Re: My Experience as a "Non Gifted" Child

From: Dr Chaos (mbkennelSPAMBEGONE_at_NOSPAMyahoo.com)
Date: 05/07/04 

Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 19:08:45 +0000 (UTC)

On 30 Apr 2004 05:14:53 GMT, Dave Rusin <rusin@vesuvius.math.niu.edu> wrote:
> In article <f7c852c5.0404291909.141e721d@posting.google.com>,
> Ender <ender@guiltyspark.org> wrote:
>
>>I am 14 and a freshman in highschool. Like you, my IQ is in the 120s.
>
> Where the heck do you youngsters get these "IQs" from, anyway? I mean,
> is there really a reputable group of psychologists around which still
> puts any faith in these quaint measures of some absolute sort of
> "intelligence"?

Yes, there are, because professionally administered and calibrated
tests have repeatedly and consistently repeated *some* useful
information.

> (And don't they lose any shred of professionalism
> by sharing this number with impressionable children who think it
> says something important about them?)

Certainly.

> OP: I am far, far removed from being 14. I can assure you that when
> I am working with students in their teens and 20s, I never ask about
> "IQ", and if told about it would (at best) s*** inwardly and
> say, "that's nice". It is much, much more interesting to me to hear
> about your science-fair project, your volunteer activities, and of
> course what you've learned in school (NOT your grades). Put the label
> aside and use the talents you think you have to do something
> interesting and useful.

Right, that's what high-IQ people realize.

>
> dave