During his teenage years, a male of IQ 140 learns that it’s not “cool” to talk about quantum physics, or discuss the philosophy of Nietzsche when gathered in a bar after a football game or in the clubhouse after a round of golf. Athletics are an acceptable topic, as are girls, cars and other people. Current music is acceptable, but discussions of classical music are not usually well-received.
Consequently, communication with normal people offers little interest or stimulation for the person of IQ 140. Most people of very high IQ, such as those in the 140 range, learn very early that they have different interests from most people and so they attempt, during their adolescent years, to befriend others of high IQ. Much like the characters depicted in the sitcom, “The Big Bang Theory,” they seldom mix with those of average IQ and rarely think of those outside their group.
By the time they reach university age, most people of IQ 140 have found their own niche of Hi-Q people with whom they socialize. This process of pruning one’s friendships and acquiring new friends continues throughout adulthood until the mini-society in which the Hi-Q person resides is a very select group. At that point, it is likely that the person of IQ would regard normal humans as having a limited range of communication
As Socrates observed over 2400 years ago, “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” We see this tendency in the different strata of the female population. A female of IQ 140 is most likely interested in philosophy, literature, the arts, and often the sciences, while those of normal IQ tend to engage in discussions about people, and at the lowest level, gossip.
A person of normal IQ will often regard the person of IQ 140 as boring, out of touch with reality, and completely lacking in common sense. Sometimes the person of high IQ will be perceived as pretentious for using “big words” and for having opinions that are at odds with the opinions of most people. The French have captured this communication gap in their adage, “Two people of different IQ after a short discussion will come away believing the other person is crazy.”
To test these generalizations, eavesdrop on conversations in a coffee house, a tavern, a clubhouse, or any public forum. Alternatively, listen to conversations within your group and politely determine how the members of the groups to which you belong reach their opinions and their beliefs. It will provide you with an interesting insight into human nature.
