I'm not denigrating anyone's specific beliefs here, it's just the assumptions that sometimes take me by surprise. Like, you realise the scientific consensus is that that stuff isn't real? And we can talk about these things on their own merits, but I have to change gears a bit. - ThreadSky

smolrobots.bsky.social • 9 days ago

I'm not denigrating anyone's specific beliefs here, it's just the assumptions that sometimes take me by surprise. Like, you realise the scientific consensus is that that stuff isn't real? And we can talk about these things on their own merits, but I have to change gears a bit.

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smolrobots.bsky.social•9 days ago

Ostensibly serious commentators just bandying around terms like "high IQ" is as absurd to me as them saying someone has the favour of the gods, or is assisted by familiar spirits.

braak.bsky.social•9 days ago

Like how can you be a remotely competent historian without realizing that historical events have been primarily shaped by Scorpios and Capricorns

enigmasystem03.bsky.social•9 days ago

I mean, at least stuff like divine favor or ghosts usually doesn't claim to have a highly objective, quantifiable basis. Which makes it at least somewhat less pernicious imo.

smolrobots.bsky.social•9 days ago

If that kind of thing is important to you, then have at it, but just talking like everyone believes in it is wild. You can't just drop "favourable auguries" or "good feng-shui in his home" into a conversation either. You need to check your audience.

smolrobots.bsky.social•9 days ago

IQ tests are pseudoscience. If you want to say someone is intelligent, just say it. They don't because most people understand that "intelligence" is a nebulous concept and they want to present a veneer of credibility and supposed objectivity to their assertions.

smolrobots.bsky.social•9 days ago

But there is no objective measure of intelligence. It's subjective, and there's not even an agreed upon standard that might inform such a measurement. You can't even infer it from some related quantity (like the subjective "fat" with the objective "mass").

smolrobots.bsky.social•9 days ago

Anyway, I'm off to do the Guardian's cryptic crossword which I tend to be able to smash out in 20 - 30 minutes, on which basis I assume I am qualified to run the US federal government.

sinisterbulb.bsky.social•9 days ago

Your argument is undermined however, as solely based on your posts, you seem eminently better qualified to run the US govt compared to those actually doing it right now. 😉

shampshire.bsky.social•9 days ago

This is a pleasingly precise analogy for IQ tests.

czhorat.bsky.social•9 days ago

IQ is a perfectly good measure of how good you are at taking IQ tests.

mamday.bsky.social•9 days ago

On Twitter I made a lot of jokes in this vein. They went right over these people's heads

nora.zone•9 days ago

yeah this is valid imo

elfenzo.bsky.social•9 days ago

People *love* telling you their IQ score, like some kind of rare piquant delicious sting.

It's cobblers

weirdybeardy.bsky.social•9 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/weirdybeardy.bsky.social/post/3liovubtpss2e

streamlass.bsky.social•9 days ago

IIRC it originated as a "is this kid ready for kindergarten or do they need extra help?" test, & we should treat it that way. Someone brags about it, "Wow! You're almost ready for first grade, but you still need to learn to play nicely with others!"

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