Do you tend to select friends who are smarter than you, of equal intelligence, or less intelligent?

Question

I am interested in learning about how comfortable others are around people whose IQ is either higher or lower than their own. Do you tend to distrust really intelligent people, or do you like to learn from them? Do you find yourself annoyed by people of average intelligence, or do you fit right in? How do you feel around people of less ability? Do you make assumptions about others based on their interests and IQ (IE really smart people have no social skills)? Curious what you think, and how the concept of intelligence works, in practice and theory, for your life. Thanks!

No, not writing a paper. Just think more than most people, about many different things. Yes, I am strange, but then, I have the same problems that others described about being smarter than most of the poeple around you, and being discriminated against. Even harder if you're a girl. Interesting to me, as I get older, my tolerance for willful ignorance, learned helplessness, voluntary stupidity, and crowds of average minded Americans has gone down. I prefer the company of people at least as intelligent, visionary, and/or compassionate as myself. I learn by seeking those who know more than I do about something. I was not specifically refering to handicapped in my question, but that does bring up a very good point. One of my best friends has a severe learning disability, and learning to converse on her level helped me learn to talk to people at any level of ability.

Answer 1

Sure you're not writing a paper on this for your class??? Interesting subject to be "curious" about. I "judge" people based on their individual ability to see things AS THEY REALLY ARE, then I watch how they handle the situation. I am not all comfortable with attitudes such as: ignorance without desire for intelligence, arrogance, superficial "costumes", selfishness, or victim mentality. I can "fit in" anywhere with anyone if I really want or need to, but I PREFER to BE with people at least as intelligent, if not MORE intelligent, than me. I believe strongly that "knowledge is the key", and ignorance is never "bliss".

Answer 2

IQ means very little when it comes to social skills and EQ is what interests me. I do light up when someone wants to talk to me about human sexuality, Quantum physics, and existentialism.

Also intelligence doesn't necessarily mean a person is sophisticated although I am not certain what that means. I gravitate toward people who are smart and know what's what.

I do not know what average intelligence is, but I don't see myself as average. What can you say about someone who can solve a Rubik's cube in 10 seconds? Do they interest me? Not really.

When you speak of "people of less ability" are you talking about disabled people or people of less intellectual ability? Being disabled myself, I gravitate toward disabled people and their caretakers. Disabled people know more of what' what than those who are not.

I think what it all comes down to is how people communicate or if they communicate at all. That impresses me the most about people and that is what we go by when we meet people.

Answer 3

I have an IQ of 180, so most people are less intelligent than me. I had an incredibly hard time as I was growing up, as I did not "get" most kids. They were generally too slow for me to be patient with. This spills over into my adult life to a certain extent. I have problems dealing with people of average intelligence who take a long time to understand concepts. I tend to have the most sympathy for people with obviously low IQs. They can't really do anything about it, so I try to play nice. I also tend to dislike people who I think are smarter than me. It's an irrational "how dare they encroach on my territory" type thought.

Answer 4

If i do select, i select ppl that are smarter than me, but sometimes i go out with my collegues and consider them to be my friends, and most of them have more knowledge on the stuff we study than me, but I think I have more wisdom and intellect. I am still very young so if I meet people that are older and wiser I take advantage of their presence, that is, I learn a lot of things and if i don't understand smth i simply ask. I feel really annoyed when being around people that are less intelligent, cuz i have to adjust my jokes to their level and think of what to talk about and it never is neither fun nor interesting for me.I do make assumptions about others judging from their intelligence. If they're not smart=their education is pretty poor=their family mambers are most likely of lower IQ=they're not interesting=get rid of them.

Answer 5

Generally, people naturally tend to associate with similar minds at all levels. I associate with alot of intelligent people. But I'm at the stage where I've already found out who my real friends are, so I know that I can trust those intelligent people with my life.

Honestly, I don't like idiots, I don't like being around people who lack ambition, goals, etc. I would like to start up a foundation to help those less abled. I can read a person pretty well just after 5-10 minutes of conversation. I can figure out whatkind of person they were in high school, the kind of person they were in college, and what they became afterwords all by body language, confidence, and voice tone.

Answer 6

look, I don't really have any friend at school. But I never got shied or feel lonley cause ...i don't know. I had a friend. In our friendship at first we were 3. me lee and simbo. Then it seemed that hawi had to get in to our friend ship. and I didn't liked that. well lee was a popular girl from the whole school. Every body new her beacuse of her brother. even simbo, she was well known of her good rank. then we became 4 in our friendship. no hope it breaked down. Know I just don't care about what people think about me. I just eat my lunch and go watch basketball when the grade 11th students play. Well if u have my problem I hope u will soon feel like me.Or if I didn't got ur point sorry, its good to share feelings!!!

Answer 7

I think everyone selects their friends by intelligence or interests to some degree - whether or not they are even conscious of doing so. People who read the same books as you, keep up with current events, like to engage in philosophical discussions, and share common values are the people you are likely to be more interested in spending time with as friends.

Answer 8

I dont really know bout IQ but I like people who can challenge me an hold a good/quite intelligent conversation with me.

Answer 9

the iq should not matter.when you know that you have chemistry-with that person -that's what matters.if a person should be smarter than you or less doesn't say too much about you or your self esteem

Answer 10

My friends are of equal intelligence; however, some of them are more educated and, therefore, know more about some things.