My Lower I.Q.

Some would argue that having discussions about esoteric matters is a waste of time.
Some would say that knowing more than just sports scores and Pop Culture is just being pedantic.
Some would say that having a vocabulary beyond that of the SAT study guide is just being pretentious, loquacious and verbose.
So what's the use of having knowledge that few others can understand?


After helping my young cousins with their homework, my young cousins often return home with "C's" or "D's" and confused.
My next step is then to return the homework to the teacher with the sited (I know it's "Cited", but the references are usually to Web "sites".) references for him/her to reread.
Most of the time the teacher ends up being taught something that wasn't in the book by my young cousins and is then given an "A".

After such exercises, my young cousins ask why it is that they always have to know more than what is written within his textbooks.
I then ask, "Is it better to get an "A" or to know the material?".
"To get an "A".", is the usual reply.
Then I explain that the "A" is not transferable but that the knowledge is universal.

So why read about what few others understand if one is never expected to use such knowledge?
Well, it's exercise.
Having to think increases ones ability to think.
It's like lifting weights with your brain.

But my I.Q. has to be lower today than it was just one month ago.
Being in the mist of running nightclubs - there is little reason for me to know more than what's written about in the USA Today or what is shown on ESPN, E!, or VH1.
But if I were to be given an IQ test today - I'm sure that my currently used pool of knowledge would register somewhere on the ascending side of the above chart.
I'm sure that my ability to think in the tested manner would have suffered.
I'm sure that I would have a much lower measurable I.Q..

So what does one do?
Much the same as going from an active day of doing construction to a passive day of socialization - I would need to exercise.
I would need to keep theories, concepts or ideas fresh in my mind.
I would need to read about about things which I'd never even thought about.
I would need to asked stupid questions in order to get smart answers.

In thinking about the effect of my current environment - I have even more doubts about the accuracy of I.Q. tests.
What is it that they are supposed to measure anyway?