High IQ and Narcissism: Fact or Fiction?

I know 🙂

neonmarlin56 said:Well, hey, you're still alive and kicking, right? So why even worry about it? You're gonna end up in the ground eventually whether you're a genius or a total airhead.😎

And look, if you were sitting there hoping someone would jump on you and enjoy making fun of your "lack of intellect," I can't really help you out with that—but maybe you should just start a whole new thread, something like:
"I'm a complete dummy, so please, just mess with my head." Because honestly, what else is there to say?😕

And you're quite the character, 😍you really had me laughing there—as if I should just invite everyone to feast on my lack of intellect...😍 People always seem to find entertainment in those they deem "lesser"... it’s just the law of the jungle, isn't it? Survival of the fittest. My father used to explain it to me in very vivid terms... at least it made me realize he loved me in his own way.

Thomas Martinez67 said:Is there anything more fascinating than the intersection of deep cognitive science and the raw, unbridled energy of modern art? I’ve been spending quite a bit of time lately thinking about "neuromantics"—that strange, beautiful space where our neural pathways meet our deepest romantic impulses. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Are we truly in love, or is it just a highly sophisticated chemical dance orchestrated by our biology? I was reading this incredible piece on how dopamine spikes during the initial stages of attraction, and it really puts things into perspective. It’s almost like our brains are being hijacked by a very specific set of biological instructions. But then again, isn't that what makes it so special? If it were all just predictable math and chemistry, would the feeling be quite as profound? Or perhaps the magic lies exactly in that tension between the predictable biology and the unpredictable heart. It reminds me of those old discussions we used to have about how much of our personality is hardwired versus learned. Does our brain's architecture dictate who we fall for, or do we carve out new paths through sheer willpower and experience? It’s a massive question, I know, but sometimes you just have to let your mind wander down those rabbit holes. What do you all think? Is romance an evolutionary trick, or is there something more... transcendent happening in those synapses? 🙂
Is it just me, or does Mensa struggle with its own internal mechanics? It feels like the organization often trips over its own feet, mostly because it seems to be working against itself. Why does that happen? It’s almost as if the inner workings aren't quite aligned, leading to a bit of self-sabotage from within.
Check out this blog over at It’s a little corner of the internet dedicated to all things high intelligence and mental agility! Have you ever wondered what goes on inside the minds of those who qualify for Mensa? This site offers some pretty interesting perspectives on that whole world. It's worth a look if you enjoy pondering the complexities of the human brain!

I have to disagree there; I think Mensa actually functions quite well.

Austin Kim3 said:I have to disagree there; I think Mensa actually functions quite well.

If anything, it’s working fantastically!😬
I mean, how many members do they even have at this point?😁

mistybison said:Back when he was performing those kinds of songs, he and his band were just playing local garage shows for a couple of beers. 😁

Someone mentioned this earlier, but I have to disagree with the idea that a high IQ is what isolates people or creates a sense of alienation. It is actually different interests, differing worldviews, and varying life priorities that cause that disconnect, none of which are strictly tied to intelligence levels. Besides, individuals with exceptionally high IQ scores are just as rare as those with profound intellectual disabilities; most people simply fall within the average range.

👍
Higher intelligence might facilitate an academic degree
or success in higher education,
but it does nothing to prepare a person for the unpredictable challenges
they will encounter in life.
That requires emotional capacity
stemming from the amygdala
(the center of the limbic system that activates
to handle urgent situations),
often referred to as "emotional intelligence."
This response is faster than "rational" thought, which filters information
or applies constraints.

Someone clearly knows their neuroanatomy!

I honestly don't know

She passed both attempts! 😍
Quickly now, what else do you want to know before I forget?

Who or what?

restlessridge36 said:She passed both attempts! 😍
Quickly now, what else do you want to know before I forget?

So, I was wondering... how would a person even function if their amygdala were just gone?

What's Narcissism? Let me break it down for you

Kenneth Lee16 said:What's Narcissism? Let me break it down for you

Narcissism is basically when a guy decides to shave everything except his face.
Personally—I just can't wrap my head around how a smooth, shaved chest goes with being smart... let alone actually being highly intelligent.

restlessridge36 said:She passed both attempts! 😍
Quickly now, what else do you want to know before I forget?

Does this "amygdala" actually evolve, and does it utilize experience—much like reason does—when evaluating situations and forming reactions?

Keith Lee2 said:So, I was wondering... how would a person even function if their amygdala were just gone?

They would be indifferent.

mistybison said:Does this "amygdala" actually evolve, and does it utilize experience—much like reason does—when evaluating situations and forming reactions?

Yes, but not consciously. It merely stores "raw" emotions that haven't been processed or filtered through the neocortex (the rational brain).

restlessridge36 said:They would be indifferent.

Now everyone’s going to think how incredibly "cool" that sounds.😍
If you stripped away the amigdala, we wouldn't feel a thing.
But that wouldn't even bother us, because we wouldn't even know what feelings are...
We wouldn't recognize our own mothers...
Everything would be so meaningless that we wouldn't even bother talking,
even if our speech centers were perfectly intact.

In a word: we'd be morons.
Sure, our IQ could be through the roof, but nobody would ever be able to measure it
because we wouldn't have the slightest interest in sitting through a test.😬

restlessridge36 said:Yes, but not consciously. It merely stores "raw" emotions that haven't been processed or filtered through the neocortex (the rational brain).

👍
I suspect what was actually meant was: yeah,but not consciously🙂
The amigdala doesn't care about data from the rest of the brain.
It only remembers emotions...
In high-stakes situations—life or death, or anything remotely close to that—
it reacts via a "shortcut" if it perceives a threat, even if one isn't actually there.
It bypasses the rest of the brain entirely because, frankly, "there's no time"
(that's just the most primitive survival instinct at work)
Under normal circumstances, things take the "scenic route"
working in a much more sophisticated way, shaped by your culture and the input from your rational mind.

restlessridge36 said:Yes, but not consciously. It merely stores "raw" emotions that haven't been processed or filtered through the neocortex (the rational brain).

It follows that with enough experience, we naturally become more "emotionally intelligent."

Honestly, who even needs emotional intelligence?

Thomas Martinez67 said:Honestly, who even needs emotional intelligence?

It already ruined a few people long ago🤣