Drug Use and Persons With a High IQ

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   Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years ago

   No, I don't write for CNN.  But I'm sure we all realize here how the American Corporations and mainstream media make it blatantly obvious that mediocrity in America is their goal.
   
   So, figure in an never ending war against.....inanimate substances - and THIS:
   
   http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/1 … torysearch
   
   And you get ...idiotland. 
   
   Thoughts?

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      Quilligrapherposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Wes,
      I’m not sure I understand the point you are trying to make.
      
      Do you think corporations and mainstream media are part of a conspiracy to dumb-down society by opposing or by promoting drug use?
      
      One theory proposed by evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa, suggests intelligence evolved to help humans respond to things in their environment about which they were, as a species, unaccustomed. Thus, he claims, smart people are more likely to deal with and try new things including drugs.
      
      Since psychoactive drugs are, in evolutionary terms, new to humans, smart people, according to the theory, will be more likely to take psychoactive drugs even if the drugs are bad for them. "[The Hypothesis] does not predict that individuals that are more intelligent are more likely to engage in healthy and beneficial behavior, only that they are more likely to engage in evolutionarily novel behavior." (1)
      
      I have observed the destructive aspects of drugs on people and society and I, seeing no benefits, choose to avoid those ramifications. I guess that reveals I am not as intelligent as many users who think drugs are cool.
      
      Thanks for the link, Wes, and for asking for our thoughts.
      
      (1) http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertai … ion/18539/

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         Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Hello Sir,
         
         I posted that first thing in the morning before gulping down the proper amount of coffee for it to have made much sense.
         
         I re read my post - It doesn't even make sense to me now.  In any case, I wanted to share the link because I thought it was interesting.
         
         I think corporations are what keeps prohibition in action - especially corporations like GEO Corp, and their business of warehousing humans and making them perform slave labor.
         
         Also, fear mongering is always to the benefit of governments that seek only to grow in size.

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            Quilligrapherposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Hi again, Wes.
            
            I appreciate your prompt reply. I gather you think corporations are opposed to drug use in order to satisfy their need for “slave” labor. You have an interesting point of view.
            
            Thanks for sharing,

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               Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               This exceedingly evil entity - for sure.
               
               http://www.geogroup.com/

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   Hollie Thomasposted 12 years ago

   Coming from a completely different angle here, my experience with substance users is as a former probation officer. In my experience, and I'm not suggesting this is a scientific explanation in any way, highly dependent users were of low to average intelligence. However, a staggering amount (I'll try to dig out some evidence re this)had been identified as having a learning difference, typically dyslexia, ADD or ADHD. I'm not suggesting the learning difference had led to drug use, but generally speaking, low self esteem, poor coping and problem solving skills and inability to develop and maintain lasting, positive relationships was a common theme. Is it possible that those with a high IQ have similar relationships/esteem/emotional issues? Personally, I wouldn't know, I'm an average 100 type of gal

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      emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      My brother is one of the ultra-intelligent... he has broken the rating scales on several tests he has taken. He is unbelievably brilliant, but it has its drawbacks.
      
      If you've ever seen the movie Phenomenon, it's kind of like that. He can't ever turn off the influx of thinking and ideas. It's overwhelming.
      
      But, he's never used drugs.
      
      For an example of how intelligent he is, he downloaded a trial of C++(30 day) when Civilization III came out. Within a week he had re-written the scoring algorithm of the game(without having access to the source code) and it was implemented as the standard scoring algorithm. He was offered a job with the Civ team and highly regarded as the most brilliant player the game ever saw.

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         Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, but a common theme among substance users is also emotional pain and an inability to deal with it. Great news re your brother, but maybe he has not experienced the isolation/loneliness that others with a high IQ/low IQ/Average IQ have had to deal with. Some people may have very IQs, however, emotionally they may not be intelligent.

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            emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            With my brother, it's a long complicated story. Suffice it to say he had severe emotional problems. One day, he said he discovered a switch inside himself, and he turned them off. Since then, I've never seen emotion in him, it's more like talking to a computer.

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               Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               That's not very healthy either.

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                  emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  It's the best thing for him, and in a way, it's the best emotion for him too.

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                     Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     It's not an emotion though, is it?

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                        emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        Nope, but the lack of emotion, as I said, is in a way the best emotion for him.

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                           Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           Perhaps he should be the judge of that? A lack of emotion is not an emotion, it's a state.

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                              emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              I don't even really understand what you are trying to say Hollie. I was just telling you about my experience with an extremely high IQ person. Nobody forced him into anything, and his struggles with his mind and emotions didn't drive him to drugs.
                              
                              I don't know why you always start to get hostile with me.

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                                 Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                 I wasn't being hostile? You state the best emotion for him was to act like a computer. I merely stated that to behave in this way was not an emotion, and he should determine what the optimal state, as regards himself, should be. Chill out, dude. There was no hostility.

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                                    emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                    Sorry, it seemed like an attack, like I was controlling his life. I'm just presenting you with information you asked for. Maybe because of the way you have treated me in other threads I'm more disposed to detect a hostile tone in your posts.
                                    
                                    He has determined his optimal state. I was there for his entire process, and I can see how much better this is for him. But I never said I was determining that.

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                                       Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                       And I never suggested you was? I didn't ask for any information. You explained your brothers situation and it appeared that you were replying to a post I had made. As regards "the way I have treated you in other threads and hostile tones" You're being a little defensive here, if I disagree with you, or challenge what you have said, I'm treating you no differently then I would treat anybody else. I'm a straight talker, that doesn't equate to an attack. This is how life is, challenge isn't necessarily hostility. You're very sensitive.
                                       .

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                                          emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                          Calling someone a liar and a negligent parent is hostility. You haven't shown me respect in other threads, so I didn't read any respect here.

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                                             Quilligrapherposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                             Hi there, Emrldphx. How are you tonight?
                                             
                                             I’m sorry to jump in. May I just insert one quick observation here? I did not recall anyone calling someone else a liar or a negligent parent. I re-read Hollie’s replies to you to determine for myself that neither accusation applies to this thread. I really hope you will do the same.
                                             
                                             End of jump in, Emrldphx. I'm also hoping that you are having a great evenin’,

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                                                emrldphxposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                                No, not here in this thread. Recently however, every thread Hollie has replied to me in, she has left the thread in calling me a liar and a bad parent. I guess it just left a bad taste in my mouth, and I thought I detected the same escalating tone here. I generally expect people to act the way they have acted in the past.
                                                
                                                Having a magnificent evening, hope you have the same

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                           Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           He should be the one to decide that. A lack of emotion is not an emotion, it's a state of being.

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      Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hollie I pretty much think what you've just said is most likely at the root of it.  Lots of kids with particularly high IQ's are overlooked.  If/when they're not overlooked they're often misunderstood.

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      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You could probably count me in with the "have problems forming lasting and meaningful relationships" crowd.
      
      Smart or not - I'd say not on my end.

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   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   My reaction to the article just turned itself into a Hub because it got it way too long (which doesn't always stop me from posting a long reply, but this subject is one that I thought deserves its own Hub  ).

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   Hollie Thomasposted 12 years ago

   Lisa, you should. This is an interesting topic.

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      Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hollie, I agree that it's interesting.  The Hub should be up and running in about ten minutes.     (probably no pictures on it, though    ).

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         Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Will be one the first to read it.

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   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   I thought marijuana made people smarter, and that was why it is illegal.

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      Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I thought it was because it was highly profitable for certain "elements". But your explanation kind of makes sense, too. Perhaps it's two fold.

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