Transgendered And Intelligent

[Guest Cody_T]

I ruined IQ tests for myself by taking them online... my highest (and I think earliest as well) was 184, ranging down to about 130, with tons in between. I had this period where I was obsessed with figuring out my IQ and took about every IQ test available online.

But anyway, I would gladly say I'm more intelligent than my peers. I've been saying it for years And the cool thing is that a lot of them agree. Some of them don't, but they're the jealous type who actually have to pay attention, study, and do homework to pass their AP classes...

As a kid, I was convinced that I had ADD, but no one believed me because I got mostly A's... well I just got a brain scan and I have documented major attention issues . In spite of that, I get grades that a lot of high schoolers (at least the ones I know) only dream of My mom and I always used to talk about what I could do if I applied myself... so maybe I should try attention meds or something. Oh and I also stopped caring since the times I did pay attention it was so boring (back in fifth grade, ish)- I think I'm the only person my AP classes who can copy the back of the book the entire year without worrying about understanding things. But then I do better than them anyway...

I'm either having major luck or skill in calculus this year, because I've managed to ace two chapter tests by learning the material in the fifteen minute break before class. It's kind of weird, really.

I think the both sides of the brain thing might be true, because I'm above average at every subject. I tend to do badly on math, but not because I don't get it. I can look over a chapter the night before a test and do so much better than people who have done all the homework, studied, and gone in for help. But that still means I have to actually tune in, which hurts me. For english I almost never tune in, and for science I find it interesting enough to actually focus from time to time. I write well without effort, which carries my english/history. But I'd say that, were I engaged enough to actually learn things, I'd be around equally strong in each subject.

hope that's not too much bragging... I kind of take pride in my intelligence because for a long time it was the only thing I had to be proud of.

[Guest Amanda L Richards]

HI all

I was told once by a teacher when I was supposed to be in a remedial class, that I was far more intelligent than they were giving me credit for.

He went on to say that if you find the mundane type of education boring or that you are struggling is becuase you are way above this level and this stuff is not challenging to your intellect. If you are the type of person that goes to school and you are getting along with the curriculum, then chances are you are probably average intelligence.

He also said that most school systems are not geared toward people that could figure out quantum physics or the secret to existence in their present state and therefore never really know where to put you so they try to fit you into a box that you "might" fit into. Some are moved ahead in grades, which causes stress for the one that is or has been moved becuase they don't fit in with that age group, or they stick you in the remedial classes which causes you stress becuase your peers look at you like your stupid.

This and the maturity levels is something that mundane society has a hard time dealing with so they aren't or don't want to try to accomodate us and therefore becuase of the lack of place to root, we become confused. Especially since we get placed into a remedial class, or not, and stay where we are and find trouble adjusting to something that isn't for us, we get to feeling like we are useless or don't belong.

We by far are not average people in anyway shape or form literally. And that is why we feel the way we do.

While this is not a scientific, and most of it came from a conversation from a teacher that had also studied psychology, he observed several people that came through the school that I was in in various stages of struggle in one way or another.

He mentioned this to me in my ninth grade, and since then i have been aware of people that appear to be trouble makers in school or slackers, and when you actually get to know them you find out that they are very deep people. Some are a little more troubled than others, but all it takes is to just show them that they are special in their own way, and to show them a direction to go in to find themselves.

That was my opinion. Hope that made sense.

Luv

Amanda LR

[Guest ~Brenda~]

Hi Amanda,

Amen sister!! I totally understand what you are saying. Here is a little example of how messed up the school system is... When I was in junior high, for some reason (I am still not sure why) these geniuses placed me in the special education classes. Now what happened here? I clearly did not fit into the normal classroom setting. They did not know what to do with me so they shoved me off to the special education section. Ironically, I am now more educated, and more successful than those clowns could ever have hoped for me or themselves.

thanks,

bernie

[Sally]

When I was in the first grade I had terrible tonsillitis and finally had to have them removed.

Upon my return to school my teacher decided that I had missed to much and placed me in the slow reading group - I mentioned earlier that I was reading Poe in the unabridged versions at home.

To this day if my mother really wants to get my attention the phrase, "Downy Duck" will do it - the main character in the plot less, pointless rambling that were somehow supposed to teach children to read - I think it would instill a desire to burn books rather than read them .(thank God I had Melville to get me though at night)

After I had moved to the next grade my teacher ran into my mother at a PTA meeting and apologized for having misread me so badly - everyone has - they still think I'm a guy!

I wasted all of that time and she never told me that she was sorry - just my mom.

Life is very strange and has so many turns - I am amazed that we all focus in on such small things and especially the things that bother us.

We all should take a moment to think about the things that have gone right.

That didn't take long, did it?

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Little Sara]

I've never heard of any real studies being done either. All of what I've read seems anecdotal. That said, at Transsexual.org I read that GLB people are one standard deviation above the norm and that people born transsexual are two standard deviations above the norm (130). (The norm being 100) If I remember correctly, and it was a looonnngg time ago, I tested out at 129 or almost exactly two standard deviations above the norm. Hmmmm.

But does any of this really matter? It doesn't stop people from discriminating against us. And if you play this card chances are a cisgendered person might think you were being arrogant or something. And we don't need any more problems than we already have. Is it me or has transitioning got more difficult in some ways in the last few years? I'm hoping that that's because we are finally starting to get taken seriously by the public and our detractors are pulling out all the stops trying to confuse things and keep us in our place. Hopefully with a new administration in office in 2009 things will improve.

Sorry for getting off topic and being US centric.

That's what I heard too. Also, gay and lesbian and transgender people are about twice as likely to be left-handed (or ambidextrous) than the general populations (20 vs 11%). Left-handed (or ambidextrous) people supposedly use more of both halves of the brains than a single one in majority.

I tested as genius before. I'm also ambidextrous and write with my left hand.

I think it tells you that those who are trans have the "equipment" (in the head) to be able to:

1) Find out they are trans.

2) Deal with it, usually by way of transition.

3) Innovate (see how Lynn Conway revolutionized computing).

4) Think outside the box, be more open-minded (of course, that's not all trans people...)

[Guest Saralynd]

lol it'd be a nice consolation prize wouldn't it. I don't know though between some of my genius artist friends and some of the people at the clinic where I go I start to wonder if its true or not. I'm the only transsexual among my immediate friends and some of them make me feel like a moron. At the clinic, the girls in my support group are all very smart, but the other group that has a lot of girls who have been dealt a worse deck of cards, ie: sex workers and what not. They get a sort of mixture, and sometimes I hear them say things that make me wonder about their intelligence. >.>; I'd like to think that being intelligent is some sort of gift I got for being forced to struggle with my identity, and then with transition, but I think it just depends on the individual really.

[Guest amie]

i had an IQ of 180 when I was 8.... they tested me because they thought I was retarded. lol. Little did they know, I was daydreaming about being a girl. ^^

Bwaaahahahahaha!

That's funny stuff.

Snaps on the score though!

[Guest Little Sara]

Bwaaahahahahaha!

That's funny stuff.

Snaps on the score though!

I thought IQs were normalized for the age of 16 though, as such they're blatantly inaccurate on children below a certain age. Isn't that true?

[Guest amie]

I thought IQs were normalized for the age of 16 though, as such they're blatantly inaccurate on children below a certain age. Isn't that true?

I'm inclined to agree.

[Guest Kiera]

I fear that there may be a darker side to the perception of greater intelligence among the transsexual community.

The following are two probable causes for this perception,

1. Those less comfortable about expressing themselve probably will not participate in our discussions though they may read them...

and

2. We are a group of people who tend to have a very high suicide rate...

The ones among us who learn to deal with ourselves in a healthier fashion probably ARE more intelligent... yet, I would contend that the perception of a higher percentage of intelligent people in our ranks, is not because we have been born with a transsexual condition. I tend to believe that those of us who are not as equiped to handle the challenges of being transsexual have created a loud silence by removing themselves from our midst.

[Guest DeniseNM]

I guess I will put my two cents worth in on this since I am another one of those with the "big brain" (IQ 136). I haven't seen any studies about trans but I am inclined to agree that we as a community are more intelligent that the average. I know genius is considered 140+, so I am classified as near genius ("and there was much rejoicing ... yeah" -quoted from Monty Python and the Holy Grail ). It would be an interesting study for someone to do though to see if it is true. I know that there have been studies linking high IQ with increased chance of ADD/ADHD, addiction, depression and mental disorders. Since the majority of trans people I have heard from on here and elsewhere have dealt with at least one of those (if not more than one) I think that is another big indication it may be true.

I know for me I was totally bored in school and slept through most of it (and was still in the honors program .. go figure)

Denise

[Guest Naomi Stardust]

i don't know what my IQ is

but my ego is above 200

[Guest Little Sara]

I know genius is considered 140+, so I am classified as near genius

I thought it was 130.

Average: 85-115 (or 100) (2/3 of people) - standard deviation = 15

1 standard deviation higher: 100-130 (or 115) 115 is above 90th percentile

2 standard deviations higher: 115-145 (or 130) 130 is above 98th percentile

[Guest Cazz333]

I don't know if transgendered people are necessarily more intelligent, but if it seems that way, maybe it's because transgendered people tend to use the intellgence they have more. Dealing with the anxiety and depression people feel towards their gender, trying to take up a role in life thats completely unnatural to you, wondering if it's all just some kind of phase, trying to supress or find a way around the feelings you have, deciding to come out, how and when to do it, figuring out what you are, a man, a women, somewhere inbetween, something else, figuring out how you want to fit into society, figuring out how you can get to the roll in society you're comfortable with, all the stress that you can encounter when transitioning like harasment, or people refusing to accept you for what you are. Not everyone worries about everything I listed, and not all of it is specific to transgendered people, but there are life altering deccisions to think about, and a lot of stress and anxiety over things that a lot of other people probably never have to worry much, or at all about. Maybe being in a position where we have to think deeply about so much, forces us to use more of the intelligence we're born with.

True.

This is why I enjoy browsing this forum once in awhile.

They tested me too because they thought I was stupid. It turns out one side of my brain is 'normal' and the other is above genius. The guy stared dumbfounded at me after the tests.

What do you mean by one side, left or right or mid head to forehead and back of the head?

[Guest 1charlotte1]

No, you speak good american! (It always bugs me when people are stupid enough to say that. *sigh* My country... It's only half of it, though)

Perhaps they are, though... Not innately, but people who realize and admit that they are transsexual, especially at an earlier age might be more intelligent/mature because it requires introspection to come to that conclusion.

Well, I suppose that sounds right. I simply have always been considered intelligent. It is just because of the way I think *shrug* while it makes me happy to think this statement is true, I worry it is more along the lines that almost all people want to be special! So we create conclusions that seem to fit. But it could be true! That would be sweet!

*I took a thoughtful gander at my screen to contemplate what had just been written Before finally signing* Charlotte

[Guest Neuro]

I've never been tested or anything. I don't even know what I.Q stands for. XD

Don't think I'm smarter than anyone for being transgender, for sure... I might be retarded >_>?

But, err... I do contemplate that the seemingly ridiculous morals of a team of fourteen year olds piloting giant robots for the mere sake of saving Tokyo has further meaning than commercialism or blatant imperialism; leading back not only to WWII's common mindset of protecting the 'land of the gods' with godlike samurai spirit of self-sacrifice; but also themes of children being our future, initialization into adulthood; and unhealthy isolization.

And, giant robots are awesomest when a whiny teenage angst-ridden pilot is screwing up in the middle of a huge city.

Run on sentences are running on @A@

I guess I like to think, but... I'm not above anyone else's intelligence level. Heck, just for this one reply I needed to use Firefoxes spell-check feature at least 10 times.

[Guest Pól_Eire]

I didn't learn how to read until I was almost 8, and I still have immense troubles with reading out loud. Somehow reading to myself is fine, but as soon as I have to verbalise anything, it gets all mixed up. Likewise, I have trouble writing down what I hear without mixing stuff up. I used to get into a lot of trouble at school for behavioural stuff, so between my reading problems and that, they used to put me with the lower sections. I got tested last year because I participated in some study about handedness and IQ (ambidextrous, 133). I'm not sure IQ is a great indicator of intelligence though because it only measures certain kinds. I might be really good with shapes and so on, but socially I'm definitely nowhere near genius. There's different kinds of smart.

Pól

[Guest Mr.Yoav]

Interesting........ well, I am classified as "gifted" in school, and I am going to a high school for all gifted kids.

I think I'm smart... but we'll see.