"Flowers for Algernon" syndrome?

[glynndah]

I have always been known as the "smart one" in my family. And I always accepted it as so. I read very early; graduated in the top 25% of my high school class; appeared on "Jeopardy"; and was the captain of the state championship scholar bowl team, etc. That sounds like bragging and I apologize, but I thought it was necessary to set up my problem/question.

Now, however, I find myself doubting my intellect. My reading before kindergarten doesn't seem all that remarkable; the classes I took in high school were the basic ones, not AP; and I have a mind that retains trivial bits of knowledge and a great data retrieval system in my head. All my "smartness" seems rather like a parlor trick of some kind now and I'm probably not half as smart as everyone (and I) thought I was. I fear sometimes that I am losing the very thing that defined me for so long.

I don't want advice on what I can do to up the brain count; ie, visit to the doctor or counselor, reading books, taking classes, etc. What I want is company on my journey through this valley of disillusionment.

Everyone has something that they consider to set them apart from others: Beauty, Intelligence, Physical Prowess, Athletic Ability, etc. How do you deal with the loss or diminishment (real or perceived) of what you consider to be what makes you "you"?

 

[R. Richard]

I have a mind that retains trivial bits of knowledge and a great data retrieval system in my head. All my "smartness" seems rather like a parlor trick of some kind now and I'm probably not half as smart as everyone (and I) thought I was. I fear sometimes that I am losing the very thing that defined me for so long.

Everyone has something that they consider to set them apart from others: Beauty, Intelligence, Physical Prowess, Athletic Ability, etc. How do you deal with the loss or diminishment (real or perceived) of what you consider to be what makes you "you"?

What loss? You have the ability to learn facts. If I am reading between the lines correctly, you can correlate the facts to at least some extent. Your capability is probably not genius, but it is highly saleable. There are lots of business situations where you can be of very high value to a company if you can learn bits and pieces of information and do a bit of correlation on said bits and pieces. You can analyze the real capability of a competitor product. You can perhaps get clues as to the real concerns of a customer. What you can do is valuable to top management of a company. You would be well positioned as an "assistant to" to start. If you can futher develop your talent, you have the basics of at least a Vice President of Sales or Advanced Products.

OK, you will probably never achieve the fame of an Albert Einstein. However, you also will not have to live with a sequence of very bad hair days! Look at the bright side.

 

[Guest]

I have always been known as the "smart one" in my family. And I always accepted it as so. I read very early; graduated in the top 25% of my high school class; appeared on "Jeopardy"; and was the captain of the state championship scholar bowl team, etc. That sounds like bragging and I apologize, but I thought it was necessary to set up my problem/question.

Now, however, I find myself doubting my intellect. My reading before kindergarten doesn't seem all that remarkable; the classes I took in high school were the basic ones, not AP; and I have a mind that retains trivial bits of knowledge and a great data retrieval system in my head. All my "smartness" seems rather like a parlor trick of some kind now and I'm probably not half as smart as everyone (and I) thought I was. I fear sometimes that I am losing the very thing that defined me for so long.

I don't want advice on what I can do to up the brain count; ie, visit to the doctor or counselor, reading books, taking classes, etc. What I want is company on my journey through this valley of disillusionment.

Everyone has something that they consider to set them apart from others: Beauty, Intelligence, Physical Prowess, Athletic Ability, etc. How do you deal with the loss or diminishment (real or perceived) of what you consider to be what makes you "you"?

First, I don't think you can compare what today's children are doing with what you did at their age. Today, most kids are reading before they enter school.

Secondly, if you are not in a situation which constantly reinforces certain skills you are bound to lose some of their polish. It's only natural.

If you are basing all of "you" on your high school intelligence, isn't that a bit like someone remembering what a terrific quarterback they used to be in high school and using that as a foundation for their self-image the rest of their life?

It's just one skill, isn't it? Even though it impacts so many areas, it's just a part of you. There is a great deal more to you than graduating in the top 25%.

As we age we develop more interests (home, family, kids, careers, etc) and thus our "intellect" becomes multi-faceted.

You haven't lost intelligence in one area, you've gained it in many others.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Probably, you should ask your friends and loved ones what it is they value most about you.

You might be surprised and delighted, and I'll bet "Was smart enough to be on Jeopardy" is pretty fucking low on the list. We're rarely loved for these things we value most in ourselves. That's disappointing to discover, but it's almost always true.

 

[Guest]

Probably, you should ask your friends and loved ones what it is they value most about you.

You might be surprised and delighted, and I'll bet "Was smart enough to be on Jeopardy" is pretty fucking low on the list. We're rarely loved for these things we value most in ourselves. That's disappointing to discover, but it's almost always true.

very true.

im still finding out what 'sets' me apart from others... or makes me defined by myself. i am 38. i am a generous soul but other than that, im not sure. i dont think you can clearly do this until youre on your deathbed and i certainly hope that's no time soon.
rock on
be you
cuz no one else can.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I thought everyone loved me for my amazing intellect, rugged good looks and suave, sophisticated demeanor.

Imagine my surprise when I found out it was for my superhuman strength and irresistible sex appeal!

 

[LadyJeanne]

I thought everyone loved me for my amazing intellect, rugged good looks and suave, sophisticated demeanor.

Imagine my surprise when I found out it was for my superhuman strength and irresistible sex appeal!

 

[BlackShanglan]

How do you deal with the loss or diminishment (real or perceived) of what you consider to be what makes you "you"?

With remarkable hysterics.

That said, I'd think more on what is giving you these thoughts now. Have you moved to a new location or social group? Has your career thrown you unusual challenges, or turned unrewarding? Have you met with reversals of fortune that are affecting your perception of your life? It's unlikely that your inherent intellect has changed; it's much more probable that your perception of it has been altered.

There's this, as well - intellect has its zenith in life. It does well on its own when we are young because all of our peers have roughly the same experience and knowledge - very little - and intellect makes its possessor stand out more, particularly some specific types of intellect like verbal ability. However, as we grow older and move in wider circles, we encounter more and more things that match or compete with raw intellectual power: experience, training, accumulated information, social abilities. If our intellect itself remains unchanged, it may yet seem to diminish in its significance, partly because other things are increasing in their importance and partly because we're meeting more and more people, some of whom are just as clever.

It's not such a bad thing; it's just a reminder that we are what we make ourselves, and not merely what we are born. That, I think, is the lesson to learn - that natural talents must be developed and exercised.

Shanglan

 

[BlackShanglan]

I thought everyone loved me for my amazing intellect, rugged good looks and suave, sophisticated demeanor.

Imagine my surprise when I found out it was for my superhuman strength and irresistible sex appeal!

No, I'm still in it for the first. But I'm an odd, eccentric crank that way.

 

[Huckleman2000]

Hi Glynndah
I sort of know how you feel. I was "the smart one" in my family, and by most supposedly objective measures it's true. My SAT scores qualified me for Mensa - in fact, I even played the lead role in 'Flowers for Algernon' in the high school play. So, instead of finding my way to law school, like everyone expected, I pursued an acting career. I went to college, did a lot of shows, but never graduated. I was smart enough to realize the uselessness of a degree in Theater, but not smart enough to realize that a degree, ANY degree, is better than none at some point.

Like you, I consider myself to have a mind like a trash can. Full of trivia that I can recall through no conscious effort on my part. I don't set out to remember certain things through mnomnic (sp?) rhymes or picture associations, like they recommend in the "improve your memory" tapes. I have a lousy memory for names, but a good memory for impressions.

Today, I'm a research analyst. I've never had a formal class in statistics - mostly, I just seem to have a knack for understanding real-world problems in terms that relate to mathematics. I've always been good at what they called 'story problems' in school, and I've never shied away from getting a book and reading about how to do things.

That, I think, is my real talent - being able to learn, to figure things out. The trivia thing is just how I'm wired, and it's a big help in learning, but it's not what defines me. It's nice that people want me on their team when they drag out Trivial Pursuit, though.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I have always been known as the "smart one" in my family. And I always accepted it as so. I read very early; graduated in the top 25% of my high school class; appeared on "Jeopardy"; and was the captain of the state championship scholar bowl team, etc. That sounds like bragging and I apologize, but I thought it was necessary to set up my problem/question.

Now, however, I find myself doubting my intellect. My reading before kindergarten doesn't seem all that remarkable; the classes I took in high school were the basic ones, not AP; and I have a mind that retains trivial bits of knowledge and a great data retrieval system in my head. All my "smartness" seems rather like a parlor trick of some kind now and I'm probably not half as smart as everyone (and I) thought I was. I fear sometimes that I am losing the very thing that defined me for so long.

I don't want advice on what I can do to up the brain count; ie, visit to the doctor or counselor, reading books, taking classes, etc. What I want is company on my journey through this valley of disillusionment.

Everyone has something that they consider to set them apart from others: Beauty, Intelligence, Physical Prowess, Athletic Ability, etc. How do you deal with the loss or diminishment (real or perceived) of what you consider to be what makes you "you"?

Read. Don't read things you want to read. Read things you hate reading.

Read Stephen Hawkings a breif history of time. Then read it again. Then realize that's what he considers laymans terms. You'll feel humbled, but with each reading, you'll be able to wrap your head around it a little more and when you're don with the sixth or eight, you'll be able to talk theoretical astrophysics with a physicist and not be putting up a show.

Read Mein Kampf. read it again. Try, to figure out what was so seductive in that message. You'll find yourself having to expand your mind in ways you never dreamed possible. It's like that with any message you can't grasp. Chairman Mao's little red book is another.

Read Sun Tzu, then Rommel's the infantry in attack, then Jomni, then Clauchwistz. When you're done, sit down with a video strategy game and apply what you've read. The critical application of it will amaze you and when you're done, you'll understand batlefield tactics far better than most anyone you meet.

If your a conservative read Ted rall. If a liberal, William Buckley. Try to read as much as you can from "the other side" and strive to do it non judgementally. You'll find yourself expaninding you rmind in directions you never thought of.

If you want to sharpen yourself, read works by people who are smarter than you are, in their fields of expertise, where all the variables are stacked in their favor. And re read till you understand.

At benny havens, a couple of years ago, I had a long talk with a colonel teaching tactics at the military aceademt, and he left impressed with my grasp.

At a seminar by a world renowkned Physicit at my college I attened and asked questions that left the physics majors around me gawking.

There is a difference in knowing and understanding. You know tons, can pull up facts, have a fine retriveal system in your head. And knowing is enough to impress those who don't. Understanding is required to impress those who do. Knowing is a function of memory. Understanding is a function of intellect. Strive to understand.

Like you, my parents and brothers called me scary smart. Like you, I have a vast accumulation of minutiae ready to hand. And like you, at some point I began to wonder if I was really as smart as I and everyone thought. So I tried talking with experts in their fields and found I was pretty dumb. I could convince a group of freinds i knew what I was talking about, but I couldn't convince someone who did know, because I didn't. So I set out to understand what the accumulation of facts meant.

I know what the Chandrasekhar limit is. But I also understand what it means.

I've been whre you are and while you are getting some gentle and not so gentle ribbing, I know how you feel. yOu aren't alone. Good luck with finding a resolution you are comfortable with.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Read. Don't read things you want to read. Read things you hate reading.

That (and what follows) is some of the best advice you'll ever be given. No one grows strong by repeating and reviewing her past successes; we grow by seeking out that which most challenges us.

 

[JamesSD]

Now, however, I find myself doubting my intellect. My reading before kindergarten doesn't seem all that remarkable; the classes I took in high school were the basic ones, not AP; and I have a mind that retains trivial bits of knowledge and a great data retrieval system in my head. All my "smartness" seems rather like a parlor trick of some kind now and I'm probably not half as smart as everyone (and I) thought I was. I fear sometimes that I am losing the very thing that defined me for so long.

I don't want advice on what I can do to up the brain count; ie, visit to the doctor or counselor, reading books, taking classes, etc. What I want is company on my journey through this valley of disillusionment.

Everyone has something that they consider to set them apart from others: Beauty, Intelligence, Physical Prowess, Athletic Ability, etc. How do you deal with the loss or diminishment (real or perceived) of what you consider to be what makes you "you"?

I was diagnosed as "gifted" at an early age, and excel at standardized tests. I'm currently in grad school in the physical sciences. Let me tell you, grad school is a humbling experience. Everyone around you is just as smart, or smarter. And a lot of the people around you are more experienced. So I definitely went through a "humbling" phase where I doubted my own abilities.

I'm sure you still are quite intelligent. There are different kids of intelligence, and retaining "trivial" knowledge is certainly impressive, and very often useful.

Being "smart" and being a "genius" are not the same thing. In our culture we tend to obsess over truly exceptional and rare individuals, and it can make the more average among us feel inadequate.

Being "average" or closer to it are both fine. I guess the issue comes from how you choose to define yourself and yoru happiness. And really, happiness shouldn't come from how you compare to other people, but how you compare to your own personal ideal.

 

[BlackShanglan]

I liked your post, JamesSD. There's an enormous amount to be said for discipline and application as opposed to "innate" intellect. Someone who in theory was one of the more intelligent people I've met - at least on paper - was one of the least happy in nearly every area of life, from education to personal relationships to financial success. This person had been told at a very early age that he had an IQ that was quite high (although his accounts of it had discrepencies), and I think that that was probably the worst disservice anyone ever did him. He worked at little and learned less, and spent years blinded by the assumption that everyone who disagreed with him had to be a person of inferior intellect. A sadder and a wiser man he did eventually become, but it was a very hard road for him. Being told he was "average" would probably have been a mercy; he might have labored rather than coasting.

Shanglan

 

[3113]

Ah, the old doubting your smarts depression....

Now, however, I find myself doubting my intellect. My reading before kindergarten doesn't seem all that remarkable

Sorry to disappoint you, but you're not fading and your smarts were never a parlor trick and what you did--early reading, graduating in the top %25, went to college too right? that's 10% of the population--was rare and special. The only reason you're feeling this way now is because you're smart. If you want to be really depressed and know that you're not special, then consider this: These doubts are common to every smart person. Yep. Every one of us. THEY are nothing special.

It's a nasty little trick ALL smart people play on themselves. They hang around with other smart people--which makes their estimation of their own smarts go down because being highly intellient seems normal, not extraordinary It's rather like a stick-thin fashion model hanging around other stick-thin fashion models and thinking she's not skinny enough. The more you hang with people as smart as you, the less special you appear to be.

But that's easily solved: tutor one high school student. Just ONE who is having trouble passing ANY CLASS. One of the, oh, %75 that are NOT going to graduate at the top of their class. You'll find out how very smart you are pretty fast. Or better yet, teach a class in any public school. Any class. I've a friend who teaches English Lit to 12 year olds...they only need to read at a 4th grade level to get into his class. Teach his class...then come back and tell us how unspecial you feel having been able to read at such a young age.

Trust me. You're as smart as ever...just playing the smart doubting game. Not uncommon...if you're smart.

 

[Huckleman2000]

...Trust me. You're as smart as ever...just playing the smart doubting game. Not uncommon...if you're smart.

Very true. One of the things about being "smart" is realizing just how limited one really is.
And therein lies the secret paradox known by all who are "truly smart":
Only the ignorant are afraid of looking stupid. Smart people know that, as soon as you open your mouth, it's just a matter of time.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Very true. One of the things about being "smart" is realizing just how limited one really is.
And therein lies the secret paradox known by all who are "truly smart":
Only the ignorant are afraid of looking stupid. Smart people know that, as soon as you open your mouth, it's just a matter of time.

Amen to that. The surest sign of intellect is humility.

 

[impressive]

There is a difference in knowing and understanding. You know tons, can pull up facts, have a fine retriveal system in your head. And knowing is enough to impress those who don't. Understanding is required to impress those who do. Knowing is a function of memory. Understanding is a function of intellect. Strive to understand.

 

[rgraham666]

What makes me, me, is my perspective. A couple of steps off to the left and about twenty degrees above the horizontal.

It's both a boon and a curse. I come to conclusions different from most people, ones I believe are generally wiser than the usual. But since they are different, they are going to be rejected out of hand by most people.

My experience though, is it doesn't matter which end of the Bell Curve you exist at. Our society, despite its constant claims of acceptance of diversity and love of excellence prefers normalcy. Anything that marks you as different is bad. And once enough bad markers are gathered, you're out of the game.

 

[oggbashan]

I found out at an early age that there was one area in which I would not excel - sport.

It took me years of effort and pain to accept my limitation. I kept trying even though I was incompetent. I suffered the sports injuries that good sportspeople suffered but no one really cared. My absence from a team at a particular match wasn't going to make the difference between the team winning or losing. I would be replaced by someone else equally useless.

What I was and am good at is research into useless information and an ability to sort the significant from the unimportant. That is a trained skill, not a matter of intelligence. It helped that I was and am a speed-reader. I could make reasonable decisions based on the information I had acquired and those decisions gradually pushed me up the management tree.

From time to time I met a few people whose intelligence and understanding was outstanding. They could deduce things in minutes that took me hours. After a brief explanation of a subject they could see the problems and the likely solutions that had taken years of experience for the rest of us.

During my career I had the fortune to mentor a few people like that. It was a wonderful feeling to know that they would outperform me and be a great asset to the organisation. It was even better when I recruited one or two.

All of us have a different mix of abilities. What matters is how we use what we have, how we train ourselves to compensate for any weaknesses and the knowledge of our own limitations. If you don't know how to, the ability to find someone who does is the next best thing. Admitting 'I don't know' may be painful. Adding 'but I'll find out...' is a good way forward.

My achievements at school are irrelevant to the person I am now. The examinations I took are ancient history and very few employers would know what status they had. Other achievements from that time are also useless except for my own amusement e.g. I came third in a 100 yards sprint and have the certificate. Og is not built to be a sprinter and wasn't one then. I came third because there were only three entries. However the points I won for a third place helped my team to win the overall athletics prize for the event. My embarrassment at trailing 30 yards behind the first and second sprinters was worth it. (I did win throwing the shot.)

Why we value ourselves depends on our perceptions and other people may have a completely different view. Overvaluing yourself can be unpleasant. Undervaluing yourself can be harmful. A sense of proportion is better.

Og

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Let me tell you, grad school is a humbling experience. Everyone around you is just as smart, or smarter. And a lot of the people around you are more experienced. So I definitely went through a "humbling" phase where I doubted my own abilities.

Going from the "big fish in a little pond" to a "little fish in a big pond" is something I think most of us experience eventually... it's a great big world out there. The good thing about fish is... if you put them in a bigger pond, they grow. It's so cool. Of course, there's a genetic limit along the way somewhere... but still... they keep growing to their full capacity, if you give them the room.

But if you keep them in a little bowl, they stay little.

And the realization of this little snippet of advice is just hitting me. Isn't it funny how we do that? Start out by telling someone else something, and end up telling ourselves?

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Let me tell you, grad school is a humbling experience.

I did not get that humbing experience in grad school (mine was social science, not physical), although I was and am impressed by the real scholars, ie. the PhD professors, who really have "done the literature search" - and absorbed it. Not infrequently I encounter people who are indubitably smarter than me, and I always find the experience uplifting.

Here are two intel models that have always made sense to me:

Robert Stenberg was born in 1949 and is currently alive today. Sternberg proposed a model of intelligence that is called the triarchic theory of intelligence. The three components are:
1) Analytical intelligence - The ability to break down a problem or situation into its components. This type is assessed by most intelligence tests.

2) Creative intelligence - The ability to cope with novelty and solve problems in new and unusual ways.

3) Practical intelligence - Also known as common sense. This type of intelligence is the one that is understood by the public but it is missing from standard intelligence tests.

Sternberg's triachic theory of intelligence can be applied to teaching and evaluating students. It matches instruction to the stengths that students exhibit in each component of the intelligence model. The theory places emphasis on the process of the intelligence.

Howard Gardner was born in 1943 and is still alive today. Gardner originally proposed the existence of seven multiple intelligences. Gardner's view is that there is more to intelligence than verbal and mathematical abilities measured by intelligence tests. In 1998, Gardner added one more form of intelligence to the previous seven kinds.

1) Verbal/Linguistic - This involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability to learn language, and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals. Writers, poets, lawyers, and speakers are those who have high linguistic intelligence.

2) Musical - This intelligence involves the skill in performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. This is evident in composers, singers, and musicians and runs in parallel with the linguistic intelligence.

3) Logical/Mathematical - This intelligence consists of the ability to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically. This intelligence is most used in science and mathematics.

4) Visual/Spatial - This intelligence involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas. This intelligence is useful in art and navigation and observed in artists, pilots, and astronauts.

5) Bodily Kinesthetic - This intelligence is the ability to control body motions and to handel objects skillfully. This is found in dancers and athletes.

6) Interpersonal - This intelligence is the sensitivity to people and an ability to understand what motivates them, how to work effectively with them, and how to lead and to follow. Educators, salespeople, and leaders all need a well-developed interpersonal intelligence.

7) Intrapersonal - This entails the capacity to understand oneself and to appreciate ones feelings, fears, and motivations.

8) Naturalist - This enables humans to recognize, catergorize, and draw upon certain features of the environment. This information is used in activities such as farming and landscaping.


For more information on Howard Gardner:

http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/gardner.shtml

http://www.howardgardner.com/



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