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Do You Hide Your Intelligence When You Meet "Normal" People?

Firstly, I have no idea what my intelligence really is and I never had my IQ tested. Growing up I always thought I wasn't particularly intelligent because I was often slow to pick up on things, particularly social issues, then people surprised me by saying that they thought I was intelligent. I don't dumb down for other people and don't see any reason why I should; I've always sought out and preferred the company of other people who were intelligent, or at least independent thinkers who don't follow the crowd, which I always considered to be a sign of intelligence. I really have no idea how I come across to other people, but I know that people often think that I'm intelligent because I learn languages easily and have a good memory for facts. But being able to learn languages easily means just that, that I can pick up languages easily and have a good memory, it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm intelligent in the general sense of the word.
 
I know I'm very intelligent but I can never communicate my thoughts properly due to anxiety
 
Well, I do not really consider my self above normal intelligence and so, there is no need for me to "hide" in that sense!

Probably because I was deemed as a stupid (Aspergers was not heard of then, I believe) and so, treated accordingly and that has stayed around with me, like a rope and so, when people say that they think I am intelligent, I take that as a huge compliment, but I do not assume that the person I am talking with is LESS than me; if anything, I feel they are MORE than me!

My deceased brother in law, was highly intellectual and yet, rather a stupid man.

My faith ie one of Jehovah's Witnesses, teaches me that we are all intelligent in some way and so, I think it is rather cruel to suppose one is better than another!
 
My faith ie one of Jehovah's Witnesses, teaches me that we are all intelligent in some way and so, I think it is rather cruel to suppose one is better than another!
Exactly. If you're rude to the mechanic one time to many because he's "beneath" you, you may find yourself needing to invest in a bicycle. :D
 
I don't hide what intelligence I have. But I also tried to keep it toned down on certain subjects that I'm obsessed with so I don't come across as a "Know-It-All". I leave enough unsaid so the other person is force to ask me questions. I see this happening a lot on some of my "Farming Simulator" videos where I am asked a lot of questions. I don't even have to beg for questions either. When I answer, I still keep my answers toned down so I don't come across as a "Know-It-All". So I think it is desirable to not hide our intelligence, but we need to keep it within reason without making a normal person's head start spinning asking "What are you talking about?", when what we are talking about is way over his or hers head. I've learned this the hard way because I use to come across as a Know-It-All at one time. It was really hard for me to change my ways so I didn't make normal people feel uncomfortable and that goes for talking to others with ASD too. :beercheers:
 
No I don't. Sometimes I try to hide how clueless I am though:).

When I was a teenager, I was having lunch with my aunt and I told her that sometimes I have to act stupid around certain people. She was incredulous, and asked why on Earth anyone would do that. I just explained that it helped to fit in with certain groups of people. She told me I should never try to change who I am to fit in with other people, I had to be myself.

Easier said than done, so rather than change to try to fit in, I tended to limit my involvement with others, unless I was certain they were "safe" and understood my odd sense of humor and unusual observations.

I was taking a woodworking course at a local Vocational school, most of my classmates were salt of the Earth blue collar types, who I got along with. Once I was pondering the design of a piece of furniture I was building when one of them said to me "Man, you think too much".
 
I'm not sure I know how to hide my intelligence, whatever that would really mean for me. In most social interactions, raw intellect isn't really required, is it? Common sense seems to come up much more often. I know a lot of very intelligent people with very little of that.

I'm often pleasantly surprised at how much more intelligent other people are then they're given credit for. If I tried to "dumb down" for anyone, I feel as though I'd be doing them a disservice and a disrespect. I'd rather give them a chance to stretch their brains a bit before determining I have to modulate myself. I believe most people can stretch quite far, if the challenge to do so comes in a nonthreatening way. Just my opinion, for what that's worth. :)
 
I'm often pleasantly surprised at how much more intelligent other people are then they're given credit for. If I tried to "dumb down" for anyone, I feel as though I'd be doing them a disservice and a disrespect. I'd rather give them a chance to stretch their brains a bit before determining I have to modulate myself. I believe most people can stretch quite far, if the challenge to do so comes in a nonthreatening way. Just my opinion, for what that's worth. :)

This is true, I have very often been surprised by the intelligence, wit and thoughtfulness of people of all stripes. I wish I were more outgoing so that I could enjoy it more, because the times that I have been able to open up, even if it is just to share an observation, I've had very pleasant and interesting exchanges.
 
This thread is ancient, but whatever, always it will be relevant.

When the teacher would ask a question in primary school, I sometimes purposefully didn't put my hand up, even though I knew the answer to the question. Didn't want to look like a know it all, lol. ;) Sometimes the teacher would look at me and I would be like "Don't look at me miss. I got no idea. Hum de hum hum.:kissing:"

There have been a few times where kids were scratching their heads and I was thinking "come on now. I can't be the ONLY one who knows the answer to this! Oh all right then, I'll answer it..."
Lol. :D

Hehe, me to a T in school and college, too. I nae thought it was because I was intelligent, just more opinionated.

I'm not sure I know how to hide my intelligence, whatever that would really mean for me. In most social interactions, raw intellect isn't really required, is it? Common sense seems to come up much more often. I know a lot of very intelligent people with very little of that.

I'm often pleasantly surprised at how much more intelligent other people are then they're given credit for. If I tried to "dumb down" for anyone, I feel as though I'd be doing them a disservice and a disrespect. I'd rather give them a chance to stretch their brains a bit before determining I have to modulate myself. I believe most people can stretch quite far, if the challenge to do so comes in a nonthreatening way. Just my opinion, for what that's worth. :)

Especially children. Since they're so resilient and adaptable, you can push 'em (not so much they can't have fun, that is the most important thing). I nae understood why adults dumb things down to kids. They ain't stupid and have an aptitude for detecting BS as far as Jupiter.
 
On many social occasions/interactions I've found it better to hide my intelligence and just go along with the social flow. Unless I'm with a college Professor/Doctor or other intelligent being, I find it more beneficial to "dumb" myself down. Perhaps it might be because of the location I'm in. Like I said when I meet intelligent people I can be myself.

What about you?

I've been doing this since I was a child. I got a lot of hostility from the other children in school when I spoke normally. I learned to pretend I didn't know things and I purposely used poor grammar. Also I learned not to be exact when giving an answer though it was the correct answer. I learned to be vague. The other kids got really upset if I didn't do this. I've lied most of my life. People don't seem to like it when you know too much but I never know how much they think is okay to know so I make it dumb so they don't get mad. It has been such a pleasure when I have met people I didn't have to dumb things down for.

By the way I don't like using the word "dumb" because it sounds mean but in this context I think it is usable, no insult meant the anyone. There are many things I don't understand.
 
I believe I am fairly good at hiding my intelligence. Now if only I could master hiding my foolishness I would have it made. :p

As mentioned, academic knowledge is not always appreciated in certain social circles. People will will perceive you as condescending, pretentious, or superfluous.

I believe it is also true in the case of the economically and racially marginalized that the intelligentsia represents a pillar of the dominant culture with which they are at odds. Adopting the language and ideas of the intelligentsia is therefore to brand ones self the enemy.
 
No.
I don't have that much to hide.
I believe I am fairly good at hiding my intelligence. Now if only I could master hiding my foolishness I would have it made. :p

As mentioned, academic knowledge is not always appreciated in certain social circles. People will will perceive you as condescending, pretentious, or superfluous.

I believe it is also true in the case of the economically and racially marginalized that the intelligentsia represents a pillar of the dominant culture with which they are at odds. Adopting the language and ideas of the intelligentsia is therefore to brand ones self the enemy.

Agree, agree, agree
well said
 
my stuttering and problem with "stop" sounds makes it easy to hide any intelligence. it's not really intentional but although i could still step around those verbal issues when speaking to people i do still try not to get stuck on 1 topic or go indepth into anything because i've become an excellent liar. so much so that i just seem like a "typical" lazy guy who likes to play on the internet too much and some mild anxiety
 
my stuttering and problem with "stop" sounds makes it easy to hide any intelligence.

I have a stuttering and stammering problem, but what is a "stop sound"? Is it something to do with stuttering? I have never had any help with my speech problems, never even read anything about it, I've just accepted it as a part of me. A frustrating part, nonetheless.
 
I also used to have a stutter. It's disheartening how when you have trouble speaking people seem to presume you have nothing worth saying.
 
I have a stuttering and stammering problem, but what is a "stop sound"? Is it something to do with stuttering? I have never had any help with my speech problems, never even read anything about it, I've just accepted it as a part of me. A frustrating part, nonetheless.
i dont know if there's a proper term for the sound or not.. in my case, it can be things like "chris" or "elephant" where i get stuck at "ch" and "el" respectively (and since my name is "chris", meeting people is very bothersome). it just stops the verbal flow of the sound of the rest of the word for me (lots of "of the" there.. sheesh..).... so, for instance, while i would like to say "i'd like a medium iced latte" what i need to say is "can i have medium latte with ice" (or sometimes i actually need to say small/large whether i want that size or not because i can't get out "medium".. the word itself is fine, but the physical "m" makes my mouth form that stop giving me just enough anxiety at that time to just give up all together on the word (and my anxiety was already pretty high.. as you can tell by my large amount of thought in ordering a coffee because i've been trying to figure out how to say my simple order since i knew i was going to go get a coffee)

and i can say, practice doesn't do anything beneficial. i've been ordering the same type of coffee for almost 2 years now on an almost daily basis with very little change (just tried a cappuccino a couple months ago.. not bad, but often too hot for me) and i still can't say the order correctly (in the syntax everybody else uses)
 
so i swear i typed a response lastnight.. not sure why it's not here

I have a stuttering and stammering problem, but what is a "stop sound"? Is it something to do with stuttering? I have never had any help with my speech problems, never even read anything about it, I've just accepted it as a part of me. A frustrating part, nonetheless.

basically it's anything where the flow of the sound comes to an abrupt stop. even if that's the start of the sound.. for example, i can't say "elephant" yet i can say "pachyderm" because the "el" in "elephant" physically stops me. likewise, my own name.. the "ch" in "chris" gets stuck a lot which is a hell of a thing when you try to meet somebody new and have problems saying your own name. not to mention, in casual conversation.. if you get stuck on a word, people start to think you're lying(if it's a lie-able thing.. like where you went to or how you feel. not what did you have for dinner..) and it will create syntax problems. again, for example.. if i want a "medium iced latte" (generally get one each morning to work).. i need to say it as "medium latte with ice" because i need some extra words to build up to "ice". likewise, sometimes i can't say "medium".. it's not a perfect stop sound but the "m" and "d" are a bit rough so sometimes i'll get a small or large just because i can say those instead.


Datura... it's extremely disheartening. it bothers me to no end and i can tell it bothers some people greatly (others are patient, usually the ones who had similar problems or had family with similar problems) but it doesn't make me let up on myself and certainly doesn't help my "cloud of judgement" as i call it
 
my stuttering and problem with "stop" sounds makes it easy to hide any intelligence. it's not really intentional but although i could still step around those verbal issues when speaking to people i do still try not to get stuck on 1 topic or go indepth into anything because i've become an excellent liar. so much so that i just seem like a "typical" lazy guy who likes to play on the internet too much and some mild anxiety

I wish we didn't have to spend our lives lying. People really do seem to not like intelligence. There are so many jokes about people being smart. Why is "rocket scientist" pejorative? I have heard, "Oh thanks Professor." in a very mocking tone. Why is being a professor a bad thing? What's wrong with being smart and aren't many people smart? I hear "dude" so often when young men meet each other. Women say "b***h" or "girl" or "ho" ( I am not making this up, I really hear it). Why?

Shakespeare wrote with such elegance, such artistry and with such a love of language that most of his characters flow from speech in to poetry. When did dumbing everything down become the popular thing? It's like the people settled on it by tacit agreement that it would be so. Why?

What's wrong with knowing how an internal combustion engine works, or the Electoral College, or biology or Chaos Theory? Using Regression Theory I can help myself deconstruct and so have a better understanding of how an event came to be. No longer 'ghosts in the machine', there is a logical pattern showing why I should expect certain results.

When did having technology but having no curiosity about how it works become alright? With this simple thinking comes vulnerability to superstition and the inability to plan in to the future. Vaccines cause autism (not starting this debate). In my opinion this belief is able to find ground and hold it because critical thinking skills are not taught. Go where the facts take you and not where your belief wish it would. Be willing to be corrected, to be wrong.

Intelligence is not a flaw or weakness or an act to be superior. You can be kind and intelligent and, any other kind of person too.

I know I won't win this fight, in fact I no longer fight it, but I wish we didn't have to be bullied for knowing the answer. How many of us can remember that in class, the first time the teacher asked and we raised our hand and gave the answer and how quickly we learned from the other students that they did not want anyone to do that. We knew the answer and so answered. Then we learned we would have no friends if we did or even get beaten up.

I like learning. It's the second most important thing to me. I want to be wrong. I want to be surprised. I want someone to show me I have had the wrong conclusion for such a long time. That 'common sense' thinking is both the most fallible and is perfectly natural to our biology and was necessary to our survival.

We don't have to be mad because we meet people who are different. Some people are more prone to magical thinking and they are not one bit less intelligent. They are supposed to be that way. I must think literally. It is a handicap for me and gets me in trouble constantly but I believe it is an atavistic skill that kept some of my ancestors alive. Herd mentality is a popular thing to make fun of now. Be different people say. That is not real independence. Being yourself is. Herd mentality meant that when one of the tribe used magical thinking in the form of pareidolia and believed the shadow in the bush was a lion, all the others ran too. Saved a lot of lives.

I ramble now but it is because I have such heat on this subject. We, us .. we have had to lie all our lives, pretending to not know what we know, how we are able to understand things that some others don't. We are not bad people but lying is bad and we feel the pain of having to lie. We feel it all our lives. I am sorry it is this way, their can be such joy in intelligence and none of it as far as I can see is in making other people feel bad.
 

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