[extropy-chat] it's all understandable, except

[pjmanney]

Please let me preface this to say that I happen to fall in the Gould/Postman camp that believes IQ is a bogus measure of intelligence.  So whether IQ is going up or down (i.e. the Flynn effect) is largely irrelevent.  To me, what is relevant is how the supposedly intelligent are applying their intelligence and are adapting to a changing world.  And as always, some people rise to the occasion and others don't, regardless of their supposed IQ scores or talents or the success or failure of their own parents or their parents expectations of them.  I have noticed (ancedotally of course) a certain rise in some kinds of intelligence and a remarked drop in others.  But that's for another thread.

(Full disclosure: Having said the above, I seemed -- at least as a kid -- to have excelled at certain kinds of IQ testing, which is probably why I have such strong beliefs in IQ's irrelevance!)

However...

In my research on persons with high IQ (for the book), I came across the essays of Grady Towers.  Some of you may know of him.  He died, quite tragically, a number of years ago.  But he had a multi-faceted intelligence and knew the world of ultra-high IQ intimately.  His essay, "The Outsiders," is considered a classic analysis into the world of ultra-high IQ.

http://www.prometheussociety.org/articles/Outsiders.html

In it, he describes the work of Lewis Terman, who demonstrated the behavioral thresholds between levels of tested intelligence and the sad fact that after certain IQ thresholds are past -- in the case of this work, an IQ of 170 -- the odds of "success" as defined as using one's IQ in your life/work that benefits both the person and/or society and brings self-satisfaction, are few.  Frankly, the number of ultra-high IQ people who burn out is amazing.  I witnessed a number myself.  So maybe "School" wasn't the culprit.  Maybe these kids had other issues that led to their "failure to perform."

And let's not forgot other psychological issues.  Substance abuse, depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia, etc.  I've know a few who fell off the supposed IQ ramp because of these.  And I'm sure those with more acute autistic spectrum disorders have a hard time, too.

Questions like 'So why did I/my child fail?'  'Why was I/they so unhappy at school?' are never answered adequately.  We so easily fall into the role of accuser.  Especially parents and as one, I can see my own tendencies to it in both myself and others.  Obviously, we want what is best for our children.  But do we always really know what is best?  And are our personal experiences, and subsequent disappointments, always applicable to our children?  And are they actually bad for us?  I don't believe they are.  In my own case, I hated public school, until high school, when I joined the 'theater kids.'  There I had an outlet.  Otherwise, school was just a disappointment.  It wasn't until college that I felt I found my place.  But I also believe that that which doesn't destroy me makes me stronger.  Life is suffering.  Move on.  (I can come up with any number of cliched sayings...)

But my kids are more socially well adjusted than I was.  School isn't hell for them.  They have different personalities than me.  So I can't apply my experiences to them.

I tend to believe that school is school.  It is NOT an education.  School exists to create cogs in the socio-economic machine.  This doesn't make me happy, becasue it's not the 'ideal,' but that's the way it is.  However, it is an important tool for socialization, simply because of the diversity involved in the school demographic.  It is also an effective way to take in the cultural memes, which allow you to connect on a cultural level with your peers, which is important.  

I know the social aspects of primary and secondary school probably sucked for most of us.  Really smart people often don't function well with people who don't understand what we're talking about.  But that doesn't mean it isn't important to try.  Because the world is filled with the average.  And if you don't learn how to deal with them, what are you going to do?  Stay home?  Miss out on life?  That's not an option to me.

I know the arguments about the advantages of home-schooling, but having been involved with a cub scout pack with both home-schooled kids and regularly schooled kids, the home-schooled kids seemed pretty lonely and some had some problems socializing.  Really effective home-schooling, that feeds both the brain and the individual in society, is beyond the logistical reach of most modern parents.  To those who can pull off the trick -- Congratulations.

It is not a public (or private) school's job to create a functional, well-honed mind.  It is the job of the parents and the child.  Both have to want it.  If you have the mind and mental health to succeed, school only 'kills' if you let it.  You can do both -- attend public school and still get the education you or your child deserve.  It just might not be at school.  Both my parents and I made sure I did.

Whether you think it did any good, of course, is your own opinion!

Respectfully,
PJ

p.s. -- You want a 'killer school' story?  How about this one: I was 15 before I found out I had dyslexia.  I only found out when I got to see my secret school file, which I wasn't supposed to see, but my guidence councelor snuck to me.  In it, teachers as far back as 2nd grade had diagnosed me correctly with dyslexia.  But they never told me OR MY PARENTS!  Why?  The notes in my file indicated they planned on using it to reign me back -- I was so advanced, they had to bring materials from the upper schools for me and I created a lot of work for my teachers.  They figured leaving the dyslexia as it was would put some breaks on me and make me easier to manage.  I created coping mechanisms myself, at a very young age, coming up with a lot of the dyslexia methods that I read about now, although mathematics and music notes still dance all over the page unless I'm relentless.  I guess their plan didn't work, because I ended up skipping 6th grade anyway, which was the best thing they ever did for me.  But I don't blame them.  Not really.  They were doing the best they could for the greatest number.  And it was my responsibility to do the best for me.  Which we both did.