There Are Some Extremely Bright People On This Here Forum!!!

by snowbird 69 Replies latest jw friends

  • mindmelda
    mindmelda

    I was often told by other JWs that I was "too smart for my own good". Sometimes that was said in reproof, sometimes admiringly when I'd give an answer at a meeting that had everyone going, wow, I wish I'd said that, because I loved to do research.

    That love of reading, doing research, curiousity, critical thinking works against you as a Witness. They want you to be smart enough so that you're not a total embarrassment, but not smart enough to figure out their Jedi Mind tricks.

    As soon as I started studying psychology and anthropology, I was screwed...I saw the man behind the curtain and it was curtains for the WTS and me.

    I had some IQ tests done once. IQ is tricky, it doesn't tell you everything and it only measures certain kinds of intelligences. Not used so much anymore.

    I score 142 over all, and in verbal IQ alone, 168. Um, that's genius level. *blushes* My dad has a 145 IQ over all, higher in math, he's a mathematical genius, to put it simply. He's a largely inactive Witness, although for my mom's sake he spouts the party line when necessary. I think he saw the man behind the curtain too, just too bullied by my psycho super pious mom to chuck it all for good. Most of his buddies are not JWs though. He goes golfing with them whenever possible and pretends he's a normal guy again. Poor dad.

  • snowbird
    snowbird

    I score 142 over all, and in verbal IQ alone, 168. Um, that's genius level. *blushes*

    Please don't blush.

    I score off the charts in verbal - was told I'm a word warrior!

    Never fit in with the cliques at the KH.

    Don't fit in too well at work, either.

    Sylvia

  • maputo95
    maputo95

    I would say the following things are more important than being bright:

    1. Ability to spot logical fallacies.

    2. Willingness to be open-minded and to explore ideas.

    3. Ability to know when one's thoughts and opinions are strongly controlled by a cult's leadership

    4. Willingness to accept one's personal religious organization is human and has made mistakes in the past.

    5, Avoidance of adopting trite, bigotted views of other faiths and nationalities.

    6. Attempts at being logical, fair and tolerant in discussion.

  • snowbird
    snowbird

    Maputo, imo, those things are what make a person bright!

    Sylvia

  • sd-7
    sd-7

    People always did like my talks--which were usually refurbished Watchtower articles. In looking at some of the topics that I dumbed down enough for general audiences to understand, they seemed really simple to me, in hindsight. I couldn't understand why people around me took 2-5 hours to write 5-minute talks when I could do it in 1 hour, largely without much serious research, in later years. "Oh, well," they'll say, "I guess he got too smart for his own good."

    I knew inside that I was smart but was afraid to admit it for fear of becoming arrogant. Finding out that my suspicions about the JWs were correct lifted that burden, and yeah, I became arrogant to an extent, but in the angry sort of way. Even the elders on my JC told me I was 'clearly intelligent'. I can remember only one moment of pleasure in that committee, the one where I told them that no one can claim complete knowledge of the scriptures, because that would be arrogant. They got very quiet all of a sudden. Felt like I'd scored a valid point.

    I went to college, but there was always a barrier between me and true genius, to be honest. I felt like a lightweight intellectual at best, like I never really did my homework but could cram as needed. Buried my head in movies and comics to escape the pain, never realizing all along that the Society was the source of that pain.

    Well, it would be nice to be amongst the smart ones here, but I'm just too fragile emotionally to feel that good about myself. Tempting, but perhaps in another life...

  • BurnTheShips
    BurnTheShips

    This is one of the best discussion forums on the net, period. And it has to do with the quality of many of the posters here.

    BTS

  • snowbird
    snowbird
    Well, it would be nice to be amongst the smart ones here, but I'm just too fragile emotionally to feel that good about myself.

    You keep talking like that, and I'll be going oomph upside your knotty head!

    Hear me?

    YOU ARE A GREAT PERSON!

    Thanks, Burn.

    Sylvia

  • Scott77
    Scott77

    I have told my friend also on this site that apostates are the brightest guys and gals far better than the Watchtower dubs. IMHO, everyone who has recognised the falcy of the Watchtower teachings and took appropriate step to withdraw from it is to me, considered to be smart.

  • aligot ripounsous
    aligot ripounsous

    I was "too smart for my own good".

    That is what Barbara GRIZZUTI HARRISON reports an elder's wife having said about her when she was in bethel.

  • sd-7
    sd-7
    You keep talking like that, and I'll be going oomph upside your knotty head!
    Hear me?

    As you command, m'lady. I'm prone to emotional ranting here, from time to time, so...sorry about that. Still need more therapy to finish addressing the self-esteem issues. Haven't decided yet how to go about that.

    But I agree with BurntheShips, is it? This is a very interesting place to be when the conversation gets serious.

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