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Unbridled raw intelligence.

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
In another thread in a DIR I mentioned meeting a person who seemed to have it ... this not easily described thing.

Back in teacherhood days there would be some story read from some basal reader we'd have, and I'd ask, "Why do you think the author even wrote this story? What attitude change might he/she be trying to achieve in the reader, if any?" 23 kids in the class would have this dumbstruck look of 'Why couldn't he just ask what page comes after 85?" The other two kids would quickly raise their hands, with the look of 'Finally!" and then the three of us would have a five minute elevated discussion, while some of the others listened, while others stared out the window or started fiddling.

So ... if you've encountered this, what was the event, and what exactly impressed you in the other person? BTW, the child in the other thread I talked about was questioning Boss about why the chemistry questions on yesterday's test were testing English rather than chemistry by making the wording unnecessarily complicated. Boss's reply was "Are they still doing that?"

I'm interested in raw intelligence stories.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
Huh. My English classes were more like the teacher asking various random students questions throughout or answering random questions throughout reading whatever book/play. Most people participated to some degree though. :shrug:

I mean I guess I always tested well in Math class, despite my general apathy. Which seemingly impressed a couple of friends back in high school.

What exactly is raw intelligence though? I feel like I can bluff way through various philosophical discussions, even though I’m a dumbass
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
What exactly is raw intelligence though? I feel like I can bluff way through various philosophical discussions, even though I’m a dumbass

Thanks for responding. Hard to describe, but most likely at some genius level all around. People who just 'get it' almost immediately or act like they have always 'had it'. They stand apart from normal people. The ones I've met don't fit any particular norms. They aren't autistic in any degree though, as common sense runs through them also. A spark in the eye, perhaps. Autistic folks often have refined intelligence in one particular area like using colour, music, memory, or learning a language. They're really interesting as well. The ones I'm thinking about clearly have an independent way of thinking. You know how most people claim something like 99%+ of thought isn't original ... well, the kind of people I'm trying to describe have a ton of original thought. They certainly don't need to quote anyone to have it shine through.

Editted ... for the 'English' class, the example I used was in Grade 5 or 6, not a high school class.
 
Last edited:

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
Thanks for responding. Hard to describe, but most likely at some genius level all around. People who just 'get it' almost immediately or act like they have always 'had it'. They stand apart from normal people. The ones I've met don't fit any particular norms. They aren't autistic in any degree though, as common sense runs through them also. A spark in the eye, perhaps. Autistic folks often have refined intelligence in one particular area like using colour, music, memory, or learning a language. They're really interesting as well. The ones I'm thinking about clearly have an independent way of thinking. You know how most people claim something like 99%+ of thought isn't original ... well, the kind of people I'm trying to describe have a ton of original thought. They certainly don't need to quote anyone to have it shine through.

Editted ... for the 'English' class, the example I used was in Grade 5 or 6, not a high school class.
So like super duper genius? I know some very intelligent people, grew up among educators in fact. But I don’t know anyone with “raw intelligence.” Because you could be the most independent thinker ever, but without a guide to help you understand your thoughts properly, I mean is it any good.
Maybe Russel Brand? I dunno. Do you know anyone who you would describe as having “raw intelligence?”

And yes, my comment about my English classes extends into primary school as well. The only time we didn’t have such ways of proper engagement was probably pre school until like grade 4.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
So like super duper genius? I know some very intelligent people, grew up among educators in fact. But I don’t know anyone with “raw intelligence.” Because you could be the most independent thinker ever, but without a guide to help you understand your thoughts properly, I mean is it any good.
Maybe Russel Brand? I dunno. Do you know anyone who you would describe as having “raw intelligence?”

And yes, my comment about my English classes extends into primary school as well. The only time we didn’t have such ways of proper engagement was probably pre school until like grade 4.

Yes creative comics would be like that. Not sure if Russell Brand has writers. From interviews he's pretty cool. So was Robin Williams in terms of originality. Of the former students who I still know about, one is an obesity specialist doctor, another is a child accident rehab doctor/lecturer, and the other is an artist who dropped out of environmental research to do what she wanted to do ... create.

It's certainly not about it being any good. Good for what? I'm just observing human behaviour here, not much else.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
Yes creative comics would be like that. Not sure if Russell Brand has writers. From interviews he's pretty cool. So was Robin Williams in terms of originality. Of the former students who I still know about, one is an obesity specialist doctor, another is a child accident rehab doctor/lecturer, and the other is an artist who dropped out of environmental research to do what she wanted to do ... create.

It's certainly not about it being any good. Good for what? I'm just observing human behaviour here, not much else.
So artsy jack of all trades types then?
I know people who can write a thesis paper at the drop of a hat. My cousin could build a computer from scratch in High School. He’s now a nurse.
My uncle finds it amusing to use his rather broad knowledge to troll people around him.
I feel like people have raw intelligence to a certain degree (some more than others, of course.)
But I wonder how much specialised intelligence is due to the American education system vs the West?
What I mean is they tend to start kids young on their specialised interests, whereas everywhere else seems to wait until like Uni. Obviously both systems have flaws and strengths. But maybe people who are intelligent find he system boring or maybe some people, for whatever reason, don’t always get the tools they always need from the system.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
So artsy jack of all trades types then?
I know people who can write a thesis paper at the drop of a hat. My cousin could build a computer from scratch in High School. He’s now a nurse.
My uncle finds it amusing to use his rather broad knowledge to troll people around him.
I feel like people have raw intelligence to a certain degree (some more than others, of course.)
But I wonder how much specialised intelligence is due to the American education system vs the West?
What I mean is they tend to start kids young on their specialised interests, whereas everywhere else seems to wait until like Uni. Obviously both systems have flaws and strengths. But maybe people who are intelligent find he system boring or maybe some people, for whatever reason, don’t always get the tools they always need from the system.

I've never seen this as having much to do with the education system, but more just as a natural aspect of that person, like raw natural beauty, or raw physical strength. This type of person would learn despite the education system, like how some folks self taught themselves to read, before we even had some educational system.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
I've never seen this as having much to do with the education system, but more just as a natural aspect of that person, like raw natural beauty, or raw physical strength. This type of person would learn despite the education system, like how some folks self taught themselves to read, before we even had some educational system.
Ahh I see. I don’t know any people like that. I know people who like to learn random things on their own. But I just assume that’s a teacher thing.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
In another thread in a DIR I mentioned meeting a person who seemed to have it ... this not easily described thing.

Back in teacherhood days there would be some story read from some basal reader we'd have, and I'd ask, "Why do you think the author even wrote this story? What attitude change might he/she be trying to achieve in the reader, if any?" 23 kids in the class would have this dumbstruck look of 'Why couldn't he just ask what page comes after 85?" The other two kids would quickly raise their hands, with the look of 'Finally!" and then the three of us would have a five minute elevated discussion, while some of the others listened, while others stared out the window or started fiddling.

So ... if you've encountered this, what was the event, and what exactly impressed you in the other person? BTW, the child in the other thread I talked about was questioning Boss about why the chemistry questions on yesterday's test were testing English rather than chemistry by making the wording unnecessarily complicated. Boss's reply was "Are they still doing that?"

I'm interested in raw intelligence stories.

How about Leonardo Da Vinci?
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
In another thread in a DIR I mentioned meeting a person who seemed to have it ... this not easily described thing.

Back in teacherhood days there would be some story read from some basal reader we'd have, and I'd ask, "Why do you think the author even wrote this story? What attitude change might he/she be trying to achieve in the reader, if any?" 23 kids in the class would have this dumbstruck look of 'Why couldn't he just ask what page comes after 85?" The other two kids would quickly raise their hands, with the look of 'Finally!" and then the three of us would have a five minute elevated discussion, while some of the others listened, while others stared out the window or started fiddling.

So ... if you've encountered this, what was the event, and what exactly impressed you in the other person? BTW, the child in the other thread I talked about was questioning Boss about why the chemistry questions on yesterday's test were testing English rather than chemistry by making the wording unnecessarily complicated. Boss's reply was "Are they still doing that?"

I'm interested in raw intelligence stories.

Hmm...I was the kid in one of those conversations. It stuck in my head, particularly since I ended up a teacher.

The teacher presented some facts about World War 1, and we were asked to explain how Germany's declaration of war on France led to the most global war to that point.

My whole essay was focused not on Germany's declaration of war, but on how this was commonly perceived as a starting point of the war, but that it had more to do with the death throes of the Hapsburgs, etc, etc. I am paraphrasing.

Anyway, the teacher could have marked me down for not directly answering the stated question, or accept there was more depth and thought in the answer. They did the latter, and it really stuck with me when I was teaching.

It was why I railed against standardized testing when I was a student, and later as a teacher.

Somehow school has to be about more than standard answers to standard questions, or it becomes increasingly a poor fit with the world itself.

Meh...I'm going off on a tangent, sorry.
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
Raw intelligence isn't easy to detect in everyday life. Most of what we do can be handled by everyone. Every now and then you see that someone has solved a specific problem in an efficient and ingenious way. That may be a sign.
But just from talking to someone there have to be multiple signs. A broad interest in different topics, the ability to focus on the topic at hand and, most of all, the ability to formulate complex thoughts in a concise, precise and comprehensive manner.
When you've seen lectures or interviews of Richard Feynman, you know what I mean. That man was a genius and you could detect it just from listening.
When you look at the contributions of the regulars here, Revoltingest has often unique, creative views that make you laugh and think. Also, and I may be biased because I usually agree with her views, ChristineM can put her thought into words in a very intelligent way.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
How about Stephen Fry? Mathematician, TV presenter, actor, comedian, lecturer, writer and a seemingly walking encyclopaedia of knowledge on the QI show.
I mean he just seems to go around being smart like it’s a career. Although perhaps it’s just the posh sounding accent.
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
I should say, in my work life I've had the joy of working with 3 people I can think of who showed what I would think of as true raw intelligence.

Their educational backgrounds were extremely varied, but they shared the ability to draw from what they'd seen in the past in extremely abstract fashions.

It was always fun to watch people assume they were going off on a tangent, only to suddenly realise the relevance when everything was drawn together.

I work in a field with a lot of smart people, but just those three really stand out for this ability.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
Raw intelligence isn't easy to detect in everyday life. Most of what we do can be handled by everyone. Every now and then you see that someone has solved a specific problem in an efficient and ingenious way. That may be a sign.
But just from talking to someone there have to be multiple signs. A broad interest in different topics, the ability to focus on the topic at hand and, most of all, the ability to formulate complex thoughts in a concise, precise and comprehensive manner.
When you've seen lectures or interviews of Richard Feynman, you know what I mean. That man was a genius and you could detect it just from listening.
When you look at the contributions of the regulars here, Revoltingest has often unique, creative views that make you laugh and think. Also, and I may be biased because I usually agree with her views, ChristineM can put her thought into words in a very intelligent way.
@Revoltingest is a super genius confirmed.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Hmm...I was the kid in one of those conversations. It stuck in my head, particularly since I ended up a teacher.

The teacher presented some facts about World War 1, and we were asked to explain how Germany's declaration of war on France led to the most global war to that point.

My whole essay was focused not on Germany's declaration of war, but on how this was commonly perceived as a starting point of the war, but that it had more to do with the death throes of the Hapsburgs, etc, etc. I am paraphrasing.

Anyway, the teacher could have marked me down for not directly answering the stated question, or accept there was more depth and thought in the answer. They did the latter, and it really stuck with me when I was teaching.

It was why I railed against standardized testing when I was a student, and later as a teacher.

Somehow school has to be about more than standard answers to standard questions, or it becomes increasingly a poor fit with the world itself.

Meh...I'm going off on a tangent, sorry.

Yeah I wasn't a curriculum kind of guy either. Far more fun not to be.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Raw intelligence isn't easy to detect in everyday life. Most of what we do can be handled by everyone. Every now and then you see that someone has solved a specific problem in an efficient and ingenious way. That may be a sign.
But just from talking to someone there have to be multiple signs. A broad interest in different topics, the ability to focus on the topic at hand and, most of all, the ability to formulate complex thoughts in a concise, precise and comprehensive manner.
When you've seen lectures or interviews of Richard Feynman, you know what I mean. That man was a genius and you could detect it just from listening.
When you look at the contributions of the regulars here, Revoltingest has often unique, creative views that make you laugh and think. Also, and I may be biased because I usually agree with her views, ChristineM can put her thought into words in a very intelligent way.
Richard Feynman is also one of my favorite authors.....not of that impenetrable
quantum chromodynamics stuff (which has such advanced math that I'd have
to take off both me shoes & socks), but for his book, "Surely You're Joking, Mr
Feynman". I also liked his work on the space shuttle explosion.
He's one of those rare birds one runs across....such keen wit, insight, & intelligence
coupled with down to earth practicality.....I envy & hate him with roiling passion.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I should say, in my work life I've had the joy of working with 3 people I can think of who showed what I would think of as true raw intelligence.

Their educational backgrounds were extremely varied, but they shared the ability to draw from what they'd seen in the past in extremely abstract fashions.

It was always fun to watch people assume they were going off on a tangent, only to suddenly realise the relevance when everything was drawn together.

I work in a field with a lot of smart people, but just those three really stand out for this ability.

I find them magnetic as well. You just want to hang out with them because you never really know what smart thing they're going to say next. I guess it's a sort of hero worship, but for better reasons than some.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
He's one of those rare birds one runs across....such keen wit, insight, & intelligence
coupled with down to earth practicality.....I envy & hate him with roiling passion.

Yes, that pretty much sums up what I was getting at. While teaching, envy for a 12 year old was odd. Students just aren't supposed to be smarter than me! I do remember a couple of times allowing one to 'substitute teach' for me. The other quality was that no other kids hated them because they were never pompous about it either ... their down to earth practicality, as you put it, allowed for that. They always had a ton of friends.
 
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