My IQ and the struggles that come with it

Here’s my story. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to read this, and especially to those who take the time to reply.
I was born over thirty years ago into a family of six—my parents, two much older brothers, my grandmother, and myself. My childhood was pretty traumatic, to be honest. Aside from my grandma, everyone in the house treated me like I was incredibly dim-witted and incapable.
For instance, back in school, my grades hovered around a C or D average, while my brothers were straight-A students. My dad used to say he couldn't even trust me with the simplest task because I’d inevitably mess it up. There was also a lot of jealousy involved. I remember once when my parents bought me a model airplane kit to build (one of those classic Revelle sets you can still find today), my brother fought them on it, saying they were just throwing money away because I wouldn't be able to put it together anyway. To "help," my parents made him do it for me—and since he was actually experienced, he did. I remember counting his collection once; he had 117 models!
Well... years have passed since then. My parents moved out, taking me along with them, and my grandma passed away. My brothers graduated from Ivy League schools, climbed the corporate ladder, and started families of their own. My oldest brother took the Mensa test and scored an IQ of 148. My middle brother constantly brags about even higher scores, and apparently, his wife has an IQ of 160. My dad became a tenured professor at a major university, and his brother is an executive at a massive corporation...
... meanwhile, I finished school (with slightly better grades than before) and graduated from a mid-tier college. I managed to pick up a few awards from the university, but when my family congratulated me, the way they said it made it crystal clear they were actually mocking me.
Anyway, I eventually managed to get some distance from my parents and moved out. I found a girlfriend, we live together, and nowadays, I barely even speak to my parents or brothers.
A few months ago, I decided to go take the Mensa test. I went in feeling pretty confident, thinking the idea that I was significantly less intelligent than my brothers and the rest of my family was just nonsense...
... but the result didn't meet my expectations: 132. The letter from Mensa stated that the score was above average, placing me in the 92nd percentile (meaning I performed better than 92% of people). If I weren't surrounded by my current circle, I might be satisfied, but for me, it’s a disappointment because it's still nowhere near the level of my "terminator" relatives.
Is it possible they bullied and humiliated me all those years just because of that intelligence gap? Just a side note: I saw a psychiatrist once for some personal issues, but back then, I was convinced I couldn't possibly be that much less intelligent than my brothers. Even then, I got the impression the doctor was low-key laughing at me.
Should I go for testing one more time, just to be sure? Maybe try practicing IQ test prep questions? I don't know, I'm questioning the point of it all. Is there any sense in trying to reintegrate into the family? And honestly, does it even make sense to hang out with highly intelligent people, seeing how they seem to use their massive IQs: primarily as weapons in interpersonal power struggles.

If you ask me, an IQ score is just some random number people brag about when they don't have anything else going for them in life.

Everyone I know—and I don't know many—who actually has a high IQ is basically just a weirdo. I know one guy pretty well who’s a total alcoholic 😢.

I mean, remember that last Milijunas guy? This dude is a Mensa member, right? Someone asked him: "When does spring start in the Southern Hemisphere?" and he goes: "March 21st, because spring is spring, regardless of which hemisphere you're in." 😕.

The guy literally couldn't think straight, which seems to be a common theme with these high-IQ types.

Why can't you just enjoy being an ordinary, normal Covjek? Forget the past—it was clearly ugly, but it's over now.

🙂

You aren't going to raise your IQ through "training" on tests.🙄

You’re just who you are. You claim to be above average, yet somehow that still isn't enough for you?😕

Honestly, I tire of this nonsense.🙄

Look, if you aren't joking 😉 , then your family has some serious issues and certain people probably need professional help.
If you actually want to be realistic, go talk to biologists, psychologists, and actual experts in the field; then you'll see what they really think about IQ scores. 😉

My advice? Just forget all this IQ nonsense and testing. Go ahead and laugh at xxxxxx (autocensored) who fall for this whole commercialized scam. 😉

Enjoy yourself 🙂

briskeagle38 said:You definitely aren't going to raise your actual intelligence just by "practicing" with IQ tests.🙄

Look, if you practice those specific tests, sure, you’ll bump up your score—which is what people call an IQ. But let's be real: that number doesn't actually have anything to do with how smart you are.🙂

Well, now that I'm done talking about darkbison81, I don't have anything else to add...🙂

darkbison81 said:If you practice these tests, your score—which they call an IQ—will go up. Of course, that has absolutely nothing to do with actual intelligence.🙂

Exactly what I was getting at.😉
Look at me—I think one thing, then end up saying something else entirely.🙄

briskeagle38 said:If you ask me, an IQ score is just some random number people love to throw around when they don't have anything else meaningful to offer in life.

...

Why can't you just embrace being an ordinary, normal guy? Forget about what happened before—it sounds like things were rough, clearly, but it’s in the past now.

🙂

The thing is, I have a hard time letting certain things go. I really tried to push back against how my family treated me, trying to hold my own and be seen as their equal. Honestly, there was more than just verbal stuff—sometimes it turned physical, and it was pretty brutal. They’d just swing at me for no reason, like "let's go boxing," or land a heavy blow... and nobody wants to step in to help because they don't have time for my "nonsense" or my "complaining." It was always, "It was just an accident, and besides, it's your own fault for not watching your head." Because of how they acted—even if it wasn't constant, mostly they just threatened me or yelled, accusing me of getting special treatment while "they have to struggle"—I used to think that, at the very least, I was their intellectual equal.

Who even cares? IQ is nothing more than some random number on a page meant to stroke someone's ego. What actually matters is finding a job you actually enjoy—something that lets you live a decent life. Screw IQ and screw all those frustrated, miserable people who obsess over their "successes" while secretly rotting away because they aren't even more successful.

Cut the crap.

I’d say you were a victim of your family's emotional coldness—to put it mildly

But look, now that you've finally found your footing as an individual and "sorted out" the family situation, don't waste time feeling sorry for yourself because your childhood was a mess. Instead, focus on all the great things waiting for you down the road. Take everything you've learned and pass it on so you don't repeat those same parenting mistakes with the next generation.

The truth is, family will mess with your head as long as they're around—just accept it. You can't change them because, honestly, they don't even see it that way.
IQ132 is actually a really solid score, and I'm pretty sure your friends and your girlfriend definitely don't think you're stupid...

A psychology professor at my university once claimed that Mensa is just a collection of mentally challenged people. 😁 I haven't taken the test myself yet, though maybe I should.
An IQ of 132 is solid; why are you even sweating it?
Here’s the thing: research shows there's only about a 20% correlation between school grades and actual intelligence. It's common knowledge that Mensa members aren't necessarily the most successful people out there.
It's unfortunate you haven't been accepted by your family, but that has nothing to do with your IQ.
Who knows what the real reason is—some people just love picking on whatever target they can find, and you ended up being the easy mark.🙄
Honestly, it might be better if you focused more on your own life and less on the people around you who just exist to create toxic vibes.

briskeagle38 said:If you ask me, an IQ score is just some random number people use to brag when they don't really have anything else going for them in life.

🙂

I couldn't agree more!

Plus, honestly, 132 is more than enough. I'd much rather be a well-adjusted person with a 132 than someone with a 150 who acts like a total weirdo... which is usually how it goes anyway...

..forget all that IQ stuff and Ice Cube vibes. You’ve got a heart and real feelings. Let the intellect go ahead and build its bridges, dams, software, or algorithms, or whatever else it does.. You’ve got guts! Why don't you have the folks from Mensa come over and give you a test on humanity and tolerance instead?
Look, I’ve got nothing against people from Mensa, or any other high-brow clique. But if you aren't happy with who you are—well, that's a whole different ballgame. Whether or not you've pushed your natural talents to the absolute limit is a conversation for another day.
In my life, I’ve rubbed elbows with "super-intellects"—but I never found a real Covjek who actually enjoys things without an ulterior motive. Someone who knows how to listen, someone who doesn't force their "Truth" down your throat at any cost, someone humble enough to just be themselves without fishing for attention... someone willing to sit there and take it when they're wrong. A quality Covjek... man, I'm starting to ramble and repeat myself here. It's just that this talk about raw intellect really hits me. I used to think I was the dumb one compared to them, but now? All I know is that I'm more human. Though, honestly, even I'm not quite sure what "human" means anymore...
😕

..when you actually take a second to look at people, their behavior, and how things play out, it turns out that IQ score isn't nearly the big deal everyone makes it out to be... people get so worked up about it! But now, there's this other thing—and honestly, it's a totally different ballgame, one that usually ends on a pretty sad note......

..and honestly, there's no deep wisdom here. We're all just regular folks. Even you over at Mensa—actually, most of us are way more primitive and, let's be real, a bit pathetic. No offense intended, but seriously, everyone... including me! 🙂 But man, give me a break!!! What can you even say? I just read briskeagle38's comment and realized I have absolutely no clue when spring actually starts in the Southern Hemisphere. It took me forever to wrap my head around the fact that the country isn't just some flat disc, but an actual Geoid, slightly squashed at the poles. That's just me... aaaaah

I honestly don't get why you're stressing out over this—unless, of course, this whole thing is just some massive prank you're pulling to see how many people actually fall for it 😁
Your folks could probably use a little help from a therapist or something, just to bump up their emotional intelligence a notch—because, let's be real, being smart or wise isn't just about how well you can crunch numbers or handle abstract theories.
An IQ score doesn't guarantee anything in the real world, not even doing well in college; and honestly, even crushing it at university doesn't mean you'll actually make it in life. So, just enjoy the freedom now that you've finally broken away from your family!

Based on my own experience:
1. Having a high IQ in an environment that doesn't match your capabilities just leads to more frustration than anyone else deals with.
2. People with higher intelligence tend to read situations—and their conversational partners—far too accurately... which makes living in those environments feel like a total grind.
3. Whether it's pure envy or just a general lack of understanding from those around them, people with high IQs often end up isolated.
4. A higher IQ acts as a gateway into an endless universe of unsolved scientific questions and various other "whys"—which, for someone with a high IQ, creates even deeper internal restlessness and dissatisfaction.
5. Highly intelligent individuals often feel this compulsion to change the world—or at least the masses—which, let's face it, is impossible.
6. In terms of practical day-to-day survival, IQ isn't actually the deciding factor for how well someone navigates life.
7. In many cases, people with lower IQs end up more successful than those with higher ones—mostly because they can't see all the potential pitfalls in a new venture, so they dive into bold moves that actually pay off (granted, the system is a bit of a blind chicken, but still...).
8. High-IQ individuals aren't typically risk-takers in business, and that hesitation is often a major factor in why they don't succeed.
9. Trying to communicate with "average" people loses all its charm.
10. Highly intelligent people can be a bit eccentric—they constantly have all sorts of random ideas popping into their heads.
11. People with lower IQs are generally happier.
12.
Personally, my IQ has brought me nothing but dissatisfaction and friction with the world around me.
I'm curious, how familiar are you all with IQ scales, and which ones are actually current?
According to one chart, Einstein had a 167, while some prostitute in England supposedly had a 169. ??? !!!
Which scale is considered valid these days?
The one I remember goes something like this:
0 -70 low
70 -90 below average
90- 120 average
120- 140 high intelligence
140 -160 superior
160- geniuses
I took a test back when I was a student, but we used methods that were completely different from the stuff you find online nowadays... back in 1967.
Does IQ diminish with age?
Or if you don't actively train it?

I don’t place much stock in IQ scores, to be perfectly honest. In your particular case, I can't help but wonder if a deep-seated fear of failure wasn't the primary culprit here. It seems as though you arrived at the testing center already bracing for the possibility of appearing unintelligent; that kind of acute stress inevitably skews the results. One must remember that emotional intelligence plays an incredibly significant role in navigating life's complexities, as does the sort of self-assurance that you, quite evidently, seem to lack. My advice? Relax, stop obsessing over your IQ, find work that actually fulfills you, and try to enjoy life a little more. 😉 I work in an environment where I am surrounded by plenty of highly intelligent individuals, and frankly, most of them are complete oddballs. I have never once felt the urge to sit down and measure my own IQ. Whether a standardized test labels me as brilliant or mediocre won't change my trajectory, nor will it serve as any kind of obstacle in my daily life.

..so I was reading this thing yesterday that said our country isn't even a Geoid, it’s actually more like a Krumpiroid..🙂 hehehe

"The real question is whether it’s even worth hanging out with highly intelligent people at all. Every time I look around, it seems like they just use those massive Google scores to win petty arguments and manipulate others." [/B]

Man, I honestly don't get why you're so bitter. Look at where you are... you've got a wife, a stable life, everything's sorted
, which means you've already won your battles.

Just look forward and enjoy your life. Stop worrying about saving the whole world. 🙂