Making use of a high IQ

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Wow, so many interesting responses. I have just come back from a holiday so I haven't been here for a while. I am too tired to think now, but just wanted to say thanks for the lively discussion! Will respond soon

I certainly had issues in school when I was younger. I remember when I was 7, at times my lack of attention span, lack of interest in the subject coupled with the mental exhaustion of social interaction would end up with me being completely unproductive and I would simply draw pictures all through my books. (thankfully, I'm talented at art)

At other times, I would finish the work quickly as it was far too easy or sometimes outright refuse to do such pointless tasks and pick up the latest book I was reading (usually university level books on history/politics/philosophy/etc) and do that for the rest of the lesson.

But when it came to questions which were not specific or I was not given a format to complete the task in or a minimum and maximum, it usually proved impossible. The teachers had no idea what to do with me, so they pretty much left me to my own devices.

I was so bored at school due the the lack of relevance in what they were teaching that I basically gave myself my own curriculum, even after my guardians stepped in and hired a private tutor for after school. I just couldn't justify being so bored and wasting that amount of time on inane crap, not to mention it was social hell.

Even then, my guardians often had to set me uni style essays on the subjects of my special interests in order to keep me interested in learning. I think those were the only thing that came anywhere near to actually challenging me as a child. Though it did backfire somewhat, as I was accused of cheating several times during high school because of the level of my work when it came to essays that interested me.

This continued throughout my schooling.

I often didn't do homework when I was younger - when I was older, I completed it at school, the same with assignments. I never studied for tests, not even for the OP test (SAT equivalent here). Because I was so lax in my attitude towards schoolwork, my teachers were very surprised that I aced the OP test. (despite only having started learning English 3 years earlier and having no special consideration for that)

Last edited by Kjas on 03 Jun 2012, 6:00 am, edited 4 times in total.

I agree I have made poor choices with my education. Had I known I would have a knack for IT, I would have changed my degree path to computing. Strangely, I did computing as one of my 1st year subjects, but there were 2 courses to choose from. I did the one which wouldn't lead to a computing degree (more or less how to use a computer) just as I was advised. As I've already said, I left with an ordinary degree because of severe social anxiety. The choice for me was stay on and do the 4th year, with the cost of losing the plot altogether or to leave, sanity and life intact. I was on the verge of a breakdown the summer between my 3rd and 4th year and was physically sick at the thought of returning. Not knowing exactly why I had such anxiety around others, I couldn't even speak about it. In fact, I've seldom ever spoken about it and my parents don't even know, to this day, why I left. My degree is just 'a degree' really, not worthy of a job in the field. It shows I can learn, but all it seems to have done so far is show employers that I'm in the wrong job. That's fact, not just my take on it.
I don't have any qualifications in IT, at all, just a workplace certificate in admin, which would serve me well for another admin job (which I really don't want), but not for the higher level IT job I'm more suited to. I'm pretty certain I'd need a qualification to do this as my real job. Otherwise, I'd end up in just another admin job. This is what I'm looking into just now and have the paperwork for an on-line degree. But, it be will a long time to get it and I'm 39. But, then again, I still have the social problems, which have always been a hindrance, although I'm much better than I was. Having a qualification and skills is only half of the battle, as this thread is confirming. I'm concerned that I may just waste my time and money, getting this qualification, if I can't get my foot in the door at interview.

It probably is much lower.



This thread is discussing the difficulties some of us face now, or have in the past, despite our IQ's. We are not making excuses for ourselves or for anyone else. If that's what you think we are doing, then you have grossly misunderstood.

As per your list there:

American: no
native born: no
white: no
middle class or above: no
above average IQ: yes
below 40: yes
live in a western country now: yes, but I would be better off in one of my home countries
currently employed: yes

Even though I live in this country now, I assure you it has not affected the way I think such as the way you describe above - I certainly haven't gone "soft" at all.

I never chose to move to this country, that was decided for me, they never asked permission or for my consent or even my opinion in the matter, as I was a minor. I didn't want to come here at all. At least back home my university would be free. The only reason I haven't moved back is for financial reasons.

Thankfully I am gainfully employed at the moment. But I have been unemployed in the past for periods of time since I started working at 13 (it's been quite on and off), and my AS was the main contributor to why I was unemployed despite my IQ. I start my prep course to go back to university in a month for my next degree. While the job I have now is good, it is not what I want to be doing as a career.

Not all of us contributing to this thread are sitting back on our asses and doing nothing, despite that is obviously how you interpreted it.

Last edited by Kjas on 01 Jun 2012, 4:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

Kjas, You said it much better than I did. Well done. Some people make lots of assumptions. Also, just because you're talking about your life and how things might not have gone to plan, doesn't mean you're complaining about your raw deal. We're discussing the reasons behind us not living up to expectations. Many of those reasons seem to be down to ASD and/or ADHD traits. That's pretty reasonable, given the thread topic and the website we are on. It's a support site after all.

If people have problems in life they shouldn't be told to just focus on one thing. I hate it when people say things like Its a gift or I have been blessed and to put this gift to good use. So tell me then Why is something that causes my life to be whole lot harder gives me constant stress and comes back to haunt me at the end of the day a gift. Does this mean my mom is blessed with the gift of diabetes? Or how about the gift of epilepsy. It's lovely having a seizure and being screwed out of everything We never considered these gifted or are excited to have any of those diseases so why are people excited to find out they have Asperger's?

* This was only my opinion im not stuck to this though if someone thinks diffently about it then its ok

Of course, there are exceptions, but until proven otherwise, I still must assume that
the large majority of people are as I described in my earlier post.

Well I have nothing more to add this will just be a thread where remarkable people come here and tell other remarkable people how remarkable they are, seems I was right.

I was going to respond to the Asian Victorian era self reliance clap trap (it has it limits) though I'll pass thanks.

life is pretty simple if you pay attention
most people don't have the balls to look at life realistically, tho

Dear other planet members,
It is my perception that highly educated aspies are very isolated. The company, hospital, research lab they are working in is not an environment where any understanding of the aspie life can be asked for. This generates particular problems related to isolation because in the highly competitive world we are functioning any place for sublevel social functioning is not possible. So have been stated that I am very interested in the stories of the researchers, docters, lawyers, PhD's, etc feeling the need to share some experiences and hopefully some tricks to survive could help another aspie.

Cheers Sperry, nickname, MD Anaesthetist Emergency Physician in daily life

I don't fit your description either. I live in the west and I'm under 40 (just), but I'm not American or from a middle class background. My background is working class, very poor at times, when I was growing up. I was the first person in my family to go on to higher education, of any sort. I'm not starving or living in a warzone, but I'm far from the privileged class you seem to think the majority of us belong to. I do live a comfortable lifestyle these days, but not due to having it handed to me in a plate. My husband and I are very financially astute (probably because our families had to be, when we were younger) and have made better use of our incomes than most. This is the only reason why I am in a position now to look into courses and retraining.

The fact that you are assuming is exactly the problem I have with it. Either have the statistics to back up such ridiculous generalizations or don't make assumptions.




On that basis, the fact that you're posting here means you just insulted yourself.

So, Mr. Remarkable, please continue!

(p.s. that actually was just a joke, I'm not picking on you )

Last edited by Kjas on 01 Jun 2012, 5:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

You've got us totally wrong. We can't seem to say the right thing for saying the wrong thing. If we say we're intelligent (the thread does ask), people say we're boasting. If we say that we didn't get the career everyone said we should have, people say we didn't try hard enough and we just need a good kick up the backside. If we say the reason we didn't do so well is because we have an ASD or ADHD and it's associated problems, we're told to stop moaning; we're intelligent what more do we want. As I said before this is a support site for people with ASDs. If we didn't have problems, we wouldn't need WP at all. Please remember intelligent people with ASDs still have ASDs.

Down under Aspie: what missing element in your life, do you believe, will reasonably heal your pain?

I tested a little above average on an IQ test. I'm certainly not dumb but I'm not gifted either. I am very talented in a few areas but it's like I'm just talented enough to fall just short of greatness. So it is a double-edge sword in a way.

I have some very specific skills that I'm good at that I use practically, but overall most people think I'm an idiot. Actually, I like to act an idiot, just to watch the sadness of humanity when they cast judgement on me. I am a bit of a martyr that way.

I'm fairly intelligent but nothing special.

By the way, most smart people think they are dumb, so if you think you are really dumb you are probably not.

Did I ever say that all, or even the overwhleming majority, of the 68,000 members of this forum fit a certian description? I just said (or actually wrote) that a large majority did , and I even qualified it further by saying a majority are under forty. I am sure there are many exceptions, but my point still stands that, in general, the problems of people here are much less than a great many others throughout the world, and we should appreciate what we have.