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Quirks of highly intelligent people - First Person POV

Scribble

Archmage
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

Troubadour
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.
 

Mythopoet

Auror
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.
 

Scribble

Archmage
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.
 

Trick

Auror
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.
 

Scribble

Archmage
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.
 

Trick

Auror
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.
 

Weaver

Sage
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. :)
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
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.

270px-dolph-lundgren.jpg
 

Trick

Auror
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.
 

Addison

Auror
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.
 

Trick

Auror
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.
 

wino

Dreamer
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

Archmage
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.
 

Weaver

Sage
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?
 

wino

Dreamer
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

Sage
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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