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My belief is that intelligence is a set of multiple capabilities and merely having one can never be a sign of intelligence.
Still people often mark intelligence based on a single attribute. Seeing them do this, I become convinced that they don't know anything about intelligence and are themselves stupid in believing so.
Credentialism, for sure.
I have a degree, I went to university, I am this or that professional. Yeah, but you're also an idiot.
Thankfully, I went to Oxford so I can usually trump/safely diminish whatever credentials they may bring up.
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43 sats \ 1 reply \ @gmd 5h
Depends on the credentials. PhD in math/physics/engineering vs basket weaving. There are some very smart people in liberal arts but the credential itself is not predictive.
It's not popular opinion these days but elite universities do get a lot of talent. I work with young doctors from both Stanford and a community training program and the difference in the average intelligence/competence, especially early on in training is quite stark, even between Stanford and where I trained (UC). Saw a similar large gap when I was in the midwest between SLU and WashU students.
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You are correct that elite universities still attract a lot of talent. But we are talking small bubbles. Even medical students are a small minority at elite institutions.
I noticed a similar trend between Yale and UCLA students.
What I noticed immediately was that UCLA administrators were blatantly more political and diversity mandates were more stark and rigid
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Among the phd professors I know, none of them go by "Dr."
What I've found is that it's usually those of lesser degrees who insist on being called "Dr.", for whatever reason.
I think it's because the ones who actually know their stuff don't feel the need to rely on credentials. They're comfortable that they can establish everything they believe from the arguments. Thus, touting your credentials is a sign that you don't trust in your ability to establish your own aguments.
210 sats \ 1 reply \ @0xbitcoiner 15h
dressed up in a suit and tie
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Good exam results
People don’t understand that young minds can be hothoused
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10 sats \ 0 replies \ @gmd 5h
Yeah standardized tests suck except that they are better indicators than every other subjective measurement tool.
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What do you mean by hothoused?
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One thing that is definitely NOT a sign of intelligence is complicated speech. Many people think that using fancy words makes you look smarter.
Also, winning an argument doesn't always show intelligence. Sometimes it just means the person was more aggressive or stubborn, or used better rhetoric.
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I’ve lost many arguments because I simply don’t care enough to fight any longer, even though that doesn’t mean I was actually convinced I was wrong
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100% true. I think it's happened to all of us at some point.
When I was in college, a professor taught us this phrase, and I've never forgotten it:
Never argue with an ignorant person. They'll bring you down to their level, and then they'll beat you with experience.
Mark Twain
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I am undefeated on Reddit!
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Memorization skills.
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95 sats \ 0 replies \ @optimism 12h
I'd say everything is not a sign, because you cannot generalize intelligence and probably not truly measure it either. But I think that this doesn't even matter because:
Past performance offers no guarantees for future returns.
If you get a stroke (or long covid) and you can't finish that IQ test that you previously scored 150 on, are you now less intelligent? Even simpler: are you likely to be measured as intelligent as before while you're going through a nasty divorce or mourning the loss of a relative?
This is why, from where I'm sitting, while of course having developed cognitive skills like problem solving ability make a huge difference, attitude is much more important in life, and often a much more critical success factor than (perceived) intelligence.
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Being a good Speller
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207 sats \ 1 reply \ @Scoresby 15h
Defanately rite.
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Hahah
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50 sats \ 0 replies \ @klk 13h
Language/accent. Native speakers will always sound better no matter how dumb they are.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @nichro 7h
Using the semicolon + Being a grammar nazi online esp. in comment sections
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Belief in the existence of a "higher power".
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @flat24 10h
I think that an intelligent person is that with the ability to matter ... and not simply someone who follows orders, patterns or customs without basis or foundations, rather than that they are like that, because they "say it"
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Just owning bitcoin.
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Some people follow a tutorial on youtube and think it is sign of intelligence while it is not, if you don't invent something new or your proper manner or your own perspective and do it by letter it would not be a sign of intelligence.
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