# Quirks of highly intelligent people - First Person POV



## Valiant (Apr 14, 2012)

I am writing a story which includes the point of view of a man who is supposed to come off as highly intelligent. What are some personal quirks in the thought process that I can convey through his thoughts/emotions that would make him seem of higher intellect, while still being considered believable?


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## Ralph Fg (Apr 14, 2012)

It kind of depends on his personality.

If he is the more stereotypical nerdy type of genius, then show the readers that he knows many things that others don't, and are in general uninterested in others because of the fact that he finds others stupid, and don't forget to show that he is very mature and has complicated thought processes (say, a whole paragraph dedicated to how he deduce certain things with complicated logics).


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## Saigonnus (Apr 14, 2012)

Perhaps a perpensity for giving a long description for something that could be described in a shorter manner. For example: John asks Bob (our smart guy) during a movie what he thinks about the main plot for the movie. Instead of a short answer like "It could use a little work." Bob proceeds to go into detail about every single flaw he noticed in the plotline movie, the real history behind said flaws and how he'd have changed things if he was producing the movie. 

I don't pretend to be super intelligent, but I have that quirk and the wifey gets annoyed to no end sometimes; even calling me Mr. History Channel.


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## ascanius (Apr 14, 2012)

I do that too, give really complicated long answers for a simple question.  But I really don't see why people complain about it, it's what I think, and the reasons why.  I always felt those things were needed for me to answer the question.  Though I will say it makes it really hard to keep peoples attention.

I would say that said character would have problems with simple things that everyone else understands naturally, like socially inept.  I have met a few people who were very intelligent and they, were, well stumbling over their feet when it came to people.


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## Queshire (Apr 14, 2012)

mrrr... careful there bucko. Smart people are people too and we don't like to be stereotyped. That said, can't go wrong with random facts and trivia!

EDIT: Also, social ineptitude isn't neccesarily linked to intelligence. I consider myself relatively bright, and I will be the first to admit that I am socially inept, however that's because I have Aspergers, and not because of my intelligence. That said, I do suggest looking at Aspergers, I like to think of it as the Mad Scientist type condition. Admittedly, that's just because I have it and I think Mad Scientists rock, but to a point it's accurate. Also, it is NEVER portrayed correctly in literature, I'd very much like it if it was.


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## Penpilot (Apr 14, 2012)

I would say people are people whether they're intelligent or stupid. There are socially inept intelligent guys and outgoing studly intelligent guys too. They can be snooty or humble. The thought processes of an intelligent person depends on their personality. Just because a person is intelligent, doesn't mean they think everyone else is stupid or inferior. Intelligent people, really intelligent people, in my experience know they don't know everything. I find that it's the stupid people who think they know it all. Treat your character as a person who just happens to be intelligent, not just an intelligent character and I think you'll be fine. Maybe check out the TV series Eureka. It a show filled with geniuses portrayed in all different shades.


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## The Dark One (Apr 16, 2012)

Onya Valiant...this is a great thread topic.

At the risk of sounding a tad pretentious...there is one important precondition for writing from the POV of a highly intelligent person. You MUST be highly intelligent yourself. Let's assume that you meet the precondition (and I expect that most members of this forum would), you must then avoid at all costs trying dumb the narrator down - a highly intelligent person should by definition be a bit of a challenge for normal readers. Having said that, if you can manage to carry your readers along with you (and thereby make them feel highly intelligent themselves) you've probably got a best seller on your hands.

The thing I hated most about the Da Vinci Code was: it's supposed to be told from the perspective of a world expert in religious iconography. We're constantly privy to Prof Langdon's (or whatever his name is) thoughts, and to me his thoughts seem less like a middle aged professor and more like a sassy teenager with attitude! How often does he say: Whatever! For god's sake! Even worse, with little more than the average person's knowledge of religious iconography, I guessed everything that happened about five pages earlier than Professor Langdon! That does not make me feel like I'm in the presence of genius. If you can't stay ahead of your readers in your own story, don't insult their intelligence. Stick to third person or settle for a POV of less exalted intellect.

Having said all that, I have presumed to write four novels from the POV of a highly intelligent narrator...two of them published, one just sent to my agent (which I'm hoping will be the one that takes me to the next level). My approach to writing these characters is to establish a strong narrative voice and to be utterly uncompromising in telling the story on the narrator's terms. Do not stick rigidly to literal descriptions or linear unfoldings of plot. Complex characters must have complicated means of expressing themselves, but at the same time maintain a sound momentum of story which is easy to follow. 

It's taken me 20 years to get that blend right. Really interested to see what others have to say about this deeply fascinating subject.


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## Cloud (Apr 16, 2012)

Three easy, important, traits for an 'intelligent' P.O.V.

Speed of thought
If someone can think an essay in the time it takes for a dropped cup to hit the floor, readers consider them smart. 

Accuracy of thought
Seeing the correct solution where others cannot is a simple benchmark of intelligence. Put your character in situations which baffle others, and let him provide that eureka moment and make it look easy.

Range of knowledge
It's not enough to think quick, or well, they must also have a history of thought - a deep and fascinating well of knowledge to dip into a draw comparisons to their current situation.


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## Valiant (Apr 17, 2012)

Thank you for the replies everyone. I especially appreciate your response Dark One. If the pages in your book are anything like the paragraphs in your response I am sure you will find success with your publications.


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## The Dark One (Apr 17, 2012)

Valiant said:


> Thank you for the replies everyone. I especially appreciate your response Dark One. If the pages in your book are anything like the paragraphs in your response I am sure you will find success with your publications.




Wow! Thanks Valiant, that's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me on a forum.

I must say, I thought Cloud's contribution was quite pithy also - good simple advice, easy to follow.

In the first novel I ever finished (which I thought was a work of deeply profound genius at the time), the main character was the head actuary in the biggest corporation in the world. In fact, it was written in 3rd person but the MC's mind was incredibly powerful and esoteric and seemed to flow into everything...even the 3P description!

I think that part of the story I definitely got right, but to be honest, on the rare occasion I open that book these days (which sold 124 copies in 2001) I can't read three sentences without vomiting blood.


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## Kikuchiyo (Jul 12, 2013)

An excellent starting point, I believe, if a tad bit extreme, would be to read _A Confederacy of Dunces_ by John Kennedy Toole. It revolves around Ignatius J. Reilly, an over-educated, obese oaf who possesses a worldview based on medieval philosophy, and his struggle to fit into the modern world as a result. Hilarity ensues.


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## Steerpike (Jul 12, 2013)

Kikuchiyo said:


> An excellent starting point, I believe, if a tad bit extreme, would be to read _A Confederacy of Dunces_ by John Kennedy Toole. It revolves around Ignatius J. Reilly, an over-educated, obese oaf who possesses a worldview based on medieval philosophy, and his struggle to fit into the modern world as a result. Hilarity ensues.



Great book.


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## Trick (Jul 12, 2013)

Depending on the personailty you end up developing this may not work for you but it's my bit of advice, as it were.

Highly intelligent people tend to be prideful (sometimes rightly so, sometimes not) and hate being given lengthy explanations. When someone is going throught the complex workings of a ceiling fan for the third time a genius is likely to snap a little; ie, "I get it! I could have created a better design for this when I was eight! I understood everything about it before your first time explaining it!"

On the flip side, they tend to over explain things to others, assuming them to be of a lesser intelligence than their own (sometimes rightly so, sometimes not) which can engender poor relationship skills. 

Also, highly-intelligent and genius don't always mean the same thing and, IMHO, true geniuses tend to be less prideful and more distracted.

Hope that helps.


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## The Dark One (Jul 12, 2013)

I'd forgotten about this thread - very pleased to see it resurrected.

Notwithstanding my long post earlier, I think I'd restate the advice as simply being: make sure the character says and does intelligent things. I wouldn't bother with trying to convey intelligence in a 'device driven' way. If you don't naturally write like that then you may just look a bit half-baked/unintelligent yourself - especially when writing from 1st person. Much easier to do a 3rd person intelligent character. To do 1st person, you must seriously be highly intelligent yourself.

Of course, how do you truly know such a thing?

I read somewhere that believing oneself to be highly intelligent tends to be a feature of schizophrenia.


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## wordwalker (Jul 12, 2013)

A couple tips:

One, intelligence is not the same as knowing more-- but it's often tied to a better memory, and being more creative at recognizing one fact as relevant to something else. The ability to use whatever knowledge you've taken in more efficiently. --Of course, once someone gets good at using information, the idea of spending more of the day learning gets more appealing.

Two, I like to draw the line between intelligence and wisdom (and not just because of D&D). Intelligence in itself is a positive, enabling thing: A can mean B can mean C and soon you have a plan. Wisdom is cautionary, keeping aware that those links are still "CAN mean" and there may be weak links in the chain. People with just the first (or whose intelligence gets running faster than wisdom keeps up) are in classic Mad Scientist territory, trying out brilliant ideas and forgetting what could go wrong-- or just the genius who forgets giving people the answers won't help if they don't listen.

Beyond that, a lot of it may be in the plotting. Read up on the tvtropes "Idiot ball" and make sure you have a plot where your genius _doesn't_ have to do that to keep suspense up, unless there's an established character flaw (like the above) in play. He doesn't have to see everything coming, but when he's not off-balance or on an unfamiliar subject, the reader should have a sense that he sees most of it, until something more left-field pops up and then everyone's in trouble.

It also doesn't hurt if, like Holmes, we see him only through the eyes of another character who's _not_ stupid but always appreciates how he's better. Or if, like the classic academic, he's great at theory and in his own element, but just not used to thinking under pressure.


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## psychotick (Jul 13, 2013)

Hi,

How to portray intelligence? To my mind the benchmark of intelligence is being able to put together the pieces of a puzzle, whatever that puzle might be, a bit quicker and on less information than others. As an aside I once had a physics teacher who claimed that the difference between a genius and another person was that the genius could reach the wrong answer faster than everyone else. And there's some truth in that.

So if you want to display your MC's brains (without an autopsy I assume) go through the plot of your work, and assuming that there is a puzzle to be solved, have him solve it, and in doing so let him show the pieces of the puzzle and how they fit together, pieces which hopefully your readers won't have picked up on by that point. It's similar to the revelation moment in a whodunnit.

As for quirks? No. All people have quirks. But to my mind adding quirks to someone to show that they're smart, eg the thoughtful pose, absent minded stares and shyness, is really just stereotyping your character.

Cheers, Greg.


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## CupofJoe (Jul 13, 2013)

Anger and Competitiveness
If your MC is used to being "the smartest [wo]man in the room" then meeting someone as smart [or seems as smart to them] could lead to anger as they will feel challenged.
I spent yesterday in a room with 100+ PhDs [most had specialised in mathematical modelling of large data sets - at least one person was from CERN] and the amount of one-up-manship [and general bickering] all to win a cheap prize [tee shirt, Rubik's cube or torch] was astounding. 
I kept my head well down... and got a torch [it has a built-in laser!!!!]


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## skip.knox (Jul 13, 2013)

I always look for models. Sherlock Holmes is the obvious one. Besides seeing things others don't, notice how Doyle uses Watson as a foil for Holmes. We get see Watson *not* see things first, then Holmes points it out. The reader is Watson, so Holmes comes off as smarter.

In a completely different vein, Jubal Harshaw is brilliant, but Heinlein makes him folksy-brilliant. He's arrogant and quick-witted and generally two steps ahead of everyone else. Plus he's successful, and we instinctively think successful people are smarter.

Or, to jump over to an artery, any number of characters from Jules Verne, but Captain Nemo springs to mind first. He's more of the extended-paragraph type, delivering pithy critiques of Modern Civilization.

In considering the above I realize that all three authors had their Smart Guy be
1. an outsider
2. a social critic
3. independently wealthy
4. slightly mad but not too much so

Interesting. There's a lit major thesis in there somewhere!


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## The Dark One (Jul 13, 2013)

skip.knox said:


> In considering the above I realize that all three authors had their Smart Guy be
> 1. an outsider
> 2. a social critic
> 3. independently wealthy
> ...



Good god! The main character in my book about to be published ticks these 4 boxes - the 4th one is maybe ambiguous - but how do you like that? I'm not as original as I thought.


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## T.Allen.Smith (Jul 13, 2013)

I've only read a portion of the replies but I'll add this.... Highly intelligent people are as varied as any other group. It seems to me, the only common variable you should demand is the exercise of their intelligence. Those above that mentioned characters that need to act intelligent, speak intelligently, and do so consistently are right on the mark. Otherwise, the variations in a character's quirks can be any that you wish.

If you're looking for tropes for the highly intelligent types you can use the Einstein model. Bad hair, out of date fashion sense, etc. I wouldn't recommend it though. Treat each character as an individual not as a stereotype. Their intelligence will shine through in their actions & dialogue.


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## Scribble (Jul 16, 2013)

*A good analogy is problem solving. *

People of average intelligence tend to go at things in a linear fashion. We do this, then that, then that, and hopefully we get to a solution. This is a linear approach. Go out and count them all, one by one. 

People of high intelligence also have at their disposal, lateral reasoning. They make connections and leaps that are not immediately visible to others. They see patterns other people do not readily see. Find some underlying pattern or principle that you can leverage to make a leap. Think of Sherlock Holmes.

*Some of the pitfalls of being highly intelligent:*

They see solutions that others don't see, and can become frustrated that they don't see them as plain as they do. 

They may explain things very poorly to the average person. They are leaping all over the place from the perspective of the listener. They may be unable to perceive how the other person does not immediately "see" what they mean.

They may dismiss solutions that come from "simple" sources. If a solution is presented in a muddled way, it may be discarded as having the patterns of a bad solution. Intelligent people come to rely on patterns to rapidly sort good solutions from bad, and this may be a downfall. There may be some brass under the muck.

They may dismiss solutions that are tangled up with solutions that are known to be wrong/useless. The example that comes to mind are alternative healing practices. Putting a candle on your toes won't cure anything, but the experience of having a healer tend to you actually brings healing _benefits_ from psychological changes. Western clinical medicine is effective, but lacking that personal element. There is a very good idea of personal attention in alternative medicines, but often dismissed with the entire package because the candle on the toes doesn't actually do anything. We lose the good idea of personal attention in healing.

The highly intelligent person may feel isolated because of their intelligence. Others around them may enjoy what they see as "simple pleasures" and feel excluded, because they are always operating at a level that is above others. While regular people are just being themselves, they may be analyzing the psychological interactions of the group, experimenting socially. That kind of thinking can make one feel quite alone.

They may have overactive pattern-seeking. This leads people into seeing conspiracies where there are none. They are putting things together that don't actually go together. Having an intelligent mind is not a substitute for critical thinking. If you think that A causes B, then you can make all kinds of links between A's and B's in the world. The result is an elaborate illusion constructed upon a root causal error. In time the construction can become very complex as the intelligent mind tries to plug all the holes with reasoning.


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## brokethepoint (Jul 16, 2013)

Intelligent people will fall across the personality trait board, lumping them all into one category is wrong.
Intelligence is different from wisdom.
Intelligent does not equal Endemic memory.


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## Mythopoet (Jul 16, 2013)

T.Allen.Smith said:


> I've only read a portion of the replies but I'll add this.... Highly intelligent people are as varied as any other group.



This. 

My husband is highly intelligent but he also has Asperger's Syndrome which means that he thinks in ways that are completely foreign to people who don't have it. One of his big hangups is precision. If you can't speak precisely he can't communicate with you. We also get into huge arguments over the stupidest things any time we disagree because he can't understand how another intelligent person could possibly disagree with him if they truly understand his argument. This comes across as arrogance, but it really isn't. It's more as if there's a vital connection that's just not happening in his brain. He really can't comprehend it. But that's also because he researches everything he has an interest in and will not argue about something he's not knowledgeable in or at least has given a significant amount of philosophical pondering to. He highly values logic and scoffs at emotion. He hates new social situations but is able to put on a mask that makes him seems comfortable and friendly when needed, moreso than me. He's so socially awkward that the first time we had dinner together he ended up talking about cannibalism while we were eating.  

He doesn't much care about his appearance but he ALWAYS has to have his hair combed. It really visibly bothers him when it isn't. He also always has to have his shirt tucked in, which causes me some dismay. He can't be bothered about anything that doesn't interest him, but when he is interested in something he spends considerable energy on it and his memory is incredible. If a subject interests him he can remember every detail he ever learned about it forever. We often have the most amazing conversations. He is incredibly witty and a gifted word-smith, but words aren't really of interest to him except as a tool. 

That, of course, is just small a glimpse.


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## Scribble (Jul 16, 2013)

We seem to have focused on braininess and social awkwardness as traits of the intelligent. This is an equalizing factor that is popular in the media, to level the field between the average and highly intelligent, but to be very socially effective, you need intelligence. It is simply applied differently. Humor is a ready indicator of intelligence. Making people laugh is often considered the "human peacock tail", showing off the health of the brain. 

Understanding the psychology of others, assessing the situation, and making the perfect gesture or saying the right thing, in the right moment, takes a deal of intelligence. It's just not a kind of intelligence we readily think of. Television shows like The Big Bang Theory make it fun for average people to laugh at "smart" people, but in fact I know quite a few scientists who are not at all socially awkward, and are definitely intelligent.


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## Trick (Jul 16, 2013)

At a previous job I met a fellow who had a 170 IQ. He was turned down by the Navy nuclear program after acing all but one test; the color-blind test. He was in college but like many young guys he wasn't taking it too seriously, even moreso because the classes he was in, mostly math related, were easy to him. He wasn't socially awkward, he was built like a linebacker and he hated writing and English. He, like me at the time, was paid ten dollars an hour to answer phones at a call center. I point these things out because he didn't fit most genius stereotypes but he was a genius. 

We used to do yes/no riddles all the time because it is a particular enjoyment of mine and he was the fastest to get them almost every time but he still had to work through it and ask lots of questions. He was quick witted, had a beautiful qirlfriend and often called in sick after a very drunken night. So, in many ways, he seemed like a totally normal college guy.

Intelligence becomes apparent to others who are smart enough to recognize it but not every genius has thick glasses and a pocket protector so, occasionally, it flys under the radar.


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## Scribble (Jul 16, 2013)

Trick said:


> At a previous job I met a fellow who had a 170 IQ. He was turned down by the Navy nuclear program after acing all but one test; the color-blind test. He was in college but like many young guys he wasn't taking it too seriously, even moreso because the classes he was in, mostly math related, were easy to him. He wasn't socially awkward, he was built like a linebacker and he hated writing and English. He, like me at the time, was paid ten dollars an hour to answer phones at a call center. I point these things out because he didn't fit most genius stereotypes but he was a genius.
> 
> We used to do yes/no riddles all the time because it is a particular enjoyment of mine and he was the fastest to get them almost every time but he still had to work through it and ask lots of questions. He was quick witted, had a beautiful qirlfriend and often called in sick after a very drunken night. So, in many ways, he seemed like a totally normal college guy.
> 
> Intelligence becomes apparent to others who are smart enough to recognize it but not every genius has thick glasses and a pocket protector so, occasionally, it flys under the radar.



I'm related to this fellow by marriage. He was working as a shipping receiving clerk. We had a dinner at their place one time, maybe 20 years ago. He asked me what I was doing, I told him about computer programming. In about an hour, he had a reasonable grasp of how it worked. So, he decided to go to school, and as expected, he aced. He makes pretty respectable salary. He works on complex data manipulation procedures for a major line of retail supply chains software.

In his spare time, he makes robots and does some interesting experiments. Burning things with water, he's got a Jacob's Ladder.  He wanted to build a security door with a keypad, to keep his boys out of his workshop, he did with some old photocopier parts. Self-taught.

He's a quiet guy, nobody ever noticed his intelligence.


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## Trick (Jul 16, 2013)

Scribble said:


> In his spare time, he makes robots and does some interesting experiments. Burning things with water, he's got a Jacob's Ladder.  He wanted to build a security door with a keypad, to keep his boys out of his workshop, he did with some old photocopier parts. Self-taught.



I find that kind of genius amazing. My MC is something like that and I just love hearing about the real people in this world with amazing talents.


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## Weaver (Jul 16, 2013)

The Dark One said:


> I read somewhere that believing oneself to be highly intelligent tends to be a feature of schizophrenia.



... And if you're highly intelligent but _don't_ think so, that's also a feature of schizophrenia.  Yeah, heard it before.  It's still BS.


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## Weaver (Jul 16, 2013)

T.Allen.Smith said:


> I've only read a portion of the replies but I'll add this.... Highly intelligent people are as varied as any other group. It seems to me, the only common variable you should demand is the exercise of their intelligence. Those above that mentioned characters that need to act intelligent, speak intelligently, and do so consistently are right on the mark. Otherwise, the variations in a character's quirks can be any that you wish.
> 
> If you're looking for tropes for the highly intelligent types you can use the Einstein model. Bad hair, out of date fashion sense, etc. I wouldn't recommend it though. Treat each character as an individual not as a stereotype. Their intelligence will shine through in their actions & dialogue.



I agree:  the only thing all highly intelligent people have in common is that they're highly intelligent.

Um... Einstein.  Yeah.  The stereotype of "smart people are always math nerds with ugly clothes and no social life" is really... offensive.  I hope that none of my fellow 'Scribers spread that stereotype in their writing.  (And for whatever it's worth, the popular image of Einstein is from when he was _old_.  Lots of older people wear the fashions of their youth; it isn't a "weird smart people" thing.  Also, in photos from when he was younger, Einstein didn't have the crazy hair, either.  We can assume, though, that he was highly intelligent even when his clothes were fashionable and his hair was normal.

And my ultimate "don't assume smart people are funny looking or ugly" argument:  Uma Thurman, IQ 160.


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## Penpilot (Jul 16, 2013)

Weaver said:


> And my ultimate "don't assume smart people are funny looking or ugly" argument:  Uma Thurman, IQ 160.



Yeah, it's typical don't judge a book by it's cover. Does anybody remember Dolph Lundgren? Famouse for his movie roles as Ivan Drago in the Rocky movies and for being He-Man in the live action movie and as a secondary character in The Expendables. He has a 160 IQ, a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering and had a scholarship to MIT. Not the stereotype nerd is he.


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## psychotick (Jul 17, 2013)

Hi,

Marilyn Munroe is also reputed to have been a high IQ type.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Trick (Jul 17, 2013)

I've been pretty fortunate to meet many highly intelligent people, many in college, professors and students, but also at work and even family members and friends. I've only met one who looked like a mad scientist type and he was my favorite teacher at any level. Made a huge impression on my life and my world view. Looked like a crazy man though. Just goes to show that even those who look stereotypical are usually not. Kind of kills the meaning of the word stereotype but there it is.


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## Addison (Jul 19, 2013)

I believe it depends on just which type of material your character is intelligent in. Math? Medicine? Architecture? From there your list of vocabulary, personality quirks and such can be significantly cut.


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## Trick (Jul 19, 2013)

Addison said:


> I believe it depends on just which type of material your character is intelligent in. Math? Medicine? Architecture? From there your list of vocabulary, personality quirks and such can be significantly cut.



I don't think that works exactly. If the character has a profession, that's one thing, but highly intelligent people often know a little something about many different fields of study and when they don't have knowledge of a particular subject, they tend to grasp it very quickly. It's an overall ability to analyze and come to conclusions rapidly that makes them stand out. IQ tests, though nowhere near perfect, tend to encompass all kinds of subjects and learning styles. People with high scores get them through an ability to reason on the fly. Also, highly intelligent people tend to be very observant and have good memories. When you combine nearly constant observation, speedy analysis and conclusion, on the fly reasoning and a good memory you get a highly intelligent person, IMO.


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## wino (Jul 19, 2013)

Keep them in the background.

Keep his/her motivations unguessable and limit their "screen time".  For example with GRRM, his most intelligent characters actually have very minor roles but you can see their hand influencing most of the events in the books.

Dumbledore is another good example of an intelligent character with very little "screen time".


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## Scribble (Jul 19, 2013)

I recommend reading *Flowers for Algernon* by Daniel Keyes. It is a short story, likely everyone has heard of it, and it deals specifically with a change in intelligence, and how others perceive each other between differing levels. You should be able to gain some insights from it.


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## Steerpike (Jul 19, 2013)

Check out _Brain Wave_, by Poul Anderson, as well.

Brain Wave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Weaver (Jul 20, 2013)

wino said:


> Keep them in the background.
> 
> Keep his/her motivations unguessable and limit their "screen time".  For example with GRRM, his most intelligent characters actually have very minor roles but you can see their hand influencing most of the events in the books.
> 
> Dumbledore is another good example of an intelligent character with very little "screen time".



Do you mean characters with high intelligence, or characters who have access to the most information about what's really going on in a situation?


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## wino (Jul 20, 2013)

Weaver said:


> Do you mean characters with high intelligence, or characters who have access to the most information about what's really going on in a situation?



It takes an intelligent person to know what's really going on.


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## Weaver (Jul 20, 2013)

wino said:


> It takes an intelligent person to know what's really going on.



There is a difference between high intelligence and high education/knowledge about a specific subject.  Not every person with a PhD has an IQ over 135.  (In fact, less than half of them do.)  Nor does every person with genius-level IQ have an advanced degree.  (A few are high school drop-outs.)  I was simply asking for clarification as to which you meant.

On the other hand, I'm not qualified to have an opinion on this topic.


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## Trick (Jul 22, 2013)

Weaver said:


> There is a difference between high intelligence and high education/knowledge about a specific subject.  Not every person with a PhD has an IQ over 135.  (In fact, less than half of them do.)  Nor does every person with genius-level IQ have an advanced degree.  (A few are high school drop-outs.)  I was simply asking for clarification as to which you meant.
> 
> On the other hand, I'm not qualified to have an opinion on this topic.



135? This whole time I have had the idea the OP was talking about a character with a 150-200 IQ range. A Mensa type...


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## Weaver (Jul 22, 2013)

Trick said:


> 135? This whole time I have had the idea the OP was talking about a character with a 150-200 IQ range. A Mensa type...



Unless it has changed a lot in the last couple of years, an IQ of 135 (perhaps 132?) qualifies a person to join Mensa.  In 1990, 140 was the cut-off.  (I remember this because a woman I know was very angry about not quite making it with her mid-130s score.)  They go by percentile, though, not the actual number of a score, because tests vary and what falls into the top 2 (?) percent of the population also changes from time to time.

And actually, I picked 135 because, at least a couple of decades ago, the average IQ for a person with a PhD was 130.  So, less than half of them have an IQ of 135 or higher.  So, having a PhD -- being highly _educated_ -- is not proof of a person highly _intelligent_.  Which was my point.

(According to something I saw online once, it isn't _possible_ for a person to have a 200 IQ, because the percentiles don't allow for it -- not enough people in the world.  Seems silly to me.  Aren't extreme geniuses something of a statistical anomaly anyway?)


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## Trick (Jul 23, 2013)

When it comes to IQ tests, variation seems to be the rule. This seems like tooting my own horn but it really isn't. I've never gotten below a 136 except on the Mensa test. I am not a genius. I am smart and great at visual and verbal patterns. My friend is a genius and sometimes makes me look like I should be eating paste. He is a Mensa member, according to testing. I guess I just don't think of anything under 150 as a genius. 

To be honest, I have no idea what the highest possible IQ score is; I'm willing to bet that there exists more than one scale and definition.


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