Intelligence and loneliness

[Blindman]

What you are calling "retardation" is a state of impaired learning ability. And impaired learning most certainly DOES result in more ignorance since the individual cannot learn and understand as easily as do those who are not impaired. The rest of your statement is just personal opinion.

Are you suggesting that intellectual dysfunction means emotional dysfunction. Is pain greater for high IQ's?

Loneliness is expressed in a host of negative emotions. It is foolish to presume IQ implies stronger emotional response.

I hate to anthropomorphise but dogs hate to be alone and suffer from apparently the same emotional states as humans alone. They have very low IQ's

 

[Gustav]

gotta be death
life goes on without you

i mean............

 

[Stoniphi]

Emotional intelligence can be high or low just like other areas of intellect. Someone who has an emotional issue or deficit may get very lonely in the middle of a group of friends and family while someone who does not may not get lonely at all, ever.

The greater the intellectual intelligence, the more likely a person is to have developed several "coping strategies" to deal with loneliness. A Christian, Jew, Hindu or Moslem may take the opportunity to commune with their god, a Buddhist may take the opportunity to meditate, while a Shinto may commune with their ancestors. All of these folks profit from time alone, while the theists would say that they were with their god so they were not alone.

So I must suggest that - while anyone can experience loneliness - a more intellectual person may have the tools to deal with it more effectively, though not necessarily.

Those of us who consider other creatures to be sentient or conscious are clear that we are not alone if there is a fly or a beetle buzzing around or a squirrel up a tree barking. Those of us with pets are never truly alone

 

[Gustav]

The greater the intellectual intelligence, the more likely a person is to have developed several "coping strategies" to deal with loneliness.

strange
i'd say, under the stated circumstances, one would recognize it for exactly that..... a strategy

 

[Dywyddyr]

The greater the intelligence the fewer people you can directly relate to.
The greater the intelligence the harder it is to find stimulation in "everyday life".

I wouldn't say that the OP is a hard and fast rule but I think it's got some merit.

 

[Gustav]

The greater the intelligence the fewer people you can directly relate to.
The greater the intelligence the harder it is to find stimulation in "everyday life".

I wouldn't say that the OP is a hard and fast rule but I think it's got some merit.

you are welcome to elaborate
thanks

/smirk

i mean, intelligence?, everyday life?

 

[Gustav]

There are biochemical correlates to loneliness, which I will go into later, but I wanted to get the subjective viewpoints first.

i trust you can find similar correlates to say, love, companionship. empathy, ja?

 

[Dywyddyr]

you are welcome to elaborate
thanks

On what?

i mean, intelligence?, everyday life?

I see, two pages into the discussion and now you decide you don't know what those words mean.

 

[S.A.M.]

i trust you can find similar correlates to say, love, companionship. empathy, ja?

Haven't looked, but if you are skeptical, you could tell me how valid these are:

the most surprising finding may be that loneliness is associated with altered gene expressions in the nucleus of immune cells, specifically with the under-expression of genes bearing anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid response elements (GREs) and over-expression of genes bearing response elements for pro-inflammatory NF-κB/Rel transcription factors. These effects may be mediated by the effects of loneliness on neuroendocrine activity, which in turn operates on the immune cells.

I haven't had an opportunity to read original data for analysis. If you can access the paper, do let me know, I would like to read it. I have a partiality to the NF kappa B transcription factors

http://neuronarrative.wordpress.com...liest-number-an-interview-with-john-cacioppo/

 

[Captain Kremmen]

I hate to anthropomorphise but dogs hate to be alone and suffer from apparently the same emotional states as humans alone. They have very low IQ's

You try filling out an IQ test with paws.

Which of these has the highest IQ?

1. Westie

2. Mae Westie

 

[Naturelles]

Haha, I saw the topic title on the forum index, and I said to myself "This so applies to me".

I like loneliness as it gives me peace and quiet. I hate noisy places.

And I can't STAND illogical people one bit. Most of the people at my school are dumb/stupid/illogical, hence why I like to keep myself in isolation.

 

[stateofmind]

In my opinion you're not that smart if you can't enjoy being stupid once in a while

 

[Read-Only]

Are you suggesting that intellectual dysfunction means emotional dysfunction. Is pain greater for high IQ's?

Loneliness is expressed in a host of negative emotions. It is foolish to presume IQ implies stronger emotional response.

I hate to anthropomorphise but dogs hate to be alone and suffer from apparently the same emotional states as humans alone. They have very low IQ's

No one has denied that loneliness is an emotional reaction.

And intellectual dysfunction most certainly CAN impede someone's ability to deal with emotional situations. Stated another way, the smarter (more intelligent) someone is, the better equipped they are to face ANY problem or situation. Are you saying that isn't true?

 

[Stoniphi]

strange
i'd say, under the stated circumstances, one would recognize it for exactly that..... a strategy

That is precisely how we describe such schemata persons have designed to deal with life problems - they are called "coping strategies". I was first introduced to the term in a graduate psychology class entitled "Coping Strategies of the Normal Personality". We examined how real people who live near here dealt with life changing and life shattering problems. The subject matter was so very emotionally upsetting that we lost 1/2 0f the class before the mid term exam.

The most common "coping strategy" is called "denial". That means that when confronted by a major problem, you do nothing. You do not acknowledge its existence, you pretend that it is not there and you just hope that it goes away or somehow resolves itself. Denial is also the least effective "coping strategy".

If you are educated in the art of "problem solving" (which is part of "rational management"), you recognize that encroaching loneliness will be a "problem" that you will have to "solve" if you are to escape the consequent emotional duress. You then come up with a "coping strategy" in order to "solve" that particular "problem".

There is no bad connotation in using a "coping strategy", it is part of a normal persons repertoire of behaviors, like a "mating strategy" or a "work strategy". I hope that helps.

I hate to anthropomorphise but dogs hate to be alone and suffer from apparently the same emotional states as humans alone. They have very low IQ's

Well, not so much, actually. Yeah, some dogs - like some people - are as smart as a sack of rocks. Other dogs are close to brilliant, just like some people. They simply have different abilities and priorities than we do (mostly). If my nose was 6 inches long and full of sensory nerves like a dogs is, that part of my intellect (the olfactory bulb) would be robust like a dogs and I would be very much more intrigued by scents that the rest of you would completely miss.

 

[Stoniphi]

Oh yeah - but I agree on the emotional thing, they feel much as we do, that is why we choose to live with them.

 

[John99]

While reading a ridiculously fluff novel recently, I came across a profound statement:

The greater the intelligence, the greater the capacity for loneliness

Is this true? Just offhand, without looking too much into it, it seems to be too simplistic. While intelligent people have a greater capacity for enjoying their own company - does this automatically make them more likely to be lonesome?

I disagree. seems like we are always looking for justification and making excuses. so we can say 'The greater the intelligence, the greater the capacity for making excuses'. Thats not true either.

For myself, i have my own ideas and conclusions and dont need them justified by another person to agree with me.

 

[Neverfly]

Simple minds like simple solutions.

 

[Dywyddyr]

I disagree. seems like we are always looking for justification and making excuses. so we can say 'The greater the intelligence, the greater the capacity for making excuses'. Thats not true either.

Except that by definition it is true. The smarter someone is the more options they can come up with as excuses (or at least they have the capacity to come up with more options).

For myself, i have my own ideas and conclusions and dont need them justified by another person to agree with me.

Then there's hardly any point in you posting is there? Since this is supposed to be Human Science and science involves little things like verification, etc. Opinion isn't part of science.

 

[iceaura]

Stated another way, the smarter (more intelligent) someone is, the better equipped they are to face ANY problem or situation.

I'd be unsurprised to discover that the extreme ends of the intelligence spectrum have more than average difficulty making friends, finding soulmates, etc. Especially if their mental advantage is in speed or quickness of evaluation, one would expect being out of step ahead in getting jokes, picking up on situations, etc, would be just as alienating (and more threatening to others) as being out of step behind; and their greater intelligence makes them at least potentially more aware of their situation, more comprehending of its roots and enforcements.

On the other hand, it does seem that objectionable people with no friends are prone to think of themselves as very intelligent - there's an observation bias, in the loneliness/intelligence correlation.

And there's the accomplishment factor: smart people like to do difficult intellectual things, often, and that often requires focus and dedication of attention away from other people. Having lots of friends, acquiring social skills of high order, takes time and effort. People who put their time and effort elsewhere are going to have fewer friends, and people who have realized what some forms of accomplishment require might even cultivate isolation to the point of loneliness - value it as the context of focused effort. The guy who proved Fermat's Last Theorem shut himself up in a room in his house for hours almost every day for years.

 

[Blindman]

I'm not going to comment on my own intelligence, apart from that I'm above average. I have rarely felt lonely. I am able to be friends with almost anyone. I am quick to pick up on peoples wants and desires. I can hold them in conversation easily and enjoy what they have to say.

The most intelligent people I know have very successful lives and have rich and diverse social lives.

It is easy for someone with a specific interest to get caught up in it. Because of their interest they will fall into the trap that their superior knowledge of this subject, means they have high intelligence. That anyone that does not have a similar interest must be inferior and not worthy of their time. Hence self imposed isolation and loneliness.

Intelligent people tend to have more friends and a richer social life. So stop whining, if your intelligent you should easily make friends, lead conversation, and have people enjoy your company.