We're all talking about neurodiversity nowadays. As we (hopefully) move to a more tolerant society, it's important to understand that .... 好吧, people are all different.
我当然是不同的.(问问我妻子就知道了.)
I had a look at my browser history yesterday. I started the morning by watching a series of videos about someone building a valve based computer in the US - this is wonderful, 去看看——
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnw98JPyObn0v-98gRV9PfzAQONTKxql3
I then moved on to reading up about situs invertus totalis, a rare condition in 哪一个 all internal organs are in mirrored positions (just ask Donny Osmond) and then, 还在做医学研究, I reminded myself of total calvarial remodelling for skull deformities, 哪一个, unless you're of a medical bent like myself, you don't really want to google. 诚实.
午饭后(是的), I managed lunch after a morning of surgical videos) I then started looking into building a valve based distortion pedal for electric guitar (really must build one one day) and then wandered off to remind myself about neutron star formation and some of the more quixotic aspects of WW1 fighter aircraft design.
Unfortunately, I'm "intelligent".
I say "unfortunately" because being intelligent isn't all it's cracked up to be. The quotes are round "intelligent", because, 好吧, intelligent is a bit difficult to define.
Probably the main reason for me being "intelligent" is a rather sad one. 作为一个孩子, my parents thought it was much more important to spend my entire childhood having screaming arguments, so I was left in a corner with a book. 经典的“弃儿”.
When I was 9, my younger brother developed diabetes. The kindly old family doctor came around and, to get us out of the way whilst he had a chat about the implications with my parents, asked us to go off and "draw what you think is in your tummy." We crayoned away for 15 minutes, 回来, handed him a piece of paper, 在这一点上, 他看了两眼.
"Good God," he spluttered, "I've seen first year medical students who knew less than that." From what I remember, we'd even included the mesenteric artery. Not bad going for 9 years old.
智力的诅咒
Now, at this point, you'll probably take a dislike to me. And this is one of the problems with being intelligent - it's not popular to know more than someone else, 不幸的是，我确实如此, across a whole range of subjects. It's seen as immodest, superior and, frankly, rude. All of 哪一个 I am absolutely not.
You soon learn to keep your mouth shut, if you're "intelligent". Very high intelligence means you're unusual - you don't fit in - you have to allow people to be, 好吧, 错误的. 尤其是在工作中.
One thing the internet has revealed is that people prefer their own opinions to fact. 你可以, 当然, wade into a conversation on Facebook pointing out that a poster is incorrect about a subject, 或者你可以这样想, 好吧, 浪费时间, 让他们去吧.
Imagine an entire life like that.
And no, intelligence doesn't make you "better" than anyone. We're all very much the same, we're people from different backgrounds and we've had different experiences of life. I bear that in mind all the time - all that matters is if people are good or bad. The problem is, 好吧, finding a way of fitting into all of this.
Is intelligence "neurodiverse"?
好吧. 我不知道. I know what intelligence is, it's not about general knowledge or IQ tests - yes, 我在门萨, that just proves you're good at IQ tests. I'd more define intelligence as being able to digest and synthesize information to come to weighted conclusions.
As far as I can see, "neurodiverse" means "thinking differently." My experience of intelligent people - the top few percent of the population - is that they do, 事实上, think and behave differently.
I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the matter - hence this post.
请友好一点.
