Everyone around me says that I'm really smart. That I have

it´s not bad per se to doubt one self and to "know that you know nothing". IQ tests only test a small range of intelligence and are, in my opinion, not reliable indicators of intelligence as a whole.
it might be that the people you associate with are just dumb as fuck and the moment you use a word that is slighly above average usage, they think you must be some kind of genius. it might also be, that you ARE intelligent. but that doesn´t mean shit if you don´t put it to work.
it´s also quiet common that people with higher intelligence doubt themselfes. it´s because they usually are selfaware. something that´s impossible after a certain level of stupidity.

>>17496020
So is there any actual way to reliably know if I'm smart or not?

Usually people who tell me this are mostly my parents (both are university professors, have a bunch of projects outside of our country and are generally "well known" [I think] across their fields), but those don't really mean much since parents always see their children as more than they are (or they're just trying to cheer me up I suppose). And most professors throughout my life have told me many times that I should put in more work at school since I could achieve way higher with my mind (I somewhat disregarded what they said due to not really caring about high school teachers).

>>17495995

>multiple people tell me im probably the most intelligent person they've ever met

jesus christ anon, no they don't. maybe one or two people have. jesus.

>the rest of that nonsense.

doeses it really fucking matter? if people say you're smart just say 'thank you' or throw in an 'awww shucks'. stop worrying about whether or not you are actually smart.

the problem today is that people think that smart is either 'on or off'. its like all the teenagers who say 'im mature for my age'. they think being mature (Even if they are) means being an adult, and its not the same. there are different kinds of mature, different kinds of intelligence, and its a SCALE.

you can call me short, but im still taller than that other guy. understand what i mean? you can call another guy big, but he may just be fat, or muscular, as opposed to tall.

there are various types of intelligence. you know the shit you're talking about. others dont. my roommate who knows just how dumb i can be thinks im smart cuz i used the word 'infer' right. my boss thinks im smart cuz i can balance his books, but my best friend thinks im a retard cuz i dont know much about science. my other friends think im intelligent because I can do visual effects or program a website, but my other person thinks im special needs because i mis prounounce everything.

see what im getting at here? nothing matters. the universe will collapse into entropy. buy gold, vote for trump.

>>17495995
>>17496046

and to top it off being smart doesnt mean to stop growing. a lot of people think they're smart and dont bother to learn anything new unless necessary. they get pretentious about how smart they must be. those who think they know nothing learn more.

so regardless of if you are smart or not, just keep trying to learn new things.

>>17496046

did you not pay attention to what he said?

>IQ tests only test a small range of intelligence

the implication here is that there are different types of intelligence (or different types of 'smart').

you can take a test on a subject, get an A and people will say 'wow you're smart'. but you can fail a different test on a different subject and people say 'wow you are dumb'.

intelligence is kind of imaginary, and there is no test that says 'GOOD JOB, YOU ARE SMART'. there is no certification you can get to say 'i am officially a smarty pants'. people tend to be smart at what they know.

you might call a redneck a retard, but get thrown in the woods with him and hes suddenly the most intelligent man ever, knowing exactly what to eat and how to kill and how to build a fire. call your fat autistic cousin a retard if you want to, but suddenly you're playing a co-op game that just got released and you look like a retard compared to him cuz he understands game mechanics easier.

see what im getting at here?

>>17496077
I see. So, in a way, being "smart" or being in any way intellectually superior to someone is relative.

But wouldn't that be mistaking intelligence for aptitude?

>>17496077
take note, OP.

the multiple intelligences are commonly split up into
>Musical–rhythmic and harmonic, Visual–spatial, Verbal–linguistic, Logical–mathematical (which is the one IQ tests mostly test), Bodily–kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic, Existential and some additional intelligences like humour, cooking and sexual intelligence.

after all, if you do well in life, you probably are intelligent (unless mom and dad do everything for you. that doesn´t count since it takes no intelligence to accept a gift).

>>17496090

no.

intelligence:
>the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.

aptitude:
>a natural ability to do something.


that being said, anyone can acquire the knowledge to do something. its how fast they get it that would (Theoretically) decide how 'intelligent' they are, and that's what most IQ tests are geared toward. not knowledge you have, but how well you can understand knowledge.

there are people who get Straight As and go to ivy league schools on sheer willpower cuz they sit down and non stop work from morning til night and run off threeh ours of sleep forcing themselves to learn something that they are not particularly good at.

to argue that they are not intelligent, simply hard working is a bit... well dumb.

there is no realistic scale for what intelligence is, which is why everyones so fast to call everyone else smart and so quick to call themselves dumb.

They were being polite.

File: image.jpg (98KB, 581x598px) Image search: [Google]

98KB, 581x598px

>>17495995
The smartest man knows that he has more to learn, anon

File: DO IT.jpg (37KB, 1280x720px) Image search: [Google]

37KB, 1280x720px

>>17495995

Nigger, I'm 30; I dropped out of high school for a year before going back and graduating.

I enrolled in community college when I was 24 and they placed me in remedial math and I had to work my up the ladder to the level of where kids coming fresh out of high school were.

>MAT83
>MAT90
>MAT120
>MATH150
>Trigonometry
>Calculus 1
>Calculus 2
>Calculus 3
>Differential Equations

The most fucking brutal part is that you can't jump ahead with math classes; you have to take them consecutively each semester.

I was taking math classes for 5 fucking years including every summer to catch up but I finally did it.

Got my Bachelors in Business Data Analytics with a minor in Accountancy.

If an old fuck like me can do you so can you.

Also, buy Adderall.

>>17496594

I managed to pass Math and all the others at school, with a poor grade but I did it. I'm currently following a Classical Music career.

Take a god damn IQ test and get it over with.

I know people saying oh but this intelligence and that intelligence, no it's still a good fucking test to measure your intellect.

Outside of college most people think I'm a fucking retard. Im academically or intellectually gifted. I notice this in class, I understand things quicker. People ask me to help them all the time.

I think the problem with me is my family is wealthy and growing up people did things for me. So when I need to do something google is my best friend, I have no problem doing it myself I just dont know how for a lot of things.

>>17495995
Generally, listen to other people. "Intelligence" is quite subjective, and like any subjective notion, the notion that you are intelligent is only true inasmuch as other people consider you intelligent.

File: dktuk.jpg (404KB, 650x1976px) Image search: [Google]

404KB, 650x1976px

I deal with much of the same issues as you OP. Except I'm more used to being called dumb instead of smart.

I've dealt with a lot of failure in my life. I do have some health issues, although they the results from my DNA tests are not in yet for me to know what is wrong with me. Essentially, one of major symptoms is fatigue.

Fatigue had helped me reach failure . I have some docter saying they are impressed that I went to school and sat exams with my health. The truth is I don't even know if I'm really sick, but I think I may have an imposter syndrome regarding my health.

I just got my GCSE results today, I got 2 B's and an A and 1 mark off a C and an unimpressive art award. This isn't enough to be accepted into college.

I do have excuses such as my health, attendance, and IMO not a good school. But a part of me feels these excuses are not valid. I know my excuses have some merit, but I can't rely on them.

I have constantly been someone that has been obsessed with self-efficacy as you seem to be OP. But what I have learnt in the few months of my life is smart, dumb, or average, healthy or unhealthy, happy or unhappy, is that I can't rely on innate ability.

I wish I had stopped relying on innate ability far earlier on in life. When I was 13, I did a science quiz with my class. I didn't know a bunch of shit. I didn't know the sun is a star, I didn't, and still don't know the planets of the solar system. Peoples eyes widened in shock, my friend incredulously asked " are you really that retarded"? My face face grew red and I got away with skipping almost all my science lessons from that point on. I was ashamed at who I was.

This mindset I used to have, is terrible. I heard someone say something very stoic on some random YouTube channel that really resonated with me, "don't get angry at the things that can't be changed, get angry at what can be changed and then change it" I'm paraphrasing BTW.

Your mindset is what got me where I am.

I'm no proof of succuse. I'm not a winner giving advice. But, I'm a loser that is going to work towards becoming a winner. For the past 6 months I have been having a mindset focusing on work ethic over talent. Progress comes slow as reflected by my grades. But god damn when you realise how much faster you progress when you focus on work ethic it gives you hope.

I'm no winner, nor smart man, but I have hope, I genuinely believe I can become a person with respectable achievements. Work over intelligence.


Sorry for rambling and being all over the place. As I'm not exactly your rags to Rich's type person I probably dont serve as evidence of a great person. But, for the first time in ages I feel like I can really improve if I put the work in. I had a big punch in the stomach with GCSE results today. But I'm focusing not on hating my inborn intelligence, but focusing on what I can change.

>>17495995
what subject do they refer to when they call u smart? what were u guys talking about?

maybe u have motivation to do well but never studied?

I still do struggle with the same issues as you OP. So I probably shouldn't be giving advice.

I am posting so much wtf.

Just gonna go back on the advice thing I said. I do stand by that working hard is what matters.

With this info, the only indicator could be that if an intelligent guy says you're smart, you could in fact be smart.

I have been tested as gifted when I was 6 and I'm not planning to do a new one. Partly because I'm not really interested (I think that I've figured out the fields that I'm intelligent in and the ones I'm not, partly because I'm anxious too.

But dunno, i just notice it in some ways and an indicator for me is that it's really a different kind of meeting when i meet another gifted (and empathic, which i feel is part of it too) person. It's all rather subtle but it feels like naturally flocking together. Those meetings are always honest. In those cases there is no doubt about it. I hope you don't doubt individual remarks.

That's my main indicator actually. I'm going through college fine and I'm in the top x percent but I just don't feel that smart at uni.

And frankly, conversations with those people are among my favourite moments of the day/ week

I'm sometimes insecure too about intelligence (probably stemming from the fact that I live in my head and often skip details, misread or hear stuff, spilling liquids etc.) but these meetings make me truly realise that i didn't suddenly loose my iq. There is no reason why other people would consistently lie about your intelligence, and gifted people notice eachother.

It's hard to put words on it and I'm a little drunk, but i hope you get what i mean.

I may of had some self projection when I said you have the same mindset as me.

>>17495995
what they really mean is that you can go far in life if you really committed to your goals.

I'm like you OP. The problem is that I don't have any goals and I know I could die in this exact moment and won't affect anyone's life in a critical way.

>>17496979
I get what you mean. Most of the time I also feel like, despite getting along fine with everyone, there's a very special group of people that I like to discuss things, because I know they're the only ones who can say something interesting.

That said, I can also very easily see which people are more special or not, and which ones I'll get along with fine (or not).

>>17496932
The only times where I do have motivation is when I find the subject interesting. This never really happened at school however, since maths were pretty hard for me and teachers didn't really care enough to explain me better. So I stopped caring, as well.


>>17496979
Back to you, just to finish my line of thought, I get what you mean. REading something that I can't understand makes me feel bad and doubt myself. And yes, conversations with people who are special (whether or not they're really special and not just in your mind is a different matter, however, and sometimes I can't differentiate). That's why the people I don't find "deserving" (not sure if it's the best way to describe it) I don't do a slight effort to take a liking.