Polymaths and geniuses: how do you use your intelligence?

[The.Fourth.Deviation.]

I am interested to know how some high IQ individuals here spend their free time. I have hypothesized that the highest IQ individuals have little interest in petty socializing, and instead spend much of their time researching subjects of interest.

 

I, for example, went to a few collegiate parties during my freshman year, and avoided them afterwards, instead opting to peruse literature of various fields. After graduating I became interested in maths and piano performance. I currently spend the weekends studying piano for several hours per day. I also find it a waste of time, in general, to "go out" on weekends to drink etc, and instead opt to devote time to my interests, and personal research (such as contributing to this group). As my handle suggests, a portion of my IQ is in the 4th std dev. I am interested in how others in a similar range experience life, and what your interests are. Also, have you been successful in finding members of the opposite sex who understand your differences,or do you opt for solitude (I have personally remained rather averse to relationships because the opposite sex doesnt understand why my interest in intellectual pursuits exceeds my interest in building social bonds; I also found the concept of a relationship to be illogical from a cost-benefit perspective) ?

 

for example, a friend of mine just wrote to me: David, you are welcome... I have long been fascinated by the phenomenon of prodigies. At age 8, I was invited to enroll full-time in a Millsaps College,though I decided to wait until I matured at age 11 to accept. Just before I did, I took the ACT and scored 36/36. In the same year, I had a paper on number theory (knots) published in the mathematics journal of Northwestern University. Et al. ~Billy

 

Stories like this? And your life experiences? Please share them here.

[whoisbambam]

:)

My IQ is undoubtedly quite average, so my post is not the one you seek (but I am opinionated).

I don't think high IQ is the only correlation with the behaviour traits you described--it sound like introspection/introversion.

I had great difficulty 'relating' to most girls/women my age. At the age of 21 I was dating 30-38year-old women (mostly women I worked with, which was dominated by women). I have never liked partying, going to bars/clubs, etc., instead preferring smaller gatherings, especially 1:1 type conversations, and I spent most of my time learning medically-related and computer technology.

I also preferred' knowing' a handful of people very well.....I have no idea how one can have 25+ 'regular' friends (not counting family members, etc).

[jttoto2]

I wouldn't say I'm a genius but more in the 120-130 range.  Several different tests by different psychologists put me at this range, but I tend to have an uneven profile, with a favor towards reasoning sections (analogies, matrices, etc., and I am good at mental arithmetic), while not fairing too well on things that require a high degree of visual memory.  (on the Wescher, I dominated the matrix reasoning section but flaked on the block design. Nerves? maybe, but I'll never be an architect that's for sure)  If this helps the discussion, I also have a family history of bipolar and probably have a milder version myself but haven't had it checked out.  Unsurprisingly, a big thing that helped me when I was playing Dnb was remembering where I parked my car.  

Now to answer your question, I spend a great deal socializing but usually over activities or intellectual interests.   I also have a run 5ks 10ks, and marathons with a group.  Even though I have some interests related to extraversion, I like to spend a lot of time alone contemplating an idea in my head or a story I want to write.  

To put it short, I'm sort of middle-ground when it comes to being reclusive and pursuing activity.  I'm not sure if I fit the profile you are looking for.  

[☉]

I generally spend my time researching logical systems and structures (or what I've been doing since late last year, anyway). The benefit of these systems is that I do not need to study someone's prior work in order to make my own progress, but such other-study can nonetheless prove instructive or interesting in its own right, especially concerning novel methods others have devised. And considering the broad applicability of the systems themselves, I investigate their pertinence and connection to certain fields of interest, e.g., science (discovery and justification), mathematics (proofs, models, constructive aspects, etc.), their broadly philosophical character, and so on. I even find it an amusing challenge to conduct proofs with the better part of a beer affecting my synapses, or even being forced to complete a proof while seriously sleep deprived. I've also noticed I can spend several hours at a stretch doing such work when I'm not tired from other, more mundane activities.

On the socializing level, I only communicate with close personal friends on any level deeper than mere acquaintanceship – I can count those people on one hand – with some regularity.

argumzio

[The.Fourth.Deviation.]

Thanks for your replies.

 

Argumzio, what is your age? Also, what are some of the practical applications of the systems you are study? And if you do not need prior research for your work, doesn't it mean that you are pioneering research? Finally, what was your experience with academics? how did your academic career end up?

 

Similarly enough to you, I am also interested in conducting research, but I will be pursuing advanced degrees in astrophysics, math,  computer science, classical piano performance, and cognitive psychology. I may look into chemistry as well. I'd eventually like to conduct interdisciplinary research that would allow me to discover previously unnoticed connections between these fields.

 

I am excited to have found another individual with similar interest in conducting private research, and a concomitant relative disinterest in socializing. If these are not traits of all high-iq individuals, would they be traits of polymathic individuals? If so, I wonder how many polymaths exist.

[jttoto2]

Just an observation.  I notice a lot of polymaths display a lot of autistic traits without the narrow interest criteria that fetters a lot of those with the actual syndrome.  No research I could find on the area, but no research disproving it either.  I wouldn't be surprised if Asperger traits + high Openness to Experience = Highly developed skills and creativity in multiple fields.  Just out of curiosity Fourth.Deviation, what is your openness score on the Big Five?

On Tuesday, July 10, 2012 9:27:10 PM UTC-4, The.Fourth.Deviation. wrote:

[The.Fourth.Deviation.]

I certainly have some very strong traits of autism, I scored 32 on the autism spectrum test which is a few standard deviations from the mean. I also have very high openness to experience. I have never taken the test, but know it to be the case based on my understanding of the terminology. Your theory could be correct.

[jttoto2]

I took the AQ on Wired.com today.  18, which is about average.  Hmm, thought it would be higher.

[Simen]

The.Fourth.Deviation, what's you progress? What level of DNB did you
start at and what level are you at now? Have you experienced any gains
in IQ?

[Michael]

I scored 28 but I know I'm not autistic, I instead run through the still 'much to be realized' schizotypy banner. So I'm naturally, on average, going to score higher on such a test given social situations are more difficult for me due to my less conventional way of thinking and more conventional interactions colliding more often than I hope for.

[Simen]

I scored 30.

[☉]

FYI: I took the AQ test here and scored 28. My openness to experience on IPIP-NEO is at or above the 98th centile, whilst neuroticism is at or below the 1st centile. I'm 25 years old currently. Academics proceed slowly, due to other interests (since life is long and art is short).

I suppose original research implies two things: 1) never-before-seen results and 2) results obtained independently but not necessarily new. It is more common to see 2) than 1), but I have done some things which would be classified under 1). Practical applications do not come into view when I study these logical systems; practical applications come much later, but obvious ones pertain to self-application of understanding things theoretically. This is self-consciously vague.

I suppose genuinely polymathic individuals would have a high need for cognition as well has a significantly elevated intellectual ability. I have not done a close study of polymaths, but it seems to me that their broad associative horizon, intelligence, education, and personal drive (call it self-organization) permits them to become such by way of accident. In other words, people who desire to become polymaths (in some way or another) are perhaps those least likely to be polymaths in the genuine sense. Monkey-polymaths arise due to other factors and are most noted not for their originality but their extensive learning, like a savant, or polyhistor. The basic distinction contrasts those who develop new ideas in unique ways versus those who simply learn a lot of things.

argumzio

[Michael]

IPIP-NEO - 300 item version. 

More meatballs = greater likelihood that my stomach will be filled, or rather, that a more accurate conclusion will be reached.

Can't wait. As soon as I get the opportunity, I shall kneel at the side of this tower! Knighted as what? Something human I presume.

[☉]

Yes, who cannot have spaghetti without meatballs. Further, such edible monsters are preferable to meaningless testimonials, particularly like that which might be noted in a thread regarding a self-proclaimed geenyus of the micro kind. It is interesting how the hand which wishes to be fed gives notice to who lacks in all sincerity, in a desperate attempt to guarantee future fame and nourishment, however. :)

argumzio

[Michael]

It's not unusual that some stomachs would chuckle at the smell of this thread, no.

;)

[Michael]

 IPIP-NEO = Although I wasn't fond of some of the questions (multiple points of views available - subsequently, I answered a lot of questions with "Neither accurate nor Inaccurate" ), I think in general, I could definitely _continue_ to work on my level of conscientiousness, I'm tolerable of the results related to the other indicators.

On Tuesday, July 17, 2012 2:40:43 AM UTC+10, ☉ wrote:

[jttoto2]

And here I thought we were just having a friendly discussion about polymaths.  To my knowledge, no one in this thread has claimed to be a genius or a polymath.  

[jttoto2]

And for clarification, since it is unclear who this post was directed at, I was responding to Fourth.Deviation's inquiry about IQ and free time, as were many it seems.  

On Monday, July 16, 2012 11:23:40 PM UTC-4, Michael wrote:

[Michael]

Not that I'm an authority, but I don't think it really matters who it was directed to. The fact that we've learned about the weapons of mass destruction is what matters, not where they've been used.

Although, anyone with any humorous bone has to admit, the threads title is amusing, regardless as to whether or not argumzio's cloaked comment was aiming at this dart board.

Keep the phantom's mask on? Some would say that being mysterious is an attractive quality in both people and their comments.

[jttoto2]

"Keep the phantom's mask on? Some would say that being mysterious is an attractive quality in both people and their comments. "

I can't disagree with that.  

[Mattias]

Argumzio, I think that your separation between polymath and monkey-polymath is interesting, but I believe that it's wrong to separate them the way that you have.  Your monkey-polymath is what a polymath is and your polymath is MORE than a polymath.

An interesting biography on Benoit Mandlebrot http://www.eideneurolearningblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/flash-from-past-right-brained.html

I think that being highly educated in many fields requires a great long term memory, enough intelligence to follow along with what you read, and then simply... an interest in learning.  

Being able to create knowledge in multiple fields is something different.

[☉]

The predominant acceptation for "polymath" is one who is accomplished and innovates within multiple fields of inquiry. I preserved this acceptation whilst expanding on another, a pseud-polymath, if you will. Note that I do not strictly refer to expertise, as it is relatively easy to be an expert in multiple fields, whilst it is more difficult to be an innovator within them as well.

I prefer to use "polyhistor" for the pseudo-polymath because the typical acceptation of "math" (like "mathematician") connotes an air of original thought and innovation, whilst "histor" connotes rote learning and an organized collocation of information (like "historian"). Hence, we could have an order of species of intra- and inter-domain ability: brilliant < expert < polyhistor < uni-genius < polymath < multi-genius. This is an aesthetic judgment, admittedly, but one which nevertheless makes sense. And you know what they say of taste....

argumzio

[☉]

Allusions are written for who understands them, so don't fret. :)

argumzio

[jttoto2]

Understood what you meant, just misunderstood who it was meant for.  My apologies.

[Kevin Ann]

It's funny that the AQ Test was mentioned, I've taken it multiple times and regularly score between 32 and 38. 

As for IQ tests and standardized tests (GRE, SAT, etc.), I fit The.Fourth.Deviation.'s and Payman Sagafhi's profile, respectively.

On the Myers-Briggs, I'm almost maxed out on for:
Introvert

Intuitive

Thinking

though, I'm about 60/40 in Judging/Perceiving

I've always wondered what was 'wrong' with me during my life, but the combination of the above test outcomes give me a good explanation (though not an 'excuse').

Last year I finished a theoretical physics phd (quantum information science) and am currently working on my own startup.

My ultimate goal is to understand everything about everything, and I look forward to the advent of neural prostheses, and mind uploading ultimately.

In the near term though, I'd say my interests are mostly all things that fall under the terms: "Transhumanism" or "Singularity".
If my startup succeeds in the next few years and I don't have to worry about money, I suppose that I'd spend all my time as a full-time researcher in transhumanism while engaging in activities that improve my general psychological and physical health.

As for human relationships, I find I have extremely difficulty dealing with people in general, though I have some very good close friends.

Anyways, I'm very glad to have 'met' all of you here and I hope to learn and contribute a lot.  Please feel free to e-mail me at firstName...@gmail.com. That's my real name shown.

[Payman Saghafi]

Kevin, I'd love to know more about your "startup" if you'd like to share.  If it is currently in "top secret" mode then I will respect that. 

:)

Pay

[Kevin Ann]

Hey Payman,

I just responded to you via e-mail.

Not very secret, just very early. :)

[Brandon Woodson]

This one?

http://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/does-one-have-to-be-a-genius-to-do-maths/

-Brandon

[Kevin Ann]

Yeah, that's the blog. Terence Tao is an impressive guy and seems very down-to-earth and nice.

[jttoto2]

Has anyone seen Indie Game:  The Movie?  Many individuals are the design their own game mechanics, write their own story, program the code from the ground-up, and do their own pixel art.  This requires skill in at least three areas, but I'd argue that designing the gameplay of an original yet marketable video game is a skill as well.

[jotaro]

i have seen the movie

and honestly i have seen it because i was only interested in one guy the whole time and i skipped the rest

but,,, it seems indie game creators are alot like entrepreneurs in the sense they take risks

however i am not sure you can take them as polymaths

but some of them are really impressive.

[Eddie Jackson]

We spend our time learning, reading, and picking up new skills.

http://eddiejackson.net