Why Intelligent People Drink More Alcohol

Usagi Miyamoto · Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 5:22 pm Post subject:

Someday the world will recognize and reward my actinic brilliance, which I will enhance with this organic solvent. When I was sixteen and found I could join Mensa, it seemed a substantially nerd-cool idea; only later did I realize that there's a certain insufferability to the notion, though whether it's better or worse than being a Mayflower descendant I couldn't say.

Bring on the interpretive dance!
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Samsally · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 6711

I always got those stupid invites but I never bothered to remember the names of the organizations.

"Pay $70 and be in this book with a bunch of other smart kids!" Thbbbt.

And then I went to college and got a degree in theater that I haven't used for two years.

My life is alike a big example of what not to do if you ever want to make money.

Sam · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 9702

Darqcyde · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 3:17 am Post subject:

Sam: Wasn't posted here (on forums) about how being more intelligent correlates with increased propensity to be (or to become) "insane" (or at least develop some sort of psychosis)? I know I've seen this in articles here and there but wasn't sure if it was brought up here or not.

I always thought that this was the most interesting theme in both Lovecraft's works and the COC gamebooks: The smarter you are the more you realize 'shit is fucked up' when it is 'fucked up' and the more mental stress is therefore imposed upon your brain trying to deal with it.

If anyone can't relate to this just imagine that you're Joe in this clip and you're talking to the cabinet... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4056644458485033927#
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Dogen · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 11011 Location: Bellingham, WA

Darqcyde · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 3:53 am Post subject:

Dogen · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 11011 Location: Bellingham, WA

Well, "being intelligent" can be broadly defined as performing one or more cognitive tasks above average. In the example above, though, we find that it's not the cognitive task alone that seems to confer the protective benefit (I've never seen anything that said those in a specific field of study performed better, for instance). The interesting thing there, though, is that "street savvy" (an actual term used in a paper - researchers are dorks) alone doesn't appear to confer the benefit, either. There seems to be a synergistic effect of intelligence and experience, that coping mechanisms are developed through use and honing (rather than being intuitive), and intelligent people (generally) process information quickly and make connections between disparate information, allowing them to employ various techniques more effectively once learned.

At least, that's the theory.
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Darqcyde · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 4:14 pm Post subject:

I wonder how much of a role curiosity plays. Purely anecdotal, but I've always noticed that less intelligent people tend to ask fewer question and more readily tend to accept the answers that they are presented with at their face value without further examination.

I mean, isn't A LOT of behavior, in particular activities done as children, adolescents, and young adults (i.e. individuals with less life experience), which could be called stupid or risky or 'kids being kids' or 'youthful exuberance' a result, at least in some part, of curiosity. I mean Andrew WK host a show all about that.
But more on point, this reminds me of all those kids who (gross generalization here but just go with it) who follow all the rules growing up and throughout high school and then only to go through traumatic binge partying episodes (drinking, drugs, casual sex) with the first taste of freedom from immediate parental control. I've seen people whom I would definitely call highly intelligent do some outrageously stupid things their freshmen years of college.
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...if a single leaf holds the eye, it will be as if the remaining leaves were not there.
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Samsally · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 6711

Dogen · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 11011 Location: Bellingham, WA

You know, I don't know any of the science here because I'm not as into developmental, but I wouldn't discount intellectual curiosity as a factor. It may contribute to whether or not some kids seek new experiences. In the big five personality model "extraversion" is understood to represent excitement seeking. This would be independent of intelligence, though (edit: that is to say extraversion is considered an independent personality trait, so it's possible to be dumb and extraverted or smart and extraverted). What that means in terms of coping mechanisms, I couldn't say... Though you could theorize that no one trait (intelligence, curiosity, experience) would be sufficient to instill them.
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"Worse comes to worst, my people come first, but my tribe lives on every country on earth. I’ll do anything to protect them from hurt, the human race is what I serve." - Baba Brinkman

Sam · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 9702

Samsally · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 6711

Dennis J. Squidbunny · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 2:20 am Post subject:

LARGE, FRUITY AND FULL OF RUM!
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Dogen · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 11011 Location: Bellingham, WA

What is, "how I like my Australians?"
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"Worse comes to worst, my people come first, but my tribe lives on every country on earth. I’ll do anything to protect them from hurt, the human race is what I serve." - Baba Brinkman