signs that someone has a high level of intelligence, beyond just academic or book smarts? How can one determine if they have above average intelligence? Read More »

Is it possible for someone to be highly intelligent without being able to feel emotions, but still have a cognitive understanding of them?

Blog / By

All humans feel emotions, especially fear, anger, frustration, sexual desire, envy and loneliness. These are all hardwired into our psyche to improve our chances of survival as individuals and as a member of a species. However, the intensity of these emotions varies significantly across individuals The term “empathy” is used to describe our emotional connection …

Is it possible for someone to be highly intelligent without being able to feel emotions, but still have a cognitive understanding of them? Read More »

In terms of societal danger, is it worse to have a foolish person who believes they know everything or an intelligent person who lacks common sense?

Blog / By

The answer to this question depends to some extent on the role in which the person is functioning. In a role that has high public visibility, such as a political position, the foolish know-it-all usually presents little danger because their incompetence becomes widely observable and their influence is therefore, minimal. We have seen examples of …

In terms of societal danger, is it worse to have a foolish person who believes they know everything or an intelligent person who lacks common sense? Read More »

What are the potential negative effects of saying “I’m not good at math”?

Blog / By

The greatest danger in saying, “I am not good at XXXX,” is that it signifies surrender. Once we declare that we are not good at something, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy, because we give ourselves permission to abandon the struggle to improve our level of competence. This surrender is most frequently found in the declaration, …

What are the potential negative effects of saying “I’m not good at math”? Read More »

Who proved Fermat’s last theorem and what was the level of difficulty in proving it?

Blog / By

Around 1637, Pierre de Fermat, one of the giants of modern mathematics, issued what became the most famous mathematical conjecture in history. In his copy of Diophantus’ Arithmetica, he wrote: …it is impossible for any cube to be the sum of two cubes, or in general for any number that is a power greater than …

Who proved Fermat’s last theorem and what was the level of difficulty in proving it? Read More »

Verified by MonsterInsights