Re: Misunderstanding (Re: Emacs-devel Digest, Vol 44, Issue 67)

[David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>]

"Eric S. Raymond" <esr@thyrsus.com> writes:

> David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>:
>> Most creative geniuses are nuts one way or the other.
>
> This is commonly believed.  It's also not true.  Admissions to
> mental hospitals per thousand drop off with increasing IQ.

Hospitalization occurs when people are a danger for themselves or
others.  People with an overactive imagination tend to be able to
visualize others' pain vividly enough to have high morals.  And an
intelligent person will be able to present themselves well enough to
avoid hospitalization until it is too late.  A more relevant number
would be the suicide rates.

And another thing for those unable to lead a life of their own: the
create, special people will usually have others that love them for who
and what they are, and cater for them.  For those dropping off the
intelligence scale on the low end, the conditions are worse.

> The looks connection, BTW, comes from the fact that the two most
> important beauty/handsomeness traits -- good skin and feature
> symmetry -- are indicators of a robust immune system.  In fact,
> that's *why* beauty is sexually important.

I should be Adonis by that measure: my immune system is more active by
a factor of 3 compared to normal persons.  While it comes in handy
when I get the flu (and get rid of it again in two to three days of
high fever), the equivalent of it biting its nails in boredom (an
impressive ability to develop allergies) is a nuisance.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum