Intellectually Curious/gifted Among Us?

[Aiyana]

This is kind of a follow up post to the one I asked in General Theological Issues: What is it about us (ex-C's) that makes us different? Why do we walk away while so many around us continue taking the blue pill?

 

One answer was, "Maybe a more inquiring type of mind?"

 

It led me to wonder: how many of us here were labeled "gifted" or "highly intelligent" as children, or if anyone was a highly sensitive child? I received the gifted label at a very young age. I began to read at age three, I skipped a grade, I was in the "gifted" classes, I took the SAT's in 7th grade and apparently scored higher than most seniors. I had my IQ tested in second grade, as well, but no one ever told me the results of that until I asked my mom to find the paperwork a few months ago. She found it and told me I had scored 150.

 

I have always found it a bit difficult to connect with others around me. When I was first opening up to people about my deconversion process, I told a friend of mine a list of issues that I had with Christianity. She just looked at me and said, "I have never even THOUGHT of this stuff."

 

As a kid (and an adult), I was a very melancholic personality. I went through a phase around eight years old where I would cry at restaurants. I would be sitting with my family, eating at a restaurant, and I would think about how they were going to die someday, and the sadness of it would overwhelm me.

 

Anyway, I just wondered if any of the rest of you have had these experiences, whether in childhood or as an adult. Labels of giftedness? Extra melancholic or sensitive personalities?

[sdelsolray]

Intellect is one emergent property of the human brain.  It combines with emotions, memory, habits, eduction, personal preferences, psychological temperament, mental and physical health, among other things.  The composite helps define and explain our individual personality, behavior and disposition.  Not surprisingly, a multitude a variation exists.  While there are norms, there certainly is plenty of room for these variations.

 

For example, being innately intelligent and an introvert is a certain variation within the norm.  Albert Einstein was like this.  A person with average intelligence and a high level of gregariousness is also within the norm.  George Bush is like this.

 

I believe that identifying and applying my skills is important.  Also, identifying and enhancing any lack of skill/trait/propensity is important.

 

In your case, you have high innate intelligence and you have a need to express and experience your emotions.  That's a good combination.

[Roz]

I don't think it's a matter of intellectual capacity.  My personal honor was the trump card that broke me free of religion.  The god who ordered genocide and slavery?  No.  Do your worst yeshitwa, fuck you.

 

Let me edit this and say I don't think for some it's a matter of intellectual capacity.

[rach]

I am definitely not intellectually gifted.  Very mentally slow in fact.  I have wondered what it is about me that made me leave.  I was intensely dedicated "to god" for several years although only as a slave and took no enjoyment of it.  Here are the things I can distinguish in me as being different to my a-family (fervent Christians) and the people of my former church (which has had very few deconverts)

 

whats different about me:

1.  Much more sensitive than others.  Cries and gets emotionally hurt very easily.  Vegetarian at an early age out of refusal to harm others of any species. 

2.  deeply inquisitive thinker.  curious and march to my own drummer, think thoughts and ask questions that nobody else around me thinks about

3.  tremendous unhappiness in Christianity.  felt restrained and scared.  Compare this to a-family and churchgoers who feel happy or even a "high" when in the Christian bubble.  A-mum gets electrified by "worship" sessions and bible readings.  I always feel totally cold during such things. 

4. mistrust of humanity, and by virtue of that, mistrust of all things produced or written by humanity, bibles included. 

5. racially Indigenous person, multi-racial/ethnic background, broad cultural experiences, deep identification with Native cultures

6.  mistrust of leaders (aka gods).  Almost no leader can be trusted to have the people's best interest at heart, rather than his own.  Abe Lincoln was the exceedingly rare exception to this. 

7.  I have a far more open mind than my a-family and ex-church "family".  Yes my mind was closed during my Christian heyday.  But that was much more of a mental situation than a spiritual.

8.  Have been through far greater trauma than my religious a-family.  Have experienced traumatic situations directly without any intervention from god.  Have learnt the hard way that prayer, obedience, innocence, or whatever you try to do for god, will never be enough for him to save your ass when you really need it

9.  More vivid dreamer than others.  Experience dreams as "visions" and take them seriously.  Dream visions have been a powerful factor in convincing me that the Christian religion is only a sick joke

10.  strong desire for knowing truth, even if truth is uncomfortable or even devastating.  No desire for false comforts

11.  depressive-and-humble type mindset.  Unlike a-family, do not see myself as important in the cosmic scheme of things.  Do not see myself as worthy of living forever

and finally 12.  strong desire for genuine, non-hypocritical morality.  A-family is fine with violence of bible and with hypocritical show-off false morality

[FreeThinkerNZ]

I was told I was a gifted kid.  I'm also highly sensitive.  But Asperger Syndrome made me gullible, which is why I believed in god despite being intelligent enough to have had the potential to figure it out sooner than I did.  

 

Intellect is basically stable in a person whereas god belief changes, so intellect isn't the main cause of unbelief.  There are some above average intelligence believers and some average or below average intelligence unbelievers.  Curiosity and skepticism are a big help.  These things can be taught and encouraged in anyone.

[Deva]

I would say that I am a sensitive person. I pick up on all the stuff that goes on around me and for some reason have always tended to focus on stuff that isn't going so well. So, I thank that results in melancholy.  Also, if one is picked on at school or at home for being who they are (as I was) contributes to the picture. As was mentioned above, trauma is a factor. It drives the question of "why so much suffering in life?"home.

 

Clearly It isn't strictly intelligence.  I have been called intelligent, but there are whole areas of life that I either do not comprehend or never wanted to take the time to learn, because they just did not seem important to me.

 

Yes, most people do not think in depth about their religion. They use their minds for highly skilled jobs and professions that would be way above my abilities but they don't use their minds in this area.  Ex-Cs do.  Without exception. Many of us have made this study the  most important thing in life. I always thought that religion was either the most important thing in life or it was completely useless.  I have come to the conclusion that most, if not all, religion is useless. Especially the organized kind. That took decades of thought and study to reach that conclusion. Because it was important that I resolve the question, I put all my energy into it.   My job is important, but nothing I have had to do in the career was as difficult as this question.

[Margee]

I am definitely not intellectually gifted.  Very mentally slow in fact.  I have wondered what it is about me that made me leave.  I was intensely dedicated "to god" for several years although only as a slave and took no enjoyment of it.  Here are the things I can distinguish in me as being different to my a-family (fervent Christians) and the people of my former church (which has had very few deconverts)

 

whats different about me:

1.  Much more sensitive than others.  Cries and gets emotionally hurt very easily.  Vegetarian at an early age out of refusal to harm others of any species. 

2.  deeply inquisitive thinker.  curious and march to my own drummer, think thoughts and ask questions that nobody else around me thinks about

3.  tremendous unhappiness in Christianity.  felt restrained and scared.  Compare this to a-family and churchgoers who feel happy or even a "high" when in the Christian bubble.  A-mum gets electrified by "worship" sessions and bible readings.  I always feel totally cold during such things. 

4. mistrust of humanity, and by virtue of that, mistrust of all things produced or written by humanity, bibles included. 

5. racially Indigenous person, multi-racial/ethnic background, broad cultural experiences, deep identification with Native cultures

6.  mistrust of leaders (aka gods).  Almost no leader can be trusted to have the people's best interest at heart, rather than his own.  Abe Lincoln was the exceedingly rare exception to this. 

7.  I have a far more open mind than my a-family and ex-church "family".  Yes my mind was closed during my Christian heyday.  But that was much more of a mental situation than a spiritual.

8.  Have been through far greater trauma than my religious a-family.  Have experienced traumatic situations directly without any intervention from god.  Have learnt the hard way that prayer, obedience, innocence, or whatever you try to do for god, will never be enough for him to save your ass when you really need it

9.  More vivid dreamer than others.  Experience dreams as "visions" and take them seriously.  Dream visions have been a powerful factor in convincing me that the Christian religion is only a sick joke

10.  strong desire for knowing truth, even if truth is uncomfortable or even devastating.  No desire for false comforts

11.  depressive-and-humble type mindset.  Unlike a-family, do not see myself as important in the cosmic scheme of things.  Do not see myself as worthy of living forever

and finally 12.  strong desire for genuine, non-hypocritical morality.  A-family is fine with violence of bible and with hypocritical show-off false morality

 

rach, I think you wrote out my list for me. As sensitive as I've always been my whole life, I also have been my own person. I remember very clearly (when I was very young) saying that if the Queen came to our home town and I was to meet her, I wouldn't bow down to her. Why in the hell would I say this at such a young age? I also remember very silently being a rebel and when someone told me I could not do something - I did it anyway....behind their back. If you told me I couldn't chew gum, I would put gum in my mouth and not chew it outwardly but I had to prove to myself that I could chew gum. I had a sneaky side to me. I didn't mean to be sneaky, I just couldn't stand anyone telling me what to do. That's why I think I was my own boss for many, many years. I just openly did not make a big deal out of it..I just went ahead and did it.

 

Even in the church, My pastor called me, ''The pastors worst nightmare'' because I started asking so many questions right from the night I got saved. I would set up appointment after appointment with him to talk. I know he dreaded me because I was actually calling him on bullshit but I didn't know it at the time. He used to dread me coming in!! Lol

 

I even remember very clearly in school getting the strap because I would talk back to the teacher..but I never did it in a real saucy way....I just talked back when I thought the teacher was wrong.....so I would get the strap.

 

On the other hand, I let a lot of people take advantage of me because I tend to be a very guilty, sensitive person at the same time. I thought that I should be more like everyone else (and follow the rules) so I allowed a lot of things, that if given permission to be totally me, I wouldn't have ever allowed.

 

I think I'm a nice bitch. Lol That's the only way I can describe myself. My personality has always caused me my own cognitive dissonance but I think I'm finally figuring out who I am. It doesn't surprise me now that I got out of religion. I've been an extremely inquisitive person my whole life and it's caused me my share of problems. I used to beg for god to change me.... but he never did.....

[Aiyana]

Wow. All of your answers are amazing to read. This question; this "why us and not others?" can drive me insane at times. My husband, for example, claims to be someone who highly values truth. He makes fun of his best friend for believing in aliens, but he won't examine the possibility that his own beliefs are just as absurd as he thinks his friend's belief is. More absurd, in my opinion.

I wish I could find the psychological "off switch" in believers and turn it. I want so much to FREE everyone in the way I have been freed. But maybe they wouldn't be freed. Maybe they would be miserable. My husband has already said stuff along the lines of "if there was no god, life would be meaningless." I guess he needs to go on believing in the lie in order to be happy, and who am I to take that away?

[Roz]

I recently took my grandma out for a spin some weeks ago.  Weekend drive, not a care in the world.

She's nearing 90.  We stop at McDonalds because we both had to use the restroom.

 

She tugs my arm and says "Roz (not my real name, but I'm using it cause it's the interwebs), get me a happy meal.  Cheeseburger please!"

 

I know it's not good for her, her doctor is going to slap me from here till next year.  But it's what she wants.

After some time mulling it over I went ahead and order it.

 

We're both in my truck again and driving along.  She's munching on her food and admiring the toy that came with it.  She's happy.  I'm happy she's happy.

 

I think religion's like that for some people, but here's where it gets nasty:  Some of those happy jesus meal eaters are also happy when they're preaching to others.  I know, I speak from experience.

[Margee]

 I guess he needs to go on believing in the lie in order to be happy, and who am I to take that away?

I think this is one of the biggest reasons people choose to put blinders on. Even the most intelligent people in the world. Because to admit that there is no god would make life meaningless for them. It did for me for awhile. Even as I was choosing to see the truth about the bible on Ex-c, I was feeling so much despair. How could it be that I might be just a speck of stardust? No heaven? No seeing your loved ones? No purpose to life? No god with no plan?  No happy ending? I nearly went crazy trying to figure it all out. And you guys wonder why I had to visit this place everyday? And many others who come to visit Ex-c everyday? Because when you take the blinders off, it can be real scary. I think it's one of the main reasons people don't want to cross over that invisible line.

[Aiyana]

I used to feel that way too... those were the thoughts that led me to Christianity in the first place. I think completely differently now. I don't think there is any real reason to believe that this life is all there is, just because Christianity isn't true. At the same time, I have no idea if there is another life. I've gotten to the place where it really doesn't matter one way or the other. What we DO know is that we are alive NOW. It's like that saying, "I believe in life BEFORE death."

[Blood]

I was placed in a class for "gifted and talented" students in the Fourth Grade, but I hated it and insisted on being removed. I believed in a democracy where everybody was treated equally. 

 

A few years later I was given an IQ test. I was rated highly for the sole reason that I occasionally read the encyclopedia and perhaps knew a few more fancy literary or political names than the average 15 year old. I was not more intelligent than other 15 year olds at all. 

 

My skepticism toward society and authoritarian systems was born during this time. It occurred to me that if I just played a game whereby I pretend to know a lot and pronounced a lot of fancy words, I would be accepted into the system. Of course being white, male, and middle-class meant I was already 70% there anyway. 

 

I rejected all of this. Intelligence cannot be measured, and I strongly suspect most people in the upper echelons of authoritarian systems got there not as much through intelligence as their ability to perceive and obey the unwritten rules of the game. 

[Deva]

I remember reading something by Plato at the lunch table at work. This was probably 1993. This attorney in the office saw me and said "I never saw anyone read Plato at lunch." Yep no doubt it is unusual. That is why I mostly keep to myself. Now I take every opportunity to leave and go somewhere other than the office to eat lunch.

[VacuumFlux]

After starting out in the slowest reading group in Kindergarten, I did eventually end up in gifted classes in middle school, A.P. classes in high school, and honors classes in college. I took the SATs a few times (to bring my math score up - it increased a significant bit each time I took it, which makes me wonder what exactly it was measuring, other than test taking skill), and got a perfect score on the verbal section more than once. My English teachers have all loved me. I do often trip over words when talking in person, but I guess I write good essays without needed to put as much work into them as other people do. In late elementary school we had some IQ test where I scored in the MENSA range.

 

I aparently have decent language skills, and I've done enough performing arts that, when I want to, I can be somewhat charismatic. Or at least weird in a more eclectic than creepy sense. That means that if I'm careful to drop a lot of the jargon that I'm used to using around friends and coworkers, I don't come off as the egg-headed socially inept kind of smart. But I'm still kinda cluess and naive about a lot of things and quite capable of making a dramatic ass of myself.

 

Mostly what I've got going for me is pattern-seeking. I see connections EVERYWHERE. Which makes people think I'm super smart and deep. I'm good at math and computers because it's all about patterns, and language - a formal language where the rules have much better odds of being self-consistent than the rules for a natural language. I can see how someone who's similar to me in those respects might end up more of a theist than I am, though - I'm not only good at picking up on subtle but real patterns, but I can also come up with patterns that don't match reality just because I really badly want the world to make sense. I also use a lot of the "theory of mind" part of my brain to help with pattern formation. I happen to be very aware that the things I anthropomophise don't actually have spirits/souls, but I do wonder if I'd been born into a different culture if I'd just see spirits and gods everywhere. I guess that's one way that monotheism has helped me think more clearly about the world. The "problem" was just that I then turned that same line of logic on to the one god that was left. I think this is why the "N" for intutive (vs sensing) is the part of the MBTI that I always rank most strongly on - the others are closer to a 50/50 or 40/60 split, but the N is always more like 90%.

 

That pattern-seeking thing also turns into story seeking. I explain complex science to myself by figuring out what the story is. Sometimes that means I'm good at explaining things to non-scientists, other times it means that the language of my story is in math. I really liked Ravi Zacharias for a while because his focus is on christianity giving an over-arching story to Life, The Universe, and Everything. That's very appealing to me. But I also learned, from science education, that our stories ("models" in science terms) aren't real. They're useful, the ones that stand up to experiments express truth... the the stories themselves aren't reality. Some of our best stories are just wrong, but we still teach them in schools because they're easier for kids to understand, they're less wrong than kids' previous understanding of the world, and they provide a building block from which to explain a more complicated, truer story later. But they're still wrong. An appealing story doesn't have to be true just because we humans like it. So yes, christianity can tell a pretty fun story sometimes, a story that provides a soothing sense of the world being orderly - but just because that orderliness feels good doesn't mean its true.

[Lilith666]

I was pretty smart in school. I asked a lot of questions in subjects I liked (usually history), did well on the SATs, and people have told me I'm sensitive. Also, yes, I do get melancholy (the future, death....I think about death way too much).

[RogueScholar]

I am mediocre to subpar in the intelligence department. I was a terrible high school student and my ACT scores were embarrassingly low. I believe I was probably allowed to graduate because I had joined the military although I do not think I can provide robust evidence in support of this notion. My high school GPA was about 1.8 or so and when I eventually went to college, I had to take a year of developmental classes in order to get into the standard courses. My ability to visualise problems is limited and I constantly struggle to the conceptualise said problems. The highest IQ that I ever remember scoring was about 100. I managed to break free from religion. I have no data regarding intellect and religious affinity. My opinion is anecdotal at best and incredibly biased but I cannot help but think that indoctrination when you are young is quite important regardless of innate intellect.

[Mike D]

I am not really what I would call sensitive. In fact I probably lean more towards insensitive if I had to pick one (I actually am turned off by people who cry/blubber, it's not very attractive).

 

I have had a problem with depression most of my adult life though. It's not like crying depression, it's more of a knowing in the back of my mind that there is no point to anything.

 

I've never been called gifted, in fact when I was in high school I was one of the slacker dudes who sat in the back row in class and was either asleep or staring out the window wishing I was somewhere else. I almost always got straight D's and F's and never did homework. (at one point my gpa was in the bottom 10% of my class, lol). Quite frankly, I didn't give a shit about grades or homework - those things were just not a part of my world view. And I don't mean a Christian world view, I mean a nihilist world view. That was before I had ever heard the word nihilist or had any idea what one was.

 

My guess is I am probably smarter than average, but I think more important is that I am extremely independent minded and I am a natural skeptic. Things that don't make sense usually don't make sense for a reason.....

[rach]

I have had a problem with depression most of my adult life though. It's not like crying depression, it's more of a knowing in the back of my mind that there is no point to anything.

 

I think us melancholy types are much more likely candidates for deconversion.  Christianity is based upon hope.  You have to have enough hope for the future to believe everythings going to turn out splendid.  You have to have enough hope to believe your savior Jesus really is capable of beaming you into heaven someday, if you can't believe that, the whole thing falls apart.  I am just too melancholy to believe in any of that. 

[FreeThinkerNZ]

I am mediocre to subpar in the intelligence department. I was a terrible high school student and my ACT scores were embarrassingly low. I believe I was probably allowed to graduate because I had joined the military although I do not think I can provide robust evidence in support of this notion. My high school GPA was about 1.8 or so and when I eventually went to college, I had to take a year of developmental classes in order to get into the standard courses. My ability to visualise problems is limited and I constantly struggle to the conceptualise said problems. The highest IQ that I ever remember scoring was about 100. I managed to break free from religion. I have no data regarding intellect and religious affinity. My opinion is anecdotal at best and incredibly biased but I cannot help but think that indoctrination when you are young is quite important regardless of innate intellect.

I have to disagree.  Just reading your above post shows you are at least above average intelligence.  You have achieved advanced qualifications in science and in that area you are clearly well ahead of most of us.  I'm a huge RogueScholar fan.  I can't believe you scored 100 on a reliable IQ test.  No offence, but I think either you are mistaken or there was a problem with the test. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Mike D]

I am mediocre to subpar in the intelligence department. I was a terrible high school student and my ACT scores were embarrassingly low. I believe I was probably allowed to graduate because I had joined the military although I do not think I can provide robust evidence in support of this notion. My high school GPA was about 1.8 or so and when I eventually went to college, I had to take a year of developmental classes in order to get into the standard courses. My ability to visualise problems is limited and I constantly struggle to the conceptualise said problems. The highest IQ that I ever remember scoring was about 100. I managed to break free from religion. I have no data regarding intellect and religious affinity. My opinion is anecdotal at best and incredibly biased but I cannot help but think that indoctrination when you are young is quite important regardless of innate intellect.

I second what FreeThinkerNZ said. Up until my mid 20's I thought I was below average intelligence, but that's only because I couldn't function in the traditional model of learning (i.e. sit in a class passively, do homework, etc).

 

In fact about 3 years ago I took two IQ tests - one timed and one not timed. The timed test my score was 88 (lol), and the test that wasn't timed I scored 148. While I do think being able to think quickly is a component of intelligence, problem solving is the basis of intelligence. And I have ADD so I can only focus on things in short blocks of time. So in my case the conclusion is that even though I can solve most problems on an IQ test, because it takes me 30% longer than a genius, then I must be an imbecile who's intellectual peer group is a drooling idiot who can barely tie his shoes in the morning. Makes perfect sense!

[midniterider]

Had a chemistry set as a kid. Had a monthly subscription to science booklets. Made many different projects with the 101 electronic projects kit as a teen. Was the only nerd at the time to take 4 years of electronics in my high school. Built the Graymark Binary Clock in that class. :-)

 

http://www.esssales.com/graymark/elect-projs-s4-500.html

 

Got interested in ham radio (intense radio electronics geekery) and achieved the highest license possible. Repaired some fairly esoteric electronics equipment in the military. Learned a number of different computer languages over the years and earned two IT degrees.

 

Have made radio contacts via ham radio satellites orbiting the Earth.

 

So very geeky intellectual though never had the patience to take an IQ test. Afraid I might not pass. :-)

[Ravenstar]

Gifted, yes, but not in the traditional sense (artistically/problem solving - resourcefulness). I learn differently and am a creative problem solver. School was a bust for me until college/university. VERY ADD, as well.. very holistic thinking - i see connections where others may not.

 

Sensitive? oh yes.. physically and emotionally. Fairly intelligent…fwiw, I score about 131 to 142 consistently on IQ tests. Socially anxious, anxiety and depression prone - but that seems to be getting better with age, and experience. I would say I am above average intellectually - but not that much. I have little EQ.     But I am empathetic - just not good with a lot of people or small talk, etc.. I am an INTP.

 

Can't do math in my head though…  LOL  and I have no patience for those who are proud of being ignorant or glorify dumbassery. I despise lies, deception and liars.

 

Also, bit of a rebel. 'Belonging' to a group was never really important to me… being true to myself was/is. I'm basically a loner. I'm an observer type. I watch people and things. An inner sense of logic/reason combined with an insatiable curiosity about the world and life though are the primary qualities that brought me out of xtianity. 

[midniterider]

I am mediocre to subpar in the intelligence department. I was a terrible high school student and my ACT scores were embarrassingly low. I believe I was probably allowed to graduate because I had joined the military although I do not think I can provide robust evidence in support of this notion. My high school GPA was about 1.8 or so and when I eventually went to college, I had to take a year of developmental classes in order to get into the standard courses. My ability to visualise problems is limited and I constantly struggle to the conceptualise said problems. The highest IQ that I ever remember scoring was about 100. I managed to break free from religion. I have no data regarding intellect and religious affinity. My opinion is anecdotal at best and incredibly biased but I cannot help but think that indoctrination when you are young is quite important regardless of innate intellect.

 

I know someone who had a less than 1.0 GPA in high school but was an electronic wizard and averaged about $60k a year working in electronics in the 80s. I think ACTs, GPAs and IQs are just numbers that people should not let determine their lot in life.

[midniterider]

 

I am mediocre to subpar in the intelligence department. I was a terrible high school student and my ACT scores were embarrassingly low. I believe I was probably allowed to graduate because I had joined the military although I do not think I can provide robust evidence in support of this notion. My high school GPA was about 1.8 or so and when I eventually went to college, I had to take a year of developmental classes in order to get into the standard courses. My ability to visualise problems is limited and I constantly struggle to the conceptualise said problems. The highest IQ that I ever remember scoring was about 100. I managed to break free from religion. I have no data regarding intellect and religious affinity. My opinion is anecdotal at best and incredibly biased but I cannot help but think that indoctrination when you are young is quite important regardless of innate intellect.

I have to disagree.  Just reading your above post shows you are at least above average intelligence.  You have achieved advanced qualifications in science and in that area you are clearly well ahead of most of us.  I'm a huge RogueScholar fan.  I can't believe you scored 100 on a reliable IQ test.  No offence, but I think either you are mistaken or there was a problem with the test. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

 

 

Rogue, anyone who can spell correctly has to be smart. :-) We've seen people on this board who can't spell and don't bother to fix the misspelled words that the software points out to them. haha.

 

I also used to sell myself short in the smarts department until I got into a career working with the public. OMG. You quickly discover how smart you are compared to your customers. Common sense is not common at all.

[Mike D]

 

I am mediocre to subpar in the intelligence department. I was a terrible high school student and my ACT scores were embarrassingly low. I believe I was probably allowed to graduate because I had joined the military although I do not think I can provide robust evidence in support of this notion. My high school GPA was about 1.8 or so and when I eventually went to college, I had to take a year of developmental classes in order to get into the standard courses. My ability to visualise problems is limited and I constantly struggle to the conceptualise said problems. The highest IQ that I ever remember scoring was about 100. I managed to break free from religion. I have no data regarding intellect and religious affinity. My opinion is anecdotal at best and incredibly biased but I cannot help but think that indoctrination when you are young is quite important regardless of innate intellect.

 

I know someone who had a less than 1.0 GPA in high school but was an electronic wizard and averaged about $60k a year working in electronics in the 80s. I think ACTs, GPAs and IQs are just numbers that people should not let determine their lot in life.

 

I forgot to mention even though my GPA was also about 1.0 i've consistently made a lot of money over the years - minimum six figures and my best year I made almost $400,000. Not bad for a drooling moron, eh?