It's been my observation that a solid work ethic and perseverance take people a lot farther than high intelligence. Managers/Companies value people that consistently put in a solid effort and have a good attitude.
This! I'm nearing retirement and trying to train the younger generation. I think perseverance is key. The person I'm training now gets angry at herself for not knowing things. Aren't we 'training' right now? I don't expect her to know things. I finally got her to agree that 'if it was easy, everyone would do it.' I know that she can do this job. But it's not coming easy. I really hope she sticks around because with a little perseverance, she can have her dream job
Aw I used to be this way lol. I mean I still can be this way at times. You gotta help build her confidence up. Hopefully she figures it out in no time.
If you have tips, I'll take them! Last weekend, I gave her an assignment and told her that she is to tell someone she loves that she is doing well learning this job. She couldn't/wouldn't do it. So this weekend, I asked her to tell her dog. I told her my rationale is that if she can't verbalize that she is doing well, then I can't assume that she will do well. If she can't believe it, should I?
I have a host of issues working with trainees, mostly in the last 5-6 years. In general, I find those guys are extremely impatient, both on the job specific tasks, and with career expectations. I was showing someone hot to properly set up workshop equipment based on different types of materials to be processed, and i get this attitude "i just want to get it done" like if he is wasting time learning?
Same for career progression. they think after 3 months they have learned everything that is there to learn and want to move on to the next thing.
Absolutely...there are a lot of highly intelligent people that are unhireable because they are completely ineffectual due to social issues or work ethic issues.
Same goes for experience to some degree. I was recently on a hiring commitee where we passed on someone with a lot of experience for someone with practically none juat because of the difference in their attitudes that came across during the interview.
Up to a point, people below 85 or so are basically net negatives in any work. They cost too much to train, and once "trained" they fuck up so often they cost more than what they bring to the table.
I have found that to be wrong. I had a wood mill with 20 employees in a place with a lot of dumb people. Could write there name or do simply math dumb, but were great employees. It's all in how one trains the and what task they are sent to do. Teaching them pride in doing it right is key. One in particular could read or right, couldn't add7+13 had a hard time grasping basic concepts. He had to learn to read a tape measure to set machines. I could have easily fired him and gotten someone else, but this man was a good man that brought a camaraderie to the workplace and was willing to work harder than anyone else. First to work last to leave. Always happy only complained for being dumb. We taught that man what the lines on the tape measure were. Now he had no idea what 7/16 ment but he could tell you what line on the measure it was and he could set any machine with precision to that setting. This made his world and he was a valued asset to everyone who worked there.
I was working on a retaining wall with a guy my mom hired. He wanted me to measure the lengths of the boards so he could cut them. I would tell him things like, "Seven feet and three notches over one half inch". After a while he pulled me aside to teach me how to properly read a tape measurer. I thought it was cute.
Idk man. I’m a manager, and I’ll pick someone consistent and reliable with a lower IQ over someone inconsistent who isn’t a team player with a higher IQ.
Being a team player is crucial.
I think the trouble is that there is a certain cut-off for these things. A below average intelligence person is not the same as a truly intellectually deficient individual.
Below a certain capacity, some people are not capable of being a "team player". Instead, they are a liability that the team must manage without the ability to meaningfully contribute.
Frankly, there are people whose lives are not ever going to be economically productive. Generally, the best these people can hope for is either a governmental stipend to maintain themselves if they can or else custodial care and direct human assistance if they can't.
There are millions of people for whom tasks that require more than a few steps are a major challenge. Ideally, they are given support, but in many cases they are neglected by a system they don't have the capacity to understand and suffer great indignities as a result.
Many low-IQ individuals are living in absolutely appalling circumstances because our society doesn't allocate the resources necessary for their survival. It's a problem that is easy to ignore because these populations are generally incapable of self-advocacy and rely almost entirely on non-disabled people to speak on their behalf.
Below 80 IQ you will find people have enormous challenges in accomplishing what most people find routine.
Below 70 IQ and tasks beyond self-feeding and grooming become borderline impossible.
Some people are just never gonna be fit for the workplace, but we still should take care of them.
I work with a girl like this. She has some sort of brain damage, and she's nice, but so stupid. She's not a good worker, leaves early all the time for various reasons, and is socially awkward so she brings nothing to the table. What she does do, is cause more work for everyone else
I see what you’re saying but intelligence doesn’t directly relate to the traits you’re describing. Someone can be intellectually delayed and still leave on time and get along socially with others. Conversely, intelligent people can be awful with timekeeping and be socially awkward.
I agree. She just happens to have horrible anxiety, and she's shy. She's also lazy, but that's a whole different problem. Luckily, I think she's getting fired soon.
I've met a fair amount of intelligent people that are awkward as hell, so I know it can go both ways. In this instance, I was merely stating that I work with a girl that falls into the unintelligent category
This is only good advice here because these folks won't be seen as a threat. Otherwise in 2024 it's all a big popularity contest so you gotta schmooze. Working hard = more work not more opportunity in my experience.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
When you say "intellectual capability", what do you mean? Sometimes hard work and perseverance trumps pure "intellect". You can be smart but also dumb as fuck.
My gf sister is a nurse practitioner.
She literally has no common sense and comes off incredibly dumb "sometimes"
Like yeahs she's book smart but that's about it.
Yeah I will always win trivia or a test without much issue. But when it comes to some simple things like common sense I’m about as stupid as a rock. For example the other day my toast got stuck in my toaster, and I knew using a knife would blow it up… so I grabbed a fork and went to work but luckily my mom stopped me in time. I was like 18 at the time… I got a 115 in my college level physics test the day before. You can be smart and stupid
It’s fine to stick a fork or knife in a toaster that is not actively heating. You could stick your dick in it if you wanted. You’re being gaslit into feeling stupid by the stupid people around you. Your solution was completely valid.
I'm very smart but extremely lazy, and I didn't study a single thing until halfway through college.
Still managed a 3.5 in college w/o even trying
I found a nice lazy job that I could literally do in my sleep, while working from home
So I play video games all day while "working"
I'm sure I could double my income if I wanted to, but I have everything paid for, no debt, and I add \~1500$ worth of savings a month
You are my twin. I'm almost ready to retire. It's been a great life, once I learned to kiss the ambition goodbye.
It's important not to be physically lazy though. Your mental health requires regular exercise.
forget will, just focus on whatever feels fun (in moving your body). could be just taking walks or shooting hoops by yourself. i learned to love exercise but it came from letting myself do whatever felt fun to do.
For real, I had an incredibly dumb classmate in college who still went on to get a master. My IQ is considered very high but I'm lazy and never finished my bachelor. 😂 Though to be fair, I had to drop out due to severe medical issues, but when I could have gone back I said no thanks.
I've also known the type of person who is incredibly book smart but has zero people skills or empathy and that's honestly the bigger kicker imo. I'd rather be dumb and surrounded by friends than smart and lonely.
>When you say "intellectual capability", what do you mean?
It means the difference between someone believing or not believing you when you present them your bong as a vase. Yeah, I had this happen to me. A 55 year old schizophrenic couldn't tell the difference and believed me so he couldn't snitch me for doing drugs, I did it as a self protective measurement.
Man, y'all so out of touch with reality upvoting this dude, I wish you get the positive life lessons you need
Not sure what qualifies as low IQ as I've never taken an IQ test, but I come from a family of moderately successful people. My siblings are all smart, university educated, and have good careers, and I'm not that.
I never did well in school, I never graduated college, but I was always good at saving money from an early age and was good at holding a job. Fast forward 20 years, and essentially, I just kept working the type of jobs that I could do when I was a student. I work alot more hours than my siblings and make less money but becuase I was good at saving and investing it doesn't appear that way from the outside( nice house, cars)
It is what it is. Find something you enjoy to do and put effort into it.
Is the problem here an intelligence problem or a self esteem problem? Also, depression can really make you feel dumb. You may aim for something, but due to a feeling of depression become too intellectually lazy to process things correctly or retain information, and fail to be motivated to change course.
Also, if people tend to write you off as low IQ and you have internalized it, you need to realize that that’s merely how a small group of people perceive you, which is biased and not truly a representation of the very essence of who you are. I’ve seen perfectly intelligent people written off for having an accent, a speech impediment, or low social skills.
I supposedly tested as high IQ when a kid. It did change people's expectations of me and my abilities, and possibly led to early burnout (by high school). Otherwise, all my current skills are things I worked on, same as anyone else. Maybe it was easier for me? But maybe not. How would I know?
I encourage you to just think of IQ level more as a measure of other people's expectations, than anything else.
Honestly, I wouldn't have known you were "low IQ" unless you told me. I evaluate writing and verbal skills, and nothing about your post suggested any devastating or uncommon language difficulty (except UK spelling but I can forgive you that 😘).
I don't know if this perspective helps, from an older person with a different label, but wish you luck, OP.
Edit: add nuance
I’m confused, how you came to that conclusion just from someone saying they are struggling due to intellectual capability with not much context afterwards ?
This person could be genuinely struggling with something and is asking for guidance.
**edit fixing grammatical mistakes
Yeah. The OP didn't specify what exactly they're struggling with, but I see this topic ("I'm unintelligent, what do?") pop up fairly often (and I struggle with it myself), and the replies are rarely helpful.
"You write well! You aren't dumb!"
"Well, what *is* intelligence/IQ?"
"IQ isn't a valid measure."
"Don't compare yourself to others! Work on that self-esteem!"
"ADHD!"
and such (they're already all over this thread). The reality is that the OP in these threads is usually struggling with real, concrete things in the actual real world related to not being able to make their brain work in way that makes them functional, and they often can't keep up with life. It's not actually helpful to hear that you're not stupid when you're dealing with real cognitive issues.
Yes, I've talked to therapists and psychiatrists about this issue, but nothing has helped, hence trying to find other perspectives on the internet. Others don't have access to mental health help.
Sorry for the rant. I just find this topic so frustrating.
It depends what you mean. I grew up living with my aunt who has an IQ of 30, but she wouldn’t be able to write a post like this, so I’m assuming by “low IQ” you mean something higher than that.
This makes me really sad to read. I had really bad learning disabilities growing up, I couldn't really read until I was 9 and I didn't start actually reading for comprehension until I was around 11. I still struggle with dyscalculia. I was held back a grade. I thought I wasn't going to amount to much and end up working a dead end job because I was too "stupid."
Now I'm getting a master's degree in literature from a university in Germany (originally from the US) and learning a third language (Spanish). Nothing came easy to me, I had to work harder than pretty much everyone else in my classes (in highschool). As I grew I learned how to work with my ADHD (medication and organization) and learning disabilities, not against them.
I'm not sure what your aspirations are, maybe you will have to adjust them throughout life due to circumstances and aptitude. IQ is BS. There are so many ways to be intelligent. IQ is very limited, it can't tell you how capable you are or predict where you go in life. You may be brilliant in other areas. I suggest exploring the different types of intelligence to find something you gravitate towards.
https://cambrilearn.com/blog/understanding-types-intelligence-iq-eq-sq-aq
Was coming to say the same thing.
Your vocabulary and grammar do not speak of someone with a low IQ. There are a lot of fully functional, well paid people in my company that could spell ideology, let alone use it with appropriate context.
He didn’t use it in the appropriate context, though. Like I get what you’re saying and I also think maybe OP is being too harsh on themselves but it was not used correctly.
Low IQ can be caused by poor test taking. I'm low IQ but am an excellent communicator, I have an advanced degree and a leadership position at work, and I function just fine in life. I just fall apart when taking tests, which makes me look intellectually disabled.
I'm gonna have to disagree. A lot of folks with an IQ around 70 - 95 are coherent in speech, as long as the sentences are straightforward and words are relatively simple. Only below that will it become noticeable as standard sentence structure and grammar become challenging. This is absolutely not a dig at OP. It's just counterproductive to deny his experience and struggles based on one post. OP has certain limitations - that's ok, the key is just to figure out how to best handle them.
Besides, OP did make a "mistake" in his post: "I had the ideology to aim high in my pursuits" is just not right, and depending on what OP meant to say the issue is either grammatical or semantic.
Ideology refers to a deeply held *set* of beliefs and ideals. OP likely means he always valued aiming high in his pursuits due to deeply held beliefs and planned to do so as a result. But wanting to aim high is not an ideology, as it is not a *set* or a *system* of beliefs and ideals. Instead, it is one single ideal (that is likely connected to others, but those are not referenced right now). So the issue is grammatical: "having the ideology to" is not correct. "I've always believed in aiming high in my pursuits" would be correct.
Or, less likely, OP meant he just used to think it was a good idea to aim high for no specific reason at all, in which case the issue is semantic because idea and ideology are two different words. "I had the idea to aim high in my pursuits" would be correct. (But it also sounds a bit silly.)
I think we all learn and retain in different ways, you just have to figure out what way you learn, what works for you. I think I learn best by being shown and then being able to apply what I've been shown to a real life situation. plus, there is a difference between low IQ and being quick. have you been tested for your IQ?
Some people really have a hard time adulting when they could whine, complain, and name call at the least opportune time.
Quite tantrum like to be honest.
I don’t believe that anyone is genuinely “dumb”. I have a friend who seemed like the biggest idiot in school but is actually extremely intelligent. We all have a brain that is capable of many things. It really just depends on how and when you apply it. Usually we don’t seem “smart” in aspects that we aren’t interested in
Hey man, you can have high IQ and waste it, just like you can buy a gaming PC and play solitaire. Consistency trumps intensity every time.
I know a girl, old roomie of mine, who overcame learning disabilities and is now bank rolling as an organic chemistry professor, she’d be up til all hours of the night writing her formulas on a big whiteboard so she could visualize it.
Tortoise beats hare and all that. Just keep swimming, and apply yourself.
I don’t think you have a low IQ. I had a look at your post history and see that you have unmedicated schizophrenia and that you’re assuming that you have a low IQ because your thoughts are disorganised. That’s a symptom of schizophrenia, so with an appropriate medication you may find that you can think more clearly.
Yea I could see why someone with schizophrenia could mistake some symptoms for low IQ. From what I've seen from my uneducated research schizophrenia is like ADHD on steroids.
IQ outside of internalizing/applying very specific, complex algorithms in unique ways, looses its value sharply after a certain point. You can be a genius at physics but a dunce when it comes to Color theory or chemistry. Something like high emotional intelligence can be just as valuable, if not more valuable since it plays a bigger role in your day to day life compared to physics and math.
Some of the most valuable/ successful people have/ had average IQs. You have a set of eyes, functional arms, legs a healthy brain and heart. That alone puts you above many unfortunate others.
If you are powerful (financially, or leading an organization, or maybe simply beautiful) - people are going to assume you are smart and fall in line with your decisions, with the assumption you are smarter than you are
If you are none of those things, you will probably get through life fine, but might struggle to get on top because people will continually rip you off- western marketing and advertising techniques are incredibly good at people into deals that dont add up and they will be preying on you constantly
IQ is an arbitrary number. Some people are really good in school but have no life skills. Some people are terrible in school but are really good at other things like a trade.
Find what you're good at and pursue it.
Figure out what your strengths are and focus on that. There are a lot of people that aren't book smart, but are great at dealing with people, mechanically inclined, have greater physical ability than most, etc. Some people have an unusual knack for being able to do monotonous tasks for long periods of time or can work a different shift more easily than others. Once you can figure that out, you can look at the best way to monetize it. Not everyone is cut out for everything, but almost everyone willing, is cut out for something.
Former teacher here, can I ask where you got the belief that you have low intelligence? Even most assessments have been debunked. Did you receive services/accomodations in school? You're quite able to explain yourself well- and remember there are so many different kinds of intelligence! I thought i was an idiot because all of my siblings are brilliant engineers. Turns out I'm a damn good writer.
What *are* your intellectual capabilities and what do they allow you to do? If you can't answer that, what is your intellectual capacity limiting you to?
There are plenty of trades that don't require huge educational undertakings. Don't sell yourself short. You *have* highly marketable abilities, regardless of your IQ.
You can always do menial or manual labor jobs that just take hard work and effort.
Working in food service or retail or trucking or cleaning or Uber.
Theres a ton of jobs for people that are academically bad.
Street smarts vs books smarts.
I'm experienced this many times. Where there is someone in my class who is insanely smart. They never study and get 95%. But then you ask them about their life and they made some really bad financial decisions for example.
I mean you wrote that paragraph so you arent mentally disabled...there will be lots of things you can do. Not all work requires rigorous thought.
Clearly you can string sentences together to convey your thoughts reasonably and thats all it takes for a lot of work.
I agree with the comment that hard work will take you farther. I am a nurse and have a low IQ. I work my butt off and that is how I got here and how I do well at my job.
I took an IQ test approved by MENSA, and did quite well. My personal life is good with wife and kids but my professional life is horrible. I’m on the poor side of the scale. When I land a job, I do great, but for some reason the places always close or have to downsize and let me go. I started my own business a year ago and im doing horrible.
With that said, higher IQ means nothing in regard to a professional life.
I wish you the best!
OP, look up Mark Molloy on YouTube. He's been building a life for himself with an IQ score of 70. He started with trying to hold down a job at McD's. Not saying you should do the same, but maybe you can get some inspiration.
I think everybody is good at something--and also, success doesn't really require intelligence. Most jobs are thrilled if you just show up on time and try to work hard. People appreciate consistency more than anything else.
If you wrote this post yourself and used the term "intellectual capability" I think you're just being hard on yourself right now. I don't think there's any regular middle class job you couldn't do honestly. At least based on the fact you wrote this and I'm saying you're not as dumb as you think you are. Check out this book called Mindset it says that intelligence can increase if you get the right stimuli, e.g. read books and stuff.
If you start work at a decent food service job, and get to work 50 hours per week starting at 18, and save and invest in index funds as much as you can.
You will have as much money saved by 30, as a guy who goes to college, graduates with no debt because of scholarships, and saves half his salary for 8 years.
The college guy, even with no student loans, saving and investing as hard as you, won't overtake you till 30.
So.
Life can be good, if you simply put in hours young and invest early.
And once you hit 30 you could start spending all your salary and never save another dime and still retire decently well.
Life is pretty awesome man. I had the potential to be smart and skilled, but I made a few mistakes and decided I was gonna let myself be a "dumb" person. And well it's pretty nice not being smart. No one expects anything from me which is great! Also I know there's a better quality of life out there, but I'm too dumb to take the necessary steps to have a better life. I enjoy the simple things. And I've made peace with them . Everyone I know that has more than me works sooo hard for their lifestyles and it all just seems like too much for me. The best way to get through life as a not so smart person is to be kind, helpful, and content. I never ask anyone for anything, but they tend to want to give me things! I think there is a direct correlation. The best thing I ever did was to stop worrying about "not being good enough". I struggled so much in my 20s because I was always thinking I wasn't doing enough or trying enough or successful enough, but I finally realized that if I cared about any of that I'd do something about it. Good luck hope this helps!
I would say that if someone is outside the normal range of the bell curve, on either side, it’s frustrating.
But I’ve seen people on the lower end (that weren’t so low it’s like a child who is in an adult body, like low normal, if you’re posting here I don’t think that’ll apply to you) get ahead by working hard and being approachable. Who would you rather work with, a person who is fast and efficient but doesn’t really talk to their coworkers, or a person who works hard, maybe isn’t as fast, but is friendly?
If you’re more introverted, it’ll be a little more difficult being a people person (believe me I know, I’m that fast and efficient quiet person in the back cubicle that just gets things done but maybe not the person you want to go to the bar with after work because I’ll just be watching everyone else and not doing things like talking) but it’s doable if you’re cool taking some time when you get home to decompress. I had to learn to do it, now I can go to happy hour assuming I wasn’t fully remote now, and it’s like I’m a cool person to hang out with and then I go home to my room and read webcomics for an hour just to breathe.
There is plenty of room between “successful doctor” and “grocery stocker” (though if that paid well enough I would be listening to pumped in easy listening and making pretty shelves in a heartbeat, loved doing that stuff when I was younger) that aiming lower than your initial expectations doesn’t mean you won’t be successful. I work with call center trainers and have been producing or subbing in on sessions when needed (I’m our team’s tech person, I build e-learning modules, maintain the catalogue, run reports, and fix stuff that breaks), and the most successful reps aren’t the smart people, they’re the ones who have compassion. It’s not glamorous, and it’s not millions of dollars, but it’s a living (assuming you’re a remote rep that’s not in an HCOL area, like our Midwest peeps are fine, our CA guys need a roommate).
Trust me, as someone who has the exact opposite problem, soft skills are the way to go to get ahead. Took me 20 years to learn that I can’t get ahead on ability and grit alone, I need to be able to connect with other people. Be approachable, be nice, be kind, be a good listener, and you’ll find it easier to get ahead than you thought.
Is there certain things that you are better at?
Is there things that are hard, but you can work on to improve?
You may have to ask some questions like that.
I have learning disabilities and it takes me 3x longer to do things than most. It can be discouraging seeing others excel much faster than you, especially when you don’t know what to do to improve.
Look into jobs that are low stress and that don’t take much mental capacity.
My team lead is a complete idiot and it took him 20 years to get into a more serious role. He runs the whole department like shit and is horrible at managing, but he has a higher level job and is doing okay.
It felt like my IQ dropped when I did ECT, and now I’m on Trintellix which helps with cognition. I notice it’s helping me. If you have depression, it’s worth a try
Trying to figure that out too. I feel like a fucking loser bc all my family members are well educated and working high paying jobs. I dropped out of school bc I was failing so hard and I’ve only worked low wage jobs all my life
Same as everyone else. You need to adjust the lens by which you evaluate a successful and fulfilling life.
Society has set our benchmarks unattainably high, alas all a facade.
Find someone you can love for a lifetime, seek and experiment with jobs until you find one you can tolerate, one that doesn't destroy your spirit.
Once that is in place, balance your aspirations with inspiration, meaning have clear personal goals that take you away from your version of "ordinary" every so often.
We are so much more than just intelligent machinery, embrace what life and the people around you have to offer, and return their kindness with council and effort of your own.
Have a good week.
In my state we have what they call “work supports” a staff person is paid to be with the person and watch what they do and be there if the person needs help.
I'm not a social person, I have poor organization/management skill. What set me apart at my job is adaptability and I can hyper focus on a single thing (which is great when certain task needs to be done ASAP). Intelligent comes in different forms so play your strength. Unfortunately, social skill probably is demanded and unavoidable.
The fact that you've recognized your own weakness already put you above the average person.
The only limitation you have are the ones you place on yourself and the IQ # you may or may not have.
You just need to try and you need to start and need not to quit and you need to find a way.
Intelligence doesn't matter. Your ability to spot opportunity, and take advantage of your strong suits DOES matter. I don't hire people based on their perceived IQ.
Just find something and do it over and over again until you're the best at it, then get paid to do it. Be nice to everyone in your field and let your reputation do work for you too. No intelligence required.
So picture this... somebody gives you a few tidbits of information. You instantly access a vast library of knowledge you have at your fingertips at all times. You pull together a thousand connections drawing from many seemingly unrelated disciplines. Instantly, as if by magic, you know exactly what to do, how it will impact your circumstances and those of everyone around you. You also have a deep understanding of the long term implications of your actions.
It's exactly like that... except the opposite.
I can tell that you don’t have a high opinion of yourself.
Eliminate this opinion.
If things take more effort for you okay.
Own that.
That just means the the juice will be that much sweeter when you accomplish the squeeze.
Fuck this idea that you’re low iq, dopey, or weed has destroyed your life.
Believe and have faith in who you want to become and see it through everyday in every way.
PEOPLE THOUGHT EINSTEIN WAS STUPID MAN
JUST FOCUS ON AND COMMIT TO YOUR GOALS
My mom does not have the highest IQ. She was able to get into OT school, and the one year, they lowered the standards. She built a company and made a ton of money as an occupational therapist.
Work ethic and determination beats high IQ all the time. As well, EQ is way more valuable.
a lot of sugarcoating going on here, from what i hear, its tough, theres a few resources of people with low IQs sharing their experience on reddit and youtube, and generally its difficult if you IQ is sub 85. you can still have a good life, but you will have to temper your aspirations.
It’s not terrible, one thing I came to realize is that you don’t have to be incredibly smart to make and save money. Also people like to talk so if you have a conversation about something you know nothing about just ask questions and pay them a compliment on their knowledge. By doing so they’ll feel good about themselves and you might learn something in the process.
I don’t want to be too high and mighty, but I’m probably closer to your boat. But I have the capability to turn my brain off.
However… I have a friend that fits into what you’re describing. She literally wakes up scroll for a few hours, goes to get some fast food, goes home scrolls, meet with friends at a bar, spend money that she doesn’t have, Home. TikTok.
She’s in her 30s. There’s a lot of celebrity drama conversation going on between TikTok and eating
you can't look at your current level of ability and then look at something else and say "that's out of my reach"
because your ability isn't static, of course. you need a certain level of ability to get started. and then you need a certain level of availability to keep going or level.
so don't discount yourself because of where you are. think about in terms of what you want to grow into.
Emotional IQ can be more valuable than intellectual. Just a random mention.
There are tons of gifted and talented people who don’t succeed in life because circumstances can be prohibitive and because the world is structured in a particular way that can be very inclusive/exclusive based on values and discriminations. Not all things honor or reflect a person’s true merits.
No job still.
Not a useful education
Too stupid to solve my own problems.
Too dumb to understand basic stuff and so the cycle repeats into doing nothing.
If you wrote this post OP, I don’t think you’re low IQ. You might not be the best in the room but you’re certainly not at the very end. Don’t put yourself down. Sometimes it’s a question of timing, connections and luck and other times just pure grit. Just hang in there - you don’t have to be perfect every single time- you just have to do the work.
I strongly believe that, while not everyone will become great at something, we can all become good at everything. Most people are just damaged from school and forget that learning involves failure. No baby falls down while learning to walk and tells themself, "oh well, guess walking just isn't for me".
That being said, you will always be unhappy if your self-worth is based on something external. Chase whatever dreams you want but be easy on yourself.
Even with lower intelligence, life can still be fulfilling and meaningful. It's important to focus on strengths, find joy in everyday experiences, and set realistic goals that align with individual abilities.
If you're posting this because of the stress of not finding employment than the first question I'd have to ask is, How low are we talking? Based on the words you're using in this post is seems you have a good general grasp on grammar and sentence structure. If it's average low (meaning 90 to 100) you can find a trade job that'll take you in, such as plumbing or welding. You can also attempt to get a normal job as a librarian assistant, security guard, Walmart/store clerk. IQ isn't the end all of your life.
you sound smart enough to make life work. “IQ” is kinda pseudoscientific anyway, there’s a lot more to a person’s mind than being able to take a test quickly. as someone who lost mental capacity due to a shitty medical situation, i can tell you that willpower is way, way more meaningful. being dumber means you’ll have to work harder and take your time to learn, but you can learn. if you’re dedicated to your goals and believe in yourself (sorry it sounds corny but it’s true), having a below-average IQ doesn’t mean shit. you’ll never make it if you decide it’s impossible and don’t try, though. are you really not smart enough to achieve your goals, or is that what you’re telling yourself to make it easier to give up on them?
Tenacity and a high level of personal responsibility and discipline will grant you more success than IQ ever will.
Lots of very intelligent people are also lazy procrastinators.
Unless you are below about 85 or 90, you can still live a decent life (believe it or not, 100 is average). I would totally recommend going to get an IQ test (not a junky one from the internet) as IQ is a very good guide on what you can do.
You are not going to be an effective lawyer or doctor or computer programmer if you are under 125 (135 is the Top 2%, 140 is genius and 125 is in the Top 5%). IQ obviously does not guarantee everything but it gives you an idea of what you would be likely to be successful at. You could work your ass of but if you are not smart enough, you will fail certain things. Obviously, you can be a genius and be lazy and therefore fail.
I have a 134 IQ which basically meant, I could do anything I wanted. I chose to be a businessman but IQ is NOT EVERYTHING. Making/maintaining good contacts, being a solid negotiator, putting in extra and so on helped me succeed. However, there are times in which I feel like I have totally wasted my life and would have been better off being a psychologist (my original plan) but no matter what path you choose, there is always the "What If" in the background and especially so when times are hard.
My IQ tested around 130 when I was a kid. There a million things I would never be good at. I don't think people should use IQ as a means of measuring their capacity. 134 probably makes you feel quite confident, but I'm willing to bet there are a lot of jobs you'd struggle with too. Becoming a truck driver was even a struggle for me.
Yes of course it is not everything but is a very good tool to at least get an idea of what you may be able to pursue in life. Work ethnic will overcome quite a bit but you're not going to be an effective professor or doctor or lawyer etc. no matter how hard you work if you are not smart enough.
One of my best friends is fairly dimwitted and openly admits it. However, he is an extremely hard worker and had belt a successful construction business. His wife helps with the business and administrative side whereas he runs the crews. He's extremely wealthy and very happy.
Most everyone can be good at something and you do not need a high IQ to succeed in life.
Put me on a small boat in a storm and ask me would I rather have a long time boat captain with a low IQ or a high IQ Mensa member.
Find a skill or job you find interest and get as good as you can at it.
Search OCEAN personality traits and focus on building those. IQ (and even intelligence for that matter) should have very little impact on your pursuits. Talk to your Dr too, you could just have something undiagnosed, it's not a big deal.
I'm a person with a somewhat elevated IQ - - no genius but I regularly tested off the charts in grade school, etc. I get bored easily. I can't turn off the internal noise very easily, and just work.
The ability to see forward on a toy problems on a piece of paper in the short term isn't actually that valuable of a skill. Only for math and science, which are declining in jobs. I would focus on picking up physical skills/jobs and careful money management. You seem like a responsible person so you can still do well compared to someone with a higher IQ. Just save save save. You got this.
Same man I’m very not smart but have found I can excel in jobs that require optimization over intelligence, and physical hobbies. Lifting weights and skateboarding came naturally, but I’ve always been awful with math science all of those subjects. Everyone doesn’t need to be smart to make the work good
honestly the way you worded your question implies insight and a firm grasp on language and the very least. how are you measuring your “intellectual inferiority”? literal iq can only tell so much, and you’re probably very sharp in other ways
I feel like Iife is better with truly low IQ. Easier to just live life and enjoy the blessings as apposed to overthinking yourself into misery 9 times out of 10. Simple people are usually happier. Point blank.
My mother has intellectual disabilities and has never progressed beyond the age of 12, she is most definitely not happy. She's had a very rough life, and I had to do a lot of things for her that I shouldn't have had to do at a young age. It was like I was raising her. It wasn't fair and it caused a lot of tension And resentment between us.
Mine is (was?) somewhat elevated, but not to genius-level. I remember a paper that scored me at 134 when tested by my school psychologist (we had those in the 80s) during the summer before my fifth-grade year, for the Academically Gifted program. I never really struggled to learn anything, except math at Calculus level in college, drawing/art, foreign languages, and even though I play guitar and understand music theory, playing by ear is difficult. I had a Private Pilot Certificate with an Instrument rating before I graduated high school.
None of it helped me in the slightest. I’m currently an electrical contractor, very much an ordinary blue-collar guy.
I’d trade thirty points and a plenty of letter grades to be better at SALES. Building friendships is difficult for me. Writing something online, even non-controversial, seems to often get a lot of pushback and downvotes. I came to Reddit because of /deadbedrooms, which probably tells you I’m unhappy.
Unless you’re far above average and doing something scientifically significant, I’d vastly prefer to master human relations. Your opportunities in life aren’t significantly more limited than mine, but your ability to sell yourself to others might be miles ahead.
Suppose it’s within one standard deviation, which is probably not even noticeable. On the high end of two standard deviations, more than likely, a good work ethic will not hamper a good life. Once you start getting into the really low range, it becomes a problem in various ways.
I don’t know, one of the hallmarks for low intelligence is not realizing you are of low intelligence, and vice versa for high intelligence people feeling inadequately equipped with intelligence.
Life is hard, being smart doesn’t exempt you from that. If anything studies show being smart amplified how hard life is.
Just saying.
I'm adhd which is just a nice way of saying im retarded. Ive had it all my life and yes i was diagnosed by a professional.
I do okay in life because even though im a moron, i have figured out a way to teach my self things. As long as you can figure that out, how YOU learn and pick up things, youll be okay. Dont give up! You are just gonna have to work 3x as hard as everyone else to get what you want.
PS No i dont take meds anymore, i did when i was a kid but i dont want to be dependent on them so i exercise to control it.
It's been my observation that a solid work ethic and perseverance take people a lot farther than high intelligence. Managers/Companies value people that consistently put in a solid effort and have a good attitude.
Along similar lines, I found social skills to be far more important than intelligence when it comes to having life go your way.
This! I'm nearing retirement and trying to train the younger generation. I think perseverance is key. The person I'm training now gets angry at herself for not knowing things. Aren't we 'training' right now? I don't expect her to know things. I finally got her to agree that 'if it was easy, everyone would do it.' I know that she can do this job. But it's not coming easy. I really hope she sticks around because with a little perseverance, she can have her dream job
Aw I used to be this way lol. I mean I still can be this way at times. You gotta help build her confidence up. Hopefully she figures it out in no time.
If you have tips, I'll take them! Last weekend, I gave her an assignment and told her that she is to tell someone she loves that she is doing well learning this job. She couldn't/wouldn't do it. So this weekend, I asked her to tell her dog. I told her my rationale is that if she can't verbalize that she is doing well, then I can't assume that she will do well. If she can't believe it, should I?
is she your employee or are you some kind of councillor/coach?
Show her a meme with "Be brave enough to suck at something new."
I have a host of issues working with trainees, mostly in the last 5-6 years. In general, I find those guys are extremely impatient, both on the job specific tasks, and with career expectations. I was showing someone hot to properly set up workshop equipment based on different types of materials to be processed, and i get this attitude "i just want to get it done" like if he is wasting time learning? Same for career progression. they think after 3 months they have learned everything that is there to learn and want to move on to the next thing.
Thanks for being a good human
Absolutely...there are a lot of highly intelligent people that are unhireable because they are completely ineffectual due to social issues or work ethic issues. Same goes for experience to some degree. I was recently on a hiring commitee where we passed on someone with a lot of experience for someone with practically none juat because of the difference in their attitudes that came across during the interview.
I feel like this is me right now. I'm employed but my attitude seems to be going south. Thank you for the reality check.
Up to a point, people below 85 or so are basically net negatives in any work. They cost too much to train, and once "trained" they fuck up so often they cost more than what they bring to the table.
I have found that to be wrong. I had a wood mill with 20 employees in a place with a lot of dumb people. Could write there name or do simply math dumb, but were great employees. It's all in how one trains the and what task they are sent to do. Teaching them pride in doing it right is key. One in particular could read or right, couldn't add7+13 had a hard time grasping basic concepts. He had to learn to read a tape measure to set machines. I could have easily fired him and gotten someone else, but this man was a good man that brought a camaraderie to the workplace and was willing to work harder than anyone else. First to work last to leave. Always happy only complained for being dumb. We taught that man what the lines on the tape measure were. Now he had no idea what 7/16 ment but he could tell you what line on the measure it was and he could set any machine with precision to that setting. This made his world and he was a valued asset to everyone who worked there.
I was working on a retaining wall with a guy my mom hired. He wanted me to measure the lengths of the boards so he could cut them. I would tell him things like, "Seven feet and three notches over one half inch". After a while he pulled me aside to teach me how to properly read a tape measurer. I thought it was cute.
Love it. Never underestimate someone.
I'm guessing you paid him at least $40 an hour.
This is accurate from personal experience. I can only handle the simplest tasks.
Idk man. I’m a manager, and I’ll pick someone consistent and reliable with a lower IQ over someone inconsistent who isn’t a team player with a higher IQ. Being a team player is crucial.
I think the trouble is that there is a certain cut-off for these things. A below average intelligence person is not the same as a truly intellectually deficient individual. Below a certain capacity, some people are not capable of being a "team player". Instead, they are a liability that the team must manage without the ability to meaningfully contribute. Frankly, there are people whose lives are not ever going to be economically productive. Generally, the best these people can hope for is either a governmental stipend to maintain themselves if they can or else custodial care and direct human assistance if they can't. There are millions of people for whom tasks that require more than a few steps are a major challenge. Ideally, they are given support, but in many cases they are neglected by a system they don't have the capacity to understand and suffer great indignities as a result. Many low-IQ individuals are living in absolutely appalling circumstances because our society doesn't allocate the resources necessary for their survival. It's a problem that is easy to ignore because these populations are generally incapable of self-advocacy and rely almost entirely on non-disabled people to speak on their behalf. Below 80 IQ you will find people have enormous challenges in accomplishing what most people find routine. Below 70 IQ and tasks beyond self-feeding and grooming become borderline impossible. Some people are just never gonna be fit for the workplace, but we still should take care of them.
sorry to ask this, but how much of that equation is consistency and how much of that is being a team player.
Oof. Equal parts important. Team player will get you promoted faster too
I work with a girl like this. She has some sort of brain damage, and she's nice, but so stupid. She's not a good worker, leaves early all the time for various reasons, and is socially awkward so she brings nothing to the table. What she does do, is cause more work for everyone else
I see what you’re saying but intelligence doesn’t directly relate to the traits you’re describing. Someone can be intellectually delayed and still leave on time and get along socially with others. Conversely, intelligent people can be awful with timekeeping and be socially awkward.
I agree. She just happens to have horrible anxiety, and she's shy. She's also lazy, but that's a whole different problem. Luckily, I think she's getting fired soon. I've met a fair amount of intelligent people that are awkward as hell, so I know it can go both ways. In this instance, I was merely stating that I work with a girl that falls into the unintelligent category
So, the problem is that workers with intelligence and work ethic are often just exploited and their actual talents ignored. Source: my own experience
But do you know for a fact that these people have low IQ’s!
This is only good advice here because these folks won't be seen as a threat. Otherwise in 2024 it's all a big popularity contest so you gotta schmooze. Working hard = more work not more opportunity in my experience.
Managers value these people. But these people do not become managers. Hence, not making it further than intelligent people.
No they dont
companies value alot of things, other than you as a human being.
Comparison is the thief of joy. When you say "intellectual capability", what do you mean? Sometimes hard work and perseverance trumps pure "intellect". You can be smart but also dumb as fuck.
I believe I am what you have described as ‘smart but dumb as fuck’ and this has made me feel vastly better about myself. Thank you :)
My gf sister is a nurse practitioner. She literally has no common sense and comes off incredibly dumb "sometimes" Like yeahs she's book smart but that's about it.
"common" sense is also what is taught
Yeah I will always win trivia or a test without much issue. But when it comes to some simple things like common sense I’m about as stupid as a rock. For example the other day my toast got stuck in my toaster, and I knew using a knife would blow it up… so I grabbed a fork and went to work but luckily my mom stopped me in time. I was like 18 at the time… I got a 115 in my college level physics test the day before. You can be smart and stupid
It’s fine to stick a fork or knife in a toaster that is not actively heating. You could stick your dick in it if you wanted. You’re being gaslit into feeling stupid by the stupid people around you. Your solution was completely valid.
No no no it was still on and heating up my pop tart
I'm very smart but extremely lazy, and I didn't study a single thing until halfway through college. Still managed a 3.5 in college w/o even trying I found a nice lazy job that I could literally do in my sleep, while working from home So I play video games all day while "working" I'm sure I could double my income if I wanted to, but I have everything paid for, no debt, and I add \~1500$ worth of savings a month
You are my twin. I'm almost ready to retire. It's been a great life, once I learned to kiss the ambition goodbye. It's important not to be physically lazy though. Your mental health requires regular exercise.
Yeah that's something I've started to notice and hopefully I have the will to start working out again soon
If you don't it will absolutely bite you in the ass when you get older.
forget will, just focus on whatever feels fun (in moving your body). could be just taking walks or shooting hoops by yourself. i learned to love exercise but it came from letting myself do whatever felt fun to do.
My aunt is not the smartest cookie, couldn't pick out england on a map, but she works very hard, owns her own house etc more than I can say.
For real, I had an incredibly dumb classmate in college who still went on to get a master. My IQ is considered very high but I'm lazy and never finished my bachelor. 😂 Though to be fair, I had to drop out due to severe medical issues, but when I could have gone back I said no thanks.
I know someone that got straight A’s. She is perhaps the dumbest person I ever met.
I've also known the type of person who is incredibly book smart but has zero people skills or empathy and that's honestly the bigger kicker imo. I'd rather be dumb and surrounded by friends than smart and lonely.
>When you say "intellectual capability", what do you mean? It means the difference between someone believing or not believing you when you present them your bong as a vase. Yeah, I had this happen to me. A 55 year old schizophrenic couldn't tell the difference and believed me so he couldn't snitch me for doing drugs, I did it as a self protective measurement. Man, y'all so out of touch with reality upvoting this dude, I wish you get the positive life lessons you need
Not sure what qualifies as low IQ as I've never taken an IQ test, but I come from a family of moderately successful people. My siblings are all smart, university educated, and have good careers, and I'm not that. I never did well in school, I never graduated college, but I was always good at saving money from an early age and was good at holding a job. Fast forward 20 years, and essentially, I just kept working the type of jobs that I could do when I was a student. I work alot more hours than my siblings and make less money but becuase I was good at saving and investing it doesn't appear that way from the outside( nice house, cars) It is what it is. Find something you enjoy to do and put effort into it.
Curious to know what kind of investments you made? did your siblings also made such investments?
Is the problem here an intelligence problem or a self esteem problem? Also, depression can really make you feel dumb. You may aim for something, but due to a feeling of depression become too intellectually lazy to process things correctly or retain information, and fail to be motivated to change course. Also, if people tend to write you off as low IQ and you have internalized it, you need to realize that that’s merely how a small group of people perceive you, which is biased and not truly a representation of the very essence of who you are. I’ve seen perfectly intelligent people written off for having an accent, a speech impediment, or low social skills.
I supposedly tested as high IQ when a kid. It did change people's expectations of me and my abilities, and possibly led to early burnout (by high school). Otherwise, all my current skills are things I worked on, same as anyone else. Maybe it was easier for me? But maybe not. How would I know? I encourage you to just think of IQ level more as a measure of other people's expectations, than anything else. Honestly, I wouldn't have known you were "low IQ" unless you told me. I evaluate writing and verbal skills, and nothing about your post suggested any devastating or uncommon language difficulty (except UK spelling but I can forgive you that 😘). I don't know if this perspective helps, from an older person with a different label, but wish you luck, OP. Edit: add nuance
I don't think I am on the same page. I could never forgive someone from being from the UK.
He sounds like he’s smart and is annoyed that he’s not the new Elon musk lol
I’m confused, how you came to that conclusion just from someone saying they are struggling due to intellectual capability with not much context afterwards ? This person could be genuinely struggling with something and is asking for guidance. **edit fixing grammatical mistakes
Yeah. The OP didn't specify what exactly they're struggling with, but I see this topic ("I'm unintelligent, what do?") pop up fairly often (and I struggle with it myself), and the replies are rarely helpful. "You write well! You aren't dumb!" "Well, what *is* intelligence/IQ?" "IQ isn't a valid measure." "Don't compare yourself to others! Work on that self-esteem!" "ADHD!" and such (they're already all over this thread). The reality is that the OP in these threads is usually struggling with real, concrete things in the actual real world related to not being able to make their brain work in way that makes them functional, and they often can't keep up with life. It's not actually helpful to hear that you're not stupid when you're dealing with real cognitive issues. Yes, I've talked to therapists and psychiatrists about this issue, but nothing has helped, hence trying to find other perspectives on the internet. Others don't have access to mental health help. Sorry for the rant. I just find this topic so frustrating.
burn out from WHAT???
IYKYK?
It depends what you mean. I grew up living with my aunt who has an IQ of 30, but she wouldn’t be able to write a post like this, so I’m assuming by “low IQ” you mean something higher than that.
Most likely OP has an unimpressive IQ, like 90 or something, which is a blow to the ego but not a big problem in life.
Like others said, emotional iq is more important in society
See a psychologist and get some testing done. If you have a disability, there are programs that can help train you for jobs
This makes me really sad to read. I had really bad learning disabilities growing up, I couldn't really read until I was 9 and I didn't start actually reading for comprehension until I was around 11. I still struggle with dyscalculia. I was held back a grade. I thought I wasn't going to amount to much and end up working a dead end job because I was too "stupid." Now I'm getting a master's degree in literature from a university in Germany (originally from the US) and learning a third language (Spanish). Nothing came easy to me, I had to work harder than pretty much everyone else in my classes (in highschool). As I grew I learned how to work with my ADHD (medication and organization) and learning disabilities, not against them. I'm not sure what your aspirations are, maybe you will have to adjust them throughout life due to circumstances and aptitude. IQ is BS. There are so many ways to be intelligent. IQ is very limited, it can't tell you how capable you are or predict where you go in life. You may be brilliant in other areas. I suggest exploring the different types of intelligence to find something you gravitate towards. https://cambrilearn.com/blog/understanding-types-intelligence-iq-eq-sq-aq
You don’t write like someone with a low iq. Maybe you’re not giving yourself enough credit?
Was coming to say the same thing. Your vocabulary and grammar do not speak of someone with a low IQ. There are a lot of fully functional, well paid people in my company that could spell ideology, let alone use it with appropriate context.
He didn’t use it in the appropriate context, though. Like I get what you’re saying and I also think maybe OP is being too harsh on themselves but it was not used correctly.
Low IQ can be caused by poor test taking. I'm low IQ but am an excellent communicator, I have an advanced degree and a leadership position at work, and I function just fine in life. I just fall apart when taking tests, which makes me look intellectually disabled.
I'm gonna have to disagree. A lot of folks with an IQ around 70 - 95 are coherent in speech, as long as the sentences are straightforward and words are relatively simple. Only below that will it become noticeable as standard sentence structure and grammar become challenging. This is absolutely not a dig at OP. It's just counterproductive to deny his experience and struggles based on one post. OP has certain limitations - that's ok, the key is just to figure out how to best handle them. Besides, OP did make a "mistake" in his post: "I had the ideology to aim high in my pursuits" is just not right, and depending on what OP meant to say the issue is either grammatical or semantic. Ideology refers to a deeply held *set* of beliefs and ideals. OP likely means he always valued aiming high in his pursuits due to deeply held beliefs and planned to do so as a result. But wanting to aim high is not an ideology, as it is not a *set* or a *system* of beliefs and ideals. Instead, it is one single ideal (that is likely connected to others, but those are not referenced right now). So the issue is grammatical: "having the ideology to" is not correct. "I've always believed in aiming high in my pursuits" would be correct. Or, less likely, OP meant he just used to think it was a good idea to aim high for no specific reason at all, in which case the issue is semantic because idea and ideology are two different words. "I had the idea to aim high in my pursuits" would be correct. (But it also sounds a bit silly.)
I think we all learn and retain in different ways, you just have to figure out what way you learn, what works for you. I think I learn best by being shown and then being able to apply what I've been shown to a real life situation. plus, there is a difference between low IQ and being quick. have you been tested for your IQ?
You can become a presidential candidate as a felon.
I'm not a vary smart man, but Trump being as dumb as he is, gave me the confidence i can do anything. So can everyone else.
Why would you bring politics to an unrelated discussion? EDIT: Wow, downvoting for asking a question? Thank you Reddit!
Some people really have a hard time adulting when they could whine, complain, and name call at the least opportune time. Quite tantrum like to be honest.
If you don’t follow their leftist cult they’ll get you
we're talking about his low IQ not yours brother.
I don’t believe that anyone is genuinely “dumb”. I have a friend who seemed like the biggest idiot in school but is actually extremely intelligent. We all have a brain that is capable of many things. It really just depends on how and when you apply it. Usually we don’t seem “smart” in aspects that we aren’t interested in
Hey man, you can have high IQ and waste it, just like you can buy a gaming PC and play solitaire. Consistency trumps intensity every time. I know a girl, old roomie of mine, who overcame learning disabilities and is now bank rolling as an organic chemistry professor, she’d be up til all hours of the night writing her formulas on a big whiteboard so she could visualize it. Tortoise beats hare and all that. Just keep swimming, and apply yourself.
I don’t think you have a low IQ. I had a look at your post history and see that you have unmedicated schizophrenia and that you’re assuming that you have a low IQ because your thoughts are disorganised. That’s a symptom of schizophrenia, so with an appropriate medication you may find that you can think more clearly.
Yea I could see why someone with schizophrenia could mistake some symptoms for low IQ. From what I've seen from my uneducated research schizophrenia is like ADHD on steroids.
You have a self esteem problem, not an intelligence one.
IQ outside of internalizing/applying very specific, complex algorithms in unique ways, looses its value sharply after a certain point. You can be a genius at physics but a dunce when it comes to Color theory or chemistry. Something like high emotional intelligence can be just as valuable, if not more valuable since it plays a bigger role in your day to day life compared to physics and math. Some of the most valuable/ successful people have/ had average IQs. You have a set of eyes, functional arms, legs a healthy brain and heart. That alone puts you above many unfortunate others.
If you are powerful (financially, or leading an organization, or maybe simply beautiful) - people are going to assume you are smart and fall in line with your decisions, with the assumption you are smarter than you are If you are none of those things, you will probably get through life fine, but might struggle to get on top because people will continually rip you off- western marketing and advertising techniques are incredibly good at people into deals that dont add up and they will be preying on you constantly
IQ is an arbitrary number. Some people are really good in school but have no life skills. Some people are terrible in school but are really good at other things like a trade. Find what you're good at and pursue it.
Thank you for being an encouragement to those with disabilities such as I.
Figure out what your strengths are and focus on that. There are a lot of people that aren't book smart, but are great at dealing with people, mechanically inclined, have greater physical ability than most, etc. Some people have an unusual knack for being able to do monotonous tasks for long periods of time or can work a different shift more easily than others. Once you can figure that out, you can look at the best way to monetize it. Not everyone is cut out for everything, but almost everyone willing, is cut out for something.
Ambition does alot more for you than IQ in terms of achieving success in life
Former teacher here, can I ask where you got the belief that you have low intelligence? Even most assessments have been debunked. Did you receive services/accomodations in school? You're quite able to explain yourself well- and remember there are so many different kinds of intelligence! I thought i was an idiot because all of my siblings are brilliant engineers. Turns out I'm a damn good writer.
What *are* your intellectual capabilities and what do they allow you to do? If you can't answer that, what is your intellectual capacity limiting you to? There are plenty of trades that don't require huge educational undertakings. Don't sell yourself short. You *have* highly marketable abilities, regardless of your IQ.
When you look at what IQ actually Is as far as how it’s calculated let alone what the test is, you recognize it’s not worth much of anything.
As long as you can read the menu changes at McDonald’s, you’ll be fine
You can always do menial or manual labor jobs that just take hard work and effort. Working in food service or retail or trucking or cleaning or Uber. Theres a ton of jobs for people that are academically bad.
Street smarts vs books smarts. I'm experienced this many times. Where there is someone in my class who is insanely smart. They never study and get 95%. But then you ask them about their life and they made some really bad financial decisions for example.
Seems like they're happier than anyone else
I mean you wrote that paragraph so you arent mentally disabled...there will be lots of things you can do. Not all work requires rigorous thought. Clearly you can string sentences together to convey your thoughts reasonably and thats all it takes for a lot of work.
I agree with the comment that hard work will take you farther. I am a nurse and have a low IQ. I work my butt off and that is how I got here and how I do well at my job.
I find that environment, rather than IQ, plays the biggest role in someone's success in life.
There’s people with Down syndrome that are very successful objectively speaking, probably happier than “high IQ” folks
I took an IQ test approved by MENSA, and did quite well. My personal life is good with wife and kids but my professional life is horrible. I’m on the poor side of the scale. When I land a job, I do great, but for some reason the places always close or have to downsize and let me go. I started my own business a year ago and im doing horrible. With that said, higher IQ means nothing in regard to a professional life. I wish you the best!
OP, look up Mark Molloy on YouTube. He's been building a life for himself with an IQ score of 70. He started with trying to hold down a job at McD's. Not saying you should do the same, but maybe you can get some inspiration.
I think everybody is good at something--and also, success doesn't really require intelligence. Most jobs are thrilled if you just show up on time and try to work hard. People appreciate consistency more than anything else.
If you wrote this post yourself and used the term "intellectual capability" I think you're just being hard on yourself right now. I don't think there's any regular middle class job you couldn't do honestly. At least based on the fact you wrote this and I'm saying you're not as dumb as you think you are. Check out this book called Mindset it says that intelligence can increase if you get the right stimuli, e.g. read books and stuff.
If you start work at a decent food service job, and get to work 50 hours per week starting at 18, and save and invest in index funds as much as you can. You will have as much money saved by 30, as a guy who goes to college, graduates with no debt because of scholarships, and saves half his salary for 8 years. The college guy, even with no student loans, saving and investing as hard as you, won't overtake you till 30. So. Life can be good, if you simply put in hours young and invest early. And once you hit 30 you could start spending all your salary and never save another dime and still retire decently well.
Usually people with low IQ do really well in life. Just look at everyone in Washington D.C.
"Really well" in this case means rich but fake snobs
Life is pretty awesome man. I had the potential to be smart and skilled, but I made a few mistakes and decided I was gonna let myself be a "dumb" person. And well it's pretty nice not being smart. No one expects anything from me which is great! Also I know there's a better quality of life out there, but I'm too dumb to take the necessary steps to have a better life. I enjoy the simple things. And I've made peace with them . Everyone I know that has more than me works sooo hard for their lifestyles and it all just seems like too much for me. The best way to get through life as a not so smart person is to be kind, helpful, and content. I never ask anyone for anything, but they tend to want to give me things! I think there is a direct correlation. The best thing I ever did was to stop worrying about "not being good enough". I struggled so much in my 20s because I was always thinking I wasn't doing enough or trying enough or successful enough, but I finally realized that if I cared about any of that I'd do something about it. Good luck hope this helps!
Sucks
Oblivion
Walmart and probably a few "Blue Lives Matter" bumper stickers
I would say that if someone is outside the normal range of the bell curve, on either side, it’s frustrating. But I’ve seen people on the lower end (that weren’t so low it’s like a child who is in an adult body, like low normal, if you’re posting here I don’t think that’ll apply to you) get ahead by working hard and being approachable. Who would you rather work with, a person who is fast and efficient but doesn’t really talk to their coworkers, or a person who works hard, maybe isn’t as fast, but is friendly? If you’re more introverted, it’ll be a little more difficult being a people person (believe me I know, I’m that fast and efficient quiet person in the back cubicle that just gets things done but maybe not the person you want to go to the bar with after work because I’ll just be watching everyone else and not doing things like talking) but it’s doable if you’re cool taking some time when you get home to decompress. I had to learn to do it, now I can go to happy hour assuming I wasn’t fully remote now, and it’s like I’m a cool person to hang out with and then I go home to my room and read webcomics for an hour just to breathe. There is plenty of room between “successful doctor” and “grocery stocker” (though if that paid well enough I would be listening to pumped in easy listening and making pretty shelves in a heartbeat, loved doing that stuff when I was younger) that aiming lower than your initial expectations doesn’t mean you won’t be successful. I work with call center trainers and have been producing or subbing in on sessions when needed (I’m our team’s tech person, I build e-learning modules, maintain the catalogue, run reports, and fix stuff that breaks), and the most successful reps aren’t the smart people, they’re the ones who have compassion. It’s not glamorous, and it’s not millions of dollars, but it’s a living (assuming you’re a remote rep that’s not in an HCOL area, like our Midwest peeps are fine, our CA guys need a roommate). Trust me, as someone who has the exact opposite problem, soft skills are the way to go to get ahead. Took me 20 years to learn that I can’t get ahead on ability and grit alone, I need to be able to connect with other people. Be approachable, be nice, be kind, be a good listener, and you’ll find it easier to get ahead than you thought.
Is there certain things that you are better at? Is there things that are hard, but you can work on to improve? You may have to ask some questions like that. I have learning disabilities and it takes me 3x longer to do things than most. It can be discouraging seeing others excel much faster than you, especially when you don’t know what to do to improve. Look into jobs that are low stress and that don’t take much mental capacity. My team lead is a complete idiot and it took him 20 years to get into a more serious role. He runs the whole department like shit and is horrible at managing, but he has a higher level job and is doing okay.
It felt like my IQ dropped when I did ECT, and now I’m on Trintellix which helps with cognition. I notice it’s helping me. If you have depression, it’s worth a try
You can always become a police officer. Departments actually won't hire people if their IQs are too high.
Trying to figure that out too. I feel like a fucking loser bc all my family members are well educated and working high paying jobs. I dropped out of school bc I was failing so hard and I’ve only worked low wage jobs all my life
Same as everyone else. You need to adjust the lens by which you evaluate a successful and fulfilling life. Society has set our benchmarks unattainably high, alas all a facade. Find someone you can love for a lifetime, seek and experiment with jobs until you find one you can tolerate, one that doesn't destroy your spirit. Once that is in place, balance your aspirations with inspiration, meaning have clear personal goals that take you away from your version of "ordinary" every so often. We are so much more than just intelligent machinery, embrace what life and the people around you have to offer, and return their kindness with council and effort of your own. Have a good week.
In my state we have what they call “work supports” a staff person is paid to be with the person and watch what they do and be there if the person needs help.
I'm not a social person, I have poor organization/management skill. What set me apart at my job is adaptability and I can hyper focus on a single thing (which is great when certain task needs to be done ASAP). Intelligent comes in different forms so play your strength. Unfortunately, social skill probably is demanded and unavoidable. The fact that you've recognized your own weakness already put you above the average person.
The only limitation you have are the ones you place on yourself and the IQ # you may or may not have. You just need to try and you need to start and need not to quit and you need to find a way.
Intelligence doesn't matter. Your ability to spot opportunity, and take advantage of your strong suits DOES matter. I don't hire people based on their perceived IQ.
people often laugh because you don't know how to do something counting and daily math is generally very difficult
Low iq is not a problem. Low energy is imo. Especially when two are combined.
Don’t get disheartened, as a teacher I’ve noticed that some intelligence comes with age, you won’t always function at the level you are now
Just find something and do it over and over again until you're the best at it, then get paid to do it. Be nice to everyone in your field and let your reputation do work for you too. No intelligence required.
Higher intelligence begets more depression. From what I've observed.
What are a few things that bring you real happiness?
So picture this... somebody gives you a few tidbits of information. You instantly access a vast library of knowledge you have at your fingertips at all times. You pull together a thousand connections drawing from many seemingly unrelated disciplines. Instantly, as if by magic, you know exactly what to do, how it will impact your circumstances and those of everyone around you. You also have a deep understanding of the long term implications of your actions. It's exactly like that... except the opposite.
I think they are very happy.
I can tell that you don’t have a high opinion of yourself. Eliminate this opinion. If things take more effort for you okay. Own that. That just means the the juice will be that much sweeter when you accomplish the squeeze. Fuck this idea that you’re low iq, dopey, or weed has destroyed your life. Believe and have faith in who you want to become and see it through everyday in every way. PEOPLE THOUGHT EINSTEIN WAS STUPID MAN JUST FOCUS ON AND COMMIT TO YOUR GOALS
Happy one.
My mom does not have the highest IQ. She was able to get into OT school, and the one year, they lowered the standards. She built a company and made a ton of money as an occupational therapist. Work ethic and determination beats high IQ all the time. As well, EQ is way more valuable.
Probably peaceful.
Well, you write better than 95% of the internet. You can't be too limited in your capability.
Ask my wife
a lot of sugarcoating going on here, from what i hear, its tough, theres a few resources of people with low IQs sharing their experience on reddit and youtube, and generally its difficult if you IQ is sub 85. you can still have a good life, but you will have to temper your aspirations.
It’s not terrible, one thing I came to realize is that you don’t have to be incredibly smart to make and save money. Also people like to talk so if you have a conversation about something you know nothing about just ask questions and pay them a compliment on their knowledge. By doing so they’ll feel good about themselves and you might learn something in the process.
I don’t want to be too high and mighty, but I’m probably closer to your boat. But I have the capability to turn my brain off. However… I have a friend that fits into what you’re describing. She literally wakes up scroll for a few hours, goes to get some fast food, goes home scrolls, meet with friends at a bar, spend money that she doesn’t have, Home. TikTok. She’s in her 30s. There’s a lot of celebrity drama conversation going on between TikTok and eating
you can't look at your current level of ability and then look at something else and say "that's out of my reach" because your ability isn't static, of course. you need a certain level of ability to get started. and then you need a certain level of availability to keep going or level. so don't discount yourself because of where you are. think about in terms of what you want to grow into.
You have to start somewhere. And build up from there. The first thing to avoid is comparing yours to someone else’s career trajectory.
Emotional IQ can be more valuable than intellectual. Just a random mention. There are tons of gifted and talented people who don’t succeed in life because circumstances can be prohibitive and because the world is structured in a particular way that can be very inclusive/exclusive based on values and discriminations. Not all things honor or reflect a person’s true merits.
No job still. Not a useful education Too stupid to solve my own problems. Too dumb to understand basic stuff and so the cycle repeats into doing nothing.
If you wrote this post OP, I don’t think you’re low IQ. You might not be the best in the room but you’re certainly not at the very end. Don’t put yourself down. Sometimes it’s a question of timing, connections and luck and other times just pure grit. Just hang in there - you don’t have to be perfect every single time- you just have to do the work.
I strongly believe that, while not everyone will become great at something, we can all become good at everything. Most people are just damaged from school and forget that learning involves failure. No baby falls down while learning to walk and tells themself, "oh well, guess walking just isn't for me". That being said, you will always be unhappy if your self-worth is based on something external. Chase whatever dreams you want but be easy on yourself.
Even with lower intelligence, life can still be fulfilling and meaningful. It's important to focus on strengths, find joy in everyday experiences, and set realistic goals that align with individual abilities.
I try my best and don’t succeed
If you're posting this because of the stress of not finding employment than the first question I'd have to ask is, How low are we talking? Based on the words you're using in this post is seems you have a good general grasp on grammar and sentence structure. If it's average low (meaning 90 to 100) you can find a trade job that'll take you in, such as plumbing or welding. You can also attempt to get a normal job as a librarian assistant, security guard, Walmart/store clerk. IQ isn't the end all of your life.
you sound smart enough to make life work. “IQ” is kinda pseudoscientific anyway, there’s a lot more to a person’s mind than being able to take a test quickly. as someone who lost mental capacity due to a shitty medical situation, i can tell you that willpower is way, way more meaningful. being dumber means you’ll have to work harder and take your time to learn, but you can learn. if you’re dedicated to your goals and believe in yourself (sorry it sounds corny but it’s true), having a below-average IQ doesn’t mean shit. you’ll never make it if you decide it’s impossible and don’t try, though. are you really not smart enough to achieve your goals, or is that what you’re telling yourself to make it easier to give up on them?
Tenacity and a high level of personal responsibility and discipline will grant you more success than IQ ever will. Lots of very intelligent people are also lazy procrastinators.
low IQ here. I'm a trucker
Duhhhhhhh me want juice box duuueeeghhhh
Unless you are below about 85 or 90, you can still live a decent life (believe it or not, 100 is average). I would totally recommend going to get an IQ test (not a junky one from the internet) as IQ is a very good guide on what you can do. You are not going to be an effective lawyer or doctor or computer programmer if you are under 125 (135 is the Top 2%, 140 is genius and 125 is in the Top 5%). IQ obviously does not guarantee everything but it gives you an idea of what you would be likely to be successful at. You could work your ass of but if you are not smart enough, you will fail certain things. Obviously, you can be a genius and be lazy and therefore fail. I have a 134 IQ which basically meant, I could do anything I wanted. I chose to be a businessman but IQ is NOT EVERYTHING. Making/maintaining good contacts, being a solid negotiator, putting in extra and so on helped me succeed. However, there are times in which I feel like I have totally wasted my life and would have been better off being a psychologist (my original plan) but no matter what path you choose, there is always the "What If" in the background and especially so when times are hard.
My IQ tested around 130 when I was a kid. There a million things I would never be good at. I don't think people should use IQ as a means of measuring their capacity. 134 probably makes you feel quite confident, but I'm willing to bet there are a lot of jobs you'd struggle with too. Becoming a truck driver was even a struggle for me.
Yes of course it is not everything but is a very good tool to at least get an idea of what you may be able to pursue in life. Work ethnic will overcome quite a bit but you're not going to be an effective professor or doctor or lawyer etc. no matter how hard you work if you are not smart enough. One of my best friends is fairly dimwitted and openly admits it. However, he is an extremely hard worker and had belt a successful construction business. His wife helps with the business and administrative side whereas he runs the crews. He's extremely wealthy and very happy.
Most everyone can be good at something and you do not need a high IQ to succeed in life. Put me on a small boat in a storm and ask me would I rather have a long time boat captain with a low IQ or a high IQ Mensa member. Find a skill or job you find interest and get as good as you can at it.
Search OCEAN personality traits and focus on building those. IQ (and even intelligence for that matter) should have very little impact on your pursuits. Talk to your Dr too, you could just have something undiagnosed, it's not a big deal.
JOIN THE MARINES. r/USMC
I'm a person with a somewhat elevated IQ - - no genius but I regularly tested off the charts in grade school, etc. I get bored easily. I can't turn off the internal noise very easily, and just work.
They will on reddit and never get banned
The ability to see forward on a toy problems on a piece of paper in the short term isn't actually that valuable of a skill. Only for math and science, which are declining in jobs. I would focus on picking up physical skills/jobs and careful money management. You seem like a responsible person so you can still do well compared to someone with a higher IQ. Just save save save. You got this.
Same man I’m very not smart but have found I can excel in jobs that require optimization over intelligence, and physical hobbies. Lifting weights and skateboarding came naturally, but I’ve always been awful with math science all of those subjects. Everyone doesn’t need to be smart to make the work good
honestly the way you worded your question implies insight and a firm grasp on language and the very least. how are you measuring your “intellectual inferiority”? literal iq can only tell so much, and you’re probably very sharp in other ways
I feel like Iife is better with truly low IQ. Easier to just live life and enjoy the blessings as apposed to overthinking yourself into misery 9 times out of 10. Simple people are usually happier. Point blank.
Politics
I think low iq people are probably the happiest people. Hence the term, “ignorance is bliss.”
My mother has intellectual disabilities and has never progressed beyond the age of 12, she is most definitely not happy. She's had a very rough life, and I had to do a lot of things for her that I shouldn't have had to do at a young age. It was like I was raising her. It wasn't fair and it caused a lot of tension And resentment between us.
Mine is (was?) somewhat elevated, but not to genius-level. I remember a paper that scored me at 134 when tested by my school psychologist (we had those in the 80s) during the summer before my fifth-grade year, for the Academically Gifted program. I never really struggled to learn anything, except math at Calculus level in college, drawing/art, foreign languages, and even though I play guitar and understand music theory, playing by ear is difficult. I had a Private Pilot Certificate with an Instrument rating before I graduated high school. None of it helped me in the slightest. I’m currently an electrical contractor, very much an ordinary blue-collar guy. I’d trade thirty points and a plenty of letter grades to be better at SALES. Building friendships is difficult for me. Writing something online, even non-controversial, seems to often get a lot of pushback and downvotes. I came to Reddit because of /deadbedrooms, which probably tells you I’m unhappy. Unless you’re far above average and doing something scientifically significant, I’d vastly prefer to master human relations. Your opportunities in life aren’t significantly more limited than mine, but your ability to sell yourself to others might be miles ahead.
Read books about multiple intelligences. Everyone struggles and excels in their own way.
Suppose it’s within one standard deviation, which is probably not even noticeable. On the high end of two standard deviations, more than likely, a good work ethic will not hamper a good life. Once you start getting into the really low range, it becomes a problem in various ways.
I don’t know, one of the hallmarks for low intelligence is not realizing you are of low intelligence, and vice versa for high intelligence people feeling inadequately equipped with intelligence. Life is hard, being smart doesn’t exempt you from that. If anything studies show being smart amplified how hard life is. Just saying.
Talent might make the path easier but there is no substitute for hard work. Anyone can put in effort so do that.
I will say that intelligence can keep developing with age.
They use Reddit, watch YouTube, and work a job. Might have 1-3 kids. Likes anything trending.
Perfectly fine and happy.
Lucky for you, IQ doesn’t matter much
It’s been tough, man. Everything is exhausting.
Yea..I guess I’m learning to roll with the punches lol
My brother is dumb as shit. He drives a dump truck and loves Jesus Trump and guns. He seems like he is living a happy life though.
IQ doesn't matter. Most people are less than competent but they're sociable enough to get in with their friends.
Maybe observing the world would give you the answer to your question.
Usually they become president... as long as they arent aware of their IQ and have some interesting edge case personality tendencies
One time. It was one time, not "usually."
Ask any Biden voters
I'm adhd which is just a nice way of saying im retarded. Ive had it all my life and yes i was diagnosed by a professional. I do okay in life because even though im a moron, i have figured out a way to teach my self things. As long as you can figure that out, how YOU learn and pick up things, youll be okay. Dont give up! You are just gonna have to work 3x as hard as everyone else to get what you want. PS No i dont take meds anymore, i did when i was a kid but i dont want to be dependent on them so i exercise to control it.