A PrintScrn of Intelligence

After I wrote that "10 Things About Me" note, I realized that I forgot one of my strongest attitudes: occasionally, its a real pain to be smart. One of my first blog posts, and maybe my longest one, lightly brushed on this topic by explaining historical, social and personal reasons behind "intelligence" among Asians. However, it felt like a more retrospective look at the roots of intelligence, rather than a dynamic view of what it feels like waking up each day under the label of "being smart". This post is meant to elucidate some of those emotions.
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"It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value." Although, no one can ignore the social advantages of "being smart", it would be naive to revere academic intelligence as a flawless characteristic. Many people are unable to gauge their overall intelligence because it is not measured in a way that is as concrete as the 10-point grading scale. This leads to a subconscious idolization of those who are academically competent and a fixation on following such behavior. However noble this goal may be, many do not see the downfalls of achieving it.

Above-average performance goes hand in hand with above-average expectations. I recall a conversation with a friend about qualifications about an internship about a software company. I said that because I had qualified for the AIME, I had the advantage above others. He responded by saying something along the lines of, "That's not very surprising because you're Asian. They want someone who exceeds normal expectations." Without getting into stereotypes, I found this to be an excellent illustration of how society has preset expectations of people based on past performance. Performing well on a hard test can lead classmates to expect similar performances on following tests. A 95 could be viewed as both below average and above average depending on the history of the test taker.

It is human nature to compare. In track, people compare times against earlier performances to judge their progress. In school, friends may compare report cards to decide who's smarter. Many events in the Olympics are scored based on comparisons by a panel of judges. Comparisons can lose their effectiveness when judged across incorrectly synchronized standards. For example, a freshmen that runs an 11.4 could be said to be less of a contribution to the team compared to a senior that runs a 10.9. However, when gauging future potential, it is incorrect to say that a 10.9 is better than an 11.4 without considering the age of the runners.

Some people have tendencies to make overarching assumptions when it comes to academic intelligence. For example, "If you're in AP Calculus, why can't you do this geometry question in two seconds?". The teacher of the geometry course, the conceptual differences between calculus and geometry, the memory of the student and ability to problem solve were ignored when asking this question. There are also some questions asked that are cross-curricular but are still fundamentally different. For example, "You finished the whole Kumon program. So why does your design for a vertical conveyor belt device fail?". Some statements are made under the assumption of an omnipotent intelligence. "Oh hey, look at that thick book, Victor must read that". The opposite can also be done. Negative expectations of social and physical skill can be formed when someone is book smart.

In all of these circumstances, someone's image can change based off of stereotypes. The media tends to poke fun at or glamorize some of these stereotypes, only circulating them throughout society more. No matter how consistent such stereotype is, it is not a reliable basis of comparison.

Another disadvantage of "being smart" is the inability to tease others about a foolish or stupid thing they did without having a conscience completely clear of guilt of being haughty or scornful. As stated before, people tend to look up to more experienced people as role models. This being the case, words and actions from that person can be very influential. During freshmen year doing hurdles, I looked up to the seniors hurdlers for advice. Their encouragement also was just as helpful. Although teasing is approached from the perspective of a friend, a perception of an approach as someone intellectually superior can be very damaging and discouraging.

Lastly, intelligence sometimes can single you out because of different tastes. The people you interact can also make a difference, so being placed in higher classes can lead to different interests.

Intelligence has both its advantages and its downfalls. It is one of man's greatest mistakes to ignore the implications of any form of superiority when judging its immediate effects.
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If you found this note mildly interesting, you might enjoy these as well.
10 Things About Me
Intelligence vs. Ethnicity
Some Thoughts About Genius
Giftedness