[Vision2020] As if we needed any more . . .
Joan Opyr
auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
Tue, 18 May 2004 13:08:06 -0700
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Ron writes: =20
>IQ tests were routinely given to military recruits up through WW2, but I=
don't know of any agency or >institution that uses them anymore. Public =
schools don't use them either. Lacking any obvious source >for the data =
immediately raises a red flag. In this case, skepticism is warranted.
I apologize to the list for passing on suspect information. The Economis=
t lost their brilliant long-time copy editor a few years back and are no =
longer the model of probity they once were. (So much, too, for their per=
sistently hopeful take on the situation in Iraq?) From now on, I'll stic=
k to the National Enquirer. Bat-Boy and Nostradamus have never let me do=
wn. =20
FYI, I believe that attempts to numerically measure intelligence are fool=
ish in general and often racist and/or classist in particular. Depending=
on which IQ test you take -- the Stanford-Binet, the Weschler, or the tr=
ivia quiz to get on Jeopardy -- one person's scores can vary significantl=
y, which suggests that what these tests measure is not intelligence but r=
ather the ability to take the test. If IQ were truly quantifiable, then =
an individual's scores would not vary. But we know that they do. The We=
schler flattered me with a diagnosis of "very superior" intelligence, but=
the Stanford-Binet said that like the kids from Lake Wobegon I was just =
"above average." Not too long ago, I took an IQ test that purported to b=
e balanced in terms of race, class, and linguistic background, i.e., it d=
idn't artificially favor native speakers of English. That one put me way=
down the scale at borderline George Bush. I tried not to take it person=
ally, choosing instead to blame my poor performance on a hangover. So wh=
at if I hadn't been drinking? Any old excuse to avoid copping to my midd=
le class white privilege. =20
In my nerdy magnet high school, the true mark of genius was being able to=
solve Rubik's Cube. This coming June will mark twenty years since my gr=
aduation and I still can't complete more than one side. My only consolat=
ion is that unlike the Rubik's whiz who sat behind me in 12th grade Engli=
sh, I do know how to blow my nose. And comb my hair. And not clean my e=
ars in public with a pencil. I definitely have "very superior" hygiene. =
=20
I'm all for emotional intelligence (wouldn't that be EI, Pat, rather than=
EQ?) but I would suggest that Bill Clinton had that in abundance. Witho=
ut it, how could he have been so successful at "feeling our pain?"
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment =20
PS: Howard Gardner wrote the book (literally) on multiple intelligences. =
He came up with something like seven or eight, most of which escape me a=
t the moment. I know they included musical ability and interpersonal ski=
lls, both invaluable assets traditionally ignored by standard IQ tests. =
You needn't understand calculus to be a genius. Who knows? Perhaps Geor=
ge Bush missed his true calling as a contestant on American Idol.Get more=
from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>Ron writes<STR=
ONG>:</STRONG> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D265433417-1805=
2004>>IQ tests were routinely given to military recruits up through WW=
2, but I don't know of any agency or >institution that uses them anymo=
re. Public schools don't use them either. Lacking any obvious =
source >for the data immediately raises a red flag. In this case, skep=
ticism is warranted.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D265433417-18052004><=
FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT></SPAN> <=
/DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D265433417-18052004><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"=
Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D265=
433417-18052004><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">I apologize=
to the list for passing on suspect information. The Economist=
lost their brilliant long-time copy editor a few years back and&nbs=
p;are no longer the model of probity they once were. (So much,=
too, for their persistently hopeful take on the situation in Iraq?) =
; From now on, I'll stick to the National Enquirer. Bat-Boy and Nos=
tradamus have never let me down. </FONT></F=
ONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D265433417-18052004><FONT face=3D"Tim=
es New Roman" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D2654=
33417-18052004><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">FYI, I belie=
ve that attempts to numerically measure intelligence are foolish in gener=
al and often racist and/or classist in particular.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spac=
erun: yes"> </SPAN>Depending on which IQ test you take -- the Stanf=
ord-Binet, the Weschler, or the trivia quiz to get on Jeopardy -- one per=
son's scores can vary significantly, which suggests that what these tests=
measure is not intelligence but rather the ability to take the test.<SPA=
N style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If IQ were truly quantifiable=
, then an individual's scores would not vary.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun:=
yes"> </SPAN>But we know that they do.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun:=
yes"> The </SPAN>Weschler flattered me with a diagnosis of "v=
ery superior" intelligence, but the Stanford-Binet said that like the kid=
s from <?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1 ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:o=
ffice:smarttags" /><st1:place><st1:PlaceType>Lake</st1:PlaceType> <st1:Pl=
aceName>Wobegon</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> I was just "above average."<S=
PAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Not too long ago, I took an=
IQ test that purported to be balanced in terms of race, class, and lingu=
istic background, i.e., it didn't artificially favor native speakers of E=
nglish.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That one put =
me way down the scale at borderline George Bush.<SPAN style=3D"mso-s=
pacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I tried not to take it personally, choosing i=
nstead to blame my poor performance on a hangover.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spac=
erun: yes"> </SPAN>So what if I hadn't been drinking? An=
y old excuse to avoid copping to my middle class white privilege.<SPAN st=
yle=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D=
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></D=
IV> <DIV> <P><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">In my nerdy ma=
gnet high school, the true mark of genius was being able to solve Rubik's=
Cube.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> T</SPAN>his coming Ju=
ne will mark twenty years since my graduation and I still can't complete =
more than one side.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My onl=
y consolation is that unlike the Rubik's whiz who sat behind me in 12<SUP=
>th</SUP> grade English, I do know how to blow my nose.<SPAN style=3D"mso=
-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And comb my hair.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spaceru=
n: yes"> </SPAN>And not clean my ears in public with a pencil.<SPAN=
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I definitely have "very superi=
or" hygiene. <SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><S=
PAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FO=
NT></P> <P><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">I'm all for emot=
ional intelligence (wouldn't that be EI, Pat, rather than EQ?) but I=
would suggest that Bill Clinton had that in abundance.<SPAN style=3D"mso=
-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">W</SPAN>i=
thout it, how could he have been so successful at "feeling our pain?=
"</FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Joan=
Opyr/Auntie Establishment <SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN><SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style=3D=
"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=3D=
MsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-mar=
gin-bottom-alt: auto"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">PS:&n=
bsp;Howard Gardner wrote the book (literally) on multiple intelligen=
ces.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He came up with somet=
hing like seven or eight, most of which escape me at the moment.<SPAN sty=
le=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I know they included musical abili=
ty and interpersonal skills, both invaluable assets traditionally ig=
nored by standard IQ tests. You needn't understand calculus to be a=
genius.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Who knows?<SPAN s=
tyle=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Perhaps George Bush missed his t=
rue calling as a contestant on American Idol.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P=
></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D265433417-18052004></SPAN> </DIV><=
/BODY></HTML><br clear=3Dall><hr>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explore=
r download : <a href=3D'http://explorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com<=
/a><br></p>
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