What do you consider to be an exceptional IQ?

Question

All answers are appreciated, but this is a serious question. Thank you.

Good thing no one is taking an IQ test here, obviously, because all I want is what YOU think is an exceptional IQ number. I don't give a damn what the Bell Curve says, or any other platform for that matter. I want YOUR opinion.

Besides, the Bell Curve says the black race is nothing but a bunch of morons. And every time I have said that I am told the Bell Curve is WRONG. So why use it as a reference NOW if it is an invalid test? Just give me YOUR opinion, PLEASE.

Answer 1

Average is about 100 so 130 is exceptional, 150 is a whoopie!

Answer 2

An IQ is a small indicator of intelligence. In fact, I think most IQ tests results are only valuable in a limited fashion, or applicable in a limited field.

A higher IQ (anything over 120, I believe) simply suggests that the person's rational abilities may or may not be more developed than that of an average person. It is actually possible to be smarter than the IQ test, because one could deliberately answer the questions wrong, thereby giving themselves a lower test score which would in fact prove that their rational capabilities are higher, maybe even higher than if they took the test regularly.

And IQ tests a very narrow range of personality determiners, so that a person with a high IQ, but a low social or cultural quotient, could still end up working menial jobs. Dynamic problem solving, interpersonal communications, and resilience are stronger indicators of success than the understanding of sequential numbers or similes.

Answer 3

100 is traditionally the mean/average IQ of the whole population of a certain age. IQ scores occur according to a normal distribution (i.e., a bell curve) with 1 standard deviation = 15 IQ points in most IQ tests. Most school systems assess a student who scores two standard deviations above the mean as gifted (i.e., IQ ≥ 130), and if I remember my elementary stats right, that's in the 98th percentile. Three standard deviations above the mean would be at the 99.9th percentile, which is quite rare.

EDIT: >>
I am not referring to the book The Bell Curve but rather to the statistical concept of a normal distribution, which looks like a bell curve when graphed. Many traits and sampled data like height have such a distribution where most people tend towards the mean with a fewer and fewer outliers as the distance from average increases.

Words like "exceptional" are empty value judgments and have no utility to me. Statistics are a lot more meaningful than arbitrarily choosing one number and tying one's concept of "exceptional" to it.
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Answer 4

I believe that someone with an exceptional IQ would be able to answer all my questions very easily, without thinking I'm stupid for asking them in the first place. ( I don't know about IQ scores, I just know that I like to learn. So, I ask a lot of questions!)

Answer 5

Anything about 140 and beyond is exceptional. Usually the individual is boundless; after an IQ of 140 there are really no limitations to what someone is capable of. The rest comes down to willpower I suppose.

Answer 6

I think the standard IQ test is useful to some extent, but too limited to identify what is really important about a person's ability to live productively and wisely. An exceptional score on a true intelligence test would reveal a person's capacity for deep, creative thought along with their capacity for truthfully exploring their emotional lives. Someone scoring high on true intelligence would not be afraid to think for themselves even under tremendous pressure to conform to the often pathological demands of "normalcy". They would not deny or repress their emotions and desires (or lie about them), but rather they would explore them to find their deeper origins and meanings. They would have a masterful ability to "connect the dots" but just as importantly, they would have a passion for connecting these dots because they feel that it is truly important to do so – not just because it might bring material wealth and/or social acclaim. This is not to say that wealth or public approval are always bad – it's just that the passion to achieve a particular goal must go deeper than this in order to count as a sign of true intelligence. Intelligence is a passion for truth that guides one along a path even if there is no promise of wealth or fame at the end of it. Why is this the case? Because wealth and fame reflect social values, and if one happens to live in a society with pathological values, then your successful acquisition of wealth and fame merely reflects your ability to be either a sheep-like follower (you are rich because you played the game well) or an immoral scoundrel (you are rich because you are not afraid to cheat or stomp on people to achieve your success) rather than a true spiritual explorer. Intelligence is a passion for the pursuit of meaning in the face of a vast unknown. True, deep intelligence is indistinguishable from wisdom because true intelligence is an ability to identify and achieve goals that actually mean something. It is not always the safe, comfortable, or socially popular path, but it is a journey that matters.

Answer 7

Well, given the fact that 100 is average, according to Stanford-Binet type tests, I would say that 135 and over is exceptional. I think that MENSA construes 160 as "genius" level, which about only 1% people have.

Answer 8

>=150

Answer 9

well 100 is average to depending on your difination of exceptional it could be anywhere before 147. Because that's the highest IQ right now. mine's 129. i think that good.

Answer 10

over 145 on the high end, and 70 below on the lower end are exeptional, although give or take a few points depending on the test measurement used.