1.1: Intellectual Quotient

a) Chapter introduction

IQ doesn’t measure how much you know. It measures how you think. In this chapter, we’ll explore why you may have felt friction within yourself since your early school years, what IQ can and can’t predict, and why having a high IQ often makes life more complex, not easier.

Topics of focus

What high IQ actually means, how it fits into society, and what it does and doesn’t mean for you.

Key questions you will get answers to

• What does my IQ really say about how my brain works?
• Why do I sometimes feel out of sync with others?
• How much of my future is actually determined by IQ?

What you will learn

You’ll explore the connection between IQ, potential, and fulfillment, and learn how to use your abilities without being defined by them.

Time to finish

About 20 minutes

b) From the therapy room

This course is not a schoolbook. I won’t be giving perfect definitions or diving deep into complex psychological or medical terms. Instead, each lesson begins with real quotes and stories from gifted people who have sat in my therapy room. The goal is to give you practical insight into giftedness, help you feel less alone, and maybe even inspire you with how others have dealt with similar challenges.

Clients sign up with all sorts of thoughts about their IQ. Here’s a glimpse of some of the things they’ve shared:

• I got tested as a kid, and it turns out I’m gifted. Honestly, it felt kind of weird.
• I’ve never really wanted to fit into the whole “gifted” label.
• Apparently, I’m gifted… or so I’ve been told.
• I kind of think I might be gifted, but then again, I’m not totally sure.
• A friend of mine found out they’re gifted, and since we think and function in similar ways, it made me wonder if I might be, too.
• Along with ADHD and dyslexia, I might also be gifted—because why not add one more thing to the mix?
• I don’t really believe I’m gifted, but at the same time, maybe I am? I mean, I wouldn’t even be writing this if I didn’t at least relate to some of it.
• I’ve never done an official test for giftedness. Honestly, I don’t even know why, but I guess I just don’t feel like I need to.
• Lately, I’ve been looking for someone to help me with some stuff I’m dealing with. I think some of it might have to do with realizing years ago that I’m gifted (still feels super weird to say that).

c) About why do you feel the friction

d) Poll

e) Exercise

Imagine this….a person with a average IQ of 100 sits in a classroom where the average is 70. What are the main challenges this student might struggle with the most?

What advice would you give to this person who is struggling with these challenges?

Gifted people rarely receive the same understanding or support as others. Their uniqueness is often overlooked or misunderstood. I’ve illustrated the impact of this in the drawing. We’ll explore this curve in more detail later in the course, but in short: the high curve shows someone who is understood and receives the right help, like proper care for a broken leg. The low curve shows someone who is unseen, misunderstood, and left without the help they need.

Do you recognise any of it?