Fear of intelligence

[Deleted472477User]

I'm not a genius, but my IQ is above average. In school, I was the average looking girl who didn't care about fashion (much) read a lot, knew stuff, and was quiet. I wasn't stuck up about it; I didn't show off, but I took a ton of crap for being smart. Fortunately it never quite crossed the line into bullying (though it was on the edge a number of times). Even my own mother was ambivalent about my intelligence: one minute she was proud of how smart I was, the next she was berating me for reading so much.

 

As an adult, I see certain people on both sides of our government preferring to cut funding to and otherwise screw with education. I see stupidity encouraged in many places.

 

I know not everyone is brilliant. Hell, I'm not top of the charts either. I just don't understand why it's okay to be dumb but if you're intelligent people look at you like you act better than you are because you'd rather read than watch Jersey Shore. (I use this example because it happened recently, and is in no way intended to insult anyone who does watch it.)

[Iv000]

You should never feel bad because of knowledge. The ones that laugh at you because you want to learn, do so because they are jealous or because they want to be "cool".

 

I had a similar girl like you in my class. She was very intelligent and she liked reading books, at tests she knew almost every answer.

Because of that my schoolmates were talking bad about her. She didn't have a lot of friends, but I liked talking to her. It's nice to talk to someone about something intelligent rather then about what brand you are smoking or how much you drank last night.

Right now she went to a Gymnasium, very few of us did. ( I didn't). And I have to say, she is one of the few and probably the only one I miss.

 

Today's teenagers/young adults are like that. There is this cool guy that doesn't care about school, and the others want to join him. The ones that don't are left out, like I am for liking video games, being good at certain things and because I don't smoke and drink.

And I feel like a winner, I resisted to be together with these primates and carried on with my way of living. And I would do it again. If I had not done this I wouldn't be here typing this.

 

You are not the only one that feels like this, I do sometimes too. I have only 2 friends in my class (With over 30 people), and those two are more worth then the rest of the class put together, because they know something.

So no, don't be afraid of knowledge, it may kick you sometimes, but in the end it will reward you. Greatly.

[Sepherose]

I had my own experience with schooling, in any event, it boiled down to my being bored with the subject matter, in particular math. It was too easy. Because of this I couldn't find the drive to do the every day work in my classes, although I never failed a test. It lead to many problems for me as a youth. I read a lot, and learned things on my own, and discovered that even when I was a child in grade school, almost twenty years ago now, I saw the emphasis on being "just good enough". This has gotten worse as the years have gone by, and the only reason I can think for this is simply that stupid people are easier to control, I know, it sounds like conspiracy talk, but that is what it seems like to me, coupled with a complete lack of interest in mental exercise and a disinterest in improving the education standards.

[Flintlockecole]

I myself was homeschooled for the most part, My great-grandfather who raised me had no love of public education. The moment I went off to get my grade twelve or whatever it is I was absolutely stunned at how many people struggled to read the most simplest of things and hell, they had little love of knowledge anyways. People hated me for how I knew so much (as did some teachers not surprisingly enough). Long story short I somehow peeved off the wrong person and ended up sending four people to the hospital and several others with various injuries. The point I'm getting at is the majority of people hate anyone with a brain that's being used for what it's supposed to do. As far as I'm concerned, if your using your brain for what it's for good on you, if not leave me the hell alone with my piles of books. Knowledge is a powerful thing and never be afraid of it, always something new to learn.

[grannywils]

Nyxalinth, you bring up a fascinating subject. One that I believe crosses all spectra of society. For whatever reason, many of us seem to be expected to hide our lights under a barrel (to coin a phrase). Or, if we are not "expected to", some of us feel as young people as if we will somehow not "fit in" if we actually expose too much of our real selves in our school envoironments. It is really strange, since school is where we are meant to learn and grow and become educated. The whole social thing seems to just get in the way of all that.

 

But it continues into adulthood in many levels of society. In many work environments you will find the same treatment if you speak "too well", or sound as if you might be trying to look better than someone else. Once again, you might not "fit in".

 

It goes on just about everywhere.

 

I agree with Iv000. Forget about it. Just be who you are, speak the way you speak. Be proud of your intellect and share it with the world. Those who have a problem with it will just have to deal with their problem. Because after all, it is their problem, not yours.

[HeyYou]

Stupid people are easier to control. Or, maybe, more accurately "Uneducated" people.

 

When I took my drivers test (yep, at school, does that give you any clue as to my age? :D), there was a senior sitting a couple rows away, that had to have someone read him the questions...... as he was unable to.... I was really curious how he had made it as far as he had, and didn't learn to read?

 

Over the last couple decades, it has become less about education, and more about securing funding. If you are regularly flunking students, that directly affects your funding. In effect, the government here is actually ENCOURAGING schools to turn out under-educated students. I would like to think that wasn't their original intention.... but, it sure is the way things worked out.

 

I got lucky. Most of my friends were pretty bright as well. My father was an English professor at the local college, so, books were abundantly available, and I was encouraged to read whatever I could get my hands on. And I did. In school, I had some issues with my peers, simply because I was perceived as "being smarter than them", and for some obscure reason, they seemed to think I did it on purpose. I never really quite got that...... Still don't. I just chalk it up to being young... (on their part) As an adult, I have been a member of MENSA, and that was fun, but, I didn't really fit in there. (I don't drink..... can't quite get a handle on all these supposedly intelligent people, getting together for a weekend, to see how many braincells they can kill......) I met some REALLY cool people there though.

[Sepherose]

Stupid people are easier to control. Or, maybe, more accurately "Uneducated" people.

Fair enough, i should have worded that differently.

 

(I don't drink..... can't quite get a handle on all these supposedly intelligent people, getting together for a weekend, to see how many braincells they can kill......) I met some REALLY cool people there though.

Actually, a year ago I would have agreed with you, until I recently stumbled onto this. There is speculation that this disease, which can be caused by heavy drinking, is the root of the idea that alcohol kills brain cells. I would agree though, that drinking heavily is still a bad decision, as it impairs mental function while you are inebriated and does deprive the body of nutrients.

[arcane20]

I completely disagree that intelligence is seen as a negative thing by everyone. I think you're just in the wrong circles.

[Sepherose]

I completely disagree that intelligence is seen as a negative thing by everyone. I think you're just in the wrong circles.

 

I think the point isn't that everyone sees it that way, it just seems like it is emphasized that intelligence isn't exactly a good thing.

[marharth]

To answer the title directly, the exact same reason people will fear power without reason. People will fear others who can prove to be better then them in ways.

 

Noticed the OP brought up IQ, and I would like to say that IQ isn't very important in many cases. IQ determines logic and mathematical ability. If you are average or above you can still be extremely intelligent based on your collective knowledge.