From: Dale Thorn <dthorn@gte.net>
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 09:35:13 -0800 (PST)
To: Igor Chudov <ichudov@algebra.com>
Subject: Re: IQ and age
In-Reply-To: <199611280447.WAA23636@algebra>
Message-ID: <329DC5A0.6228@gte.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Igor Chudov @ home wrote:
> Dale Thorn wrote:
> > The biggest influence on IQ are the so-called "engrams" (fears, super-
> > stitions, anxieties, etc.) planted in your brain early in life.
> > Some of this can be overcome with mental exercise, and awareness of what
> > negative influences are holding you back.  Much easier said than done!
> > IQ as they attempt to measure it can probably be most easily explained
> > as pattern matching skills. Unfortunately for testing, and although you
> > can be every bit as intelligent at 70 as at 10, your pattern-matching
> > skills change and evolve over time, so any given tests will only apply
> > (more or less) at the age group they are optimized for.

> Would you dismiss strong correlations between IQ and success in life
> and academia as something irrelevant?

Not at all, and I think you could make some interesting equations out of
this if you wanted to spend the time.

Factors for raw intelligence, i.e., pattern matching skills.
Factors for aggressiveness, assertiveness, self-confidence, etc.
Factors for manipulative ability (to manipulate people, etc.).  I don't
know how to properly categorize this last item, but perhaps a professional
psychologist would.

In sum, I think you could observe successful people and establish most
of the relevant factors, but be aware - if you are not an insider in
several of these "success circles", you might miss one or more key
factors, particularly those that would be denied by successful people,
such as willingness to do things people don't like to talk about openly.