8 replies to this topic

[PatrickGer]

Do people with (not high, but extremely high IQs)....often overcomplicate things to the point, where it makes their thinking+decisions....well ineffective / low ROI?

I do not mean to rant (typing this with a completely calm mindset). its just.. there's a particular reason why Im asking.

Any of you guys (or gals, of course) who have been in the biz (whether SEO or other industries in the past)...been making this experience regularly?

[HalvorHH]

Do people with (not high, but extremely high IQs)....often overcomplicate things to the point, where it makes their thinking+decisions....well ineffective / low ROI?

I do not mean to rant (typing this with a completely calm mindset). its just.. there's a particular reason why Im asking.

Any of you guys (or gals, of course) who have been in the biz (whether SEO or other industries in the past)...been making this experience regularly?

I've known a good sample, but not through SEO, and the idea does seem very familiar. Some are like that, but others are the complete opposite, they focus and take decisions better than average, more in line with their IQ scores, so there's a larger spread. Some definitely can't see the wood from the trees, others have already caught the mouse hiding in the underbrush the others didn't see. What you might notice when you put a bunch of random high IQ individuals in a room is they're usually very different from each other in most ways compared to other random gatherings. It's very much up to the individual what they can make of their high IQ scores, some manage to apply it to some area where it's useful and get an edge from it, others seemingly only have disadvantages except things like being really good at sudoko.

Edited by Bongodrum, 31 January 2011 - 06:47 AM.

[chrishirst]

It's not necessarily a IQ related "thing", but where search engines are concerned it's more often a case of "A little knowledge being a dangerous thing"

But very often, the better anyone knows their subject, the more likely they are to miss out the basics, because "Everybody must know that"!

[HalvorHH]

It's not necessarily a IQ related "thing", but where search engines are concerned it's more often a case of "A little knowledge being a dangerous thing"

Holds true for a lot of intellectual professions that don't have set standards, I think. If you're nowhere near passing the bar exams then very few would imagine themselves to be great lawyers. However, I have no trouble seeing a rambling idiot with good marketing skills imagining himself an SEO expert. In fact, I think I've seen a few already. I try not to be too biased, but whenever I see a prospective translator who can write and insist they couldn't work as a translator, it's the best sign I know that person would make a great translator. There are exceptions of course, some younger guys tend to be boisterous and can back it up for example, but in many cases the trend is ability is inversely proportional to self assessment.

[chrishirst]

I have no trouble seeing a rambling idiot with good marketing skills imagining himself an SEO expert.

Coming soon, to a forum near you; Rowan Atkinson in Mr Bean - SERPlus to requirement!

BTW you could change the "good marketing skills" to "NO marketing skills"

[PatrickGer]

@Bongodrum(+chrishirst,too of course) - thanks for the insights.

I probably need to separate the IQ thing & intelligence much more in my head...considering IQ only a part of intelligence and realizing that some(maybe many) truly are smart, whereas others are not .... because they lack something else (which doesnt show on such a test).

[1dmf]

IQ is only one part of intelligence, and having a high IQ doesn't make you smart, autism perfectly emphasises this.

Having Dyspraxia, I know perfoming some tasks I look stupid, however, I have an above average IQ, my test score shows I am in the top 25%!

A builder can be a master at his trade, know all the quirks, handy hints and a skill base that takes years to master, but they could have a far below average IQ.

If you are basing anything on IQ, you are doing your assesment, yourself and those you judge a total disservice and will have inaccurate results!

[HalvorHH]

IQ is only one part of intelligence, and having a high IQ doesn't make you smart, autism perfectly emphasises this.

Actually, severe autists such as savants score below average on IQ tests. Being a nerd isn't the same as being an autist, although you can be both. I think autism emphasizes another fact - our brains have tremendous potentials. When scientists look at an autist's brains, they only find a lack of communication channels usually present in other people. In savants, the backup nerves are usually missing too. It seems our brains compensate by becoming really good at some things when others don't work. The fun thing is it should be possible for all people to get access to some of these savant traits too if we can just unlock them.

A builder can be a master at his trade, know all the quirks, handy hints and a skill base that takes years to master, but they could have a far below average IQ.

Not only that, but a lot of theoretically minded high IQ people would become very bored with brick carrying after a while compared to a lower IQ person. Some stereotypes seem true some times, but other times they're untrue. Some extreme high IQ scorers like da Vinci seem to have had practical intelligence on par with their theoretical IQs, while others are remarkably clumsy and unpractical compared to normal. Normal scoring people just seem more... Normal.

[1dmf]

Nice one Bongodrum, exactly my point.

There are a number of factors which make up 'inteligence' or apptitude to do certain tasks, and IQ is only part of the equasion.