First and most importantly, CONGRATULATIONS! on becoming a father. You're right. That is far more important than anything typed out on a message board.
You know, to be honest, I don't think you're lying. If you wanted to, you could make up any IQ test score, MCAT, ACT, GRE, penis length, penis girth, or whatever and nobody would be able to question that (except maybe your wife
)
So I believe you about your stats. But realize that it would be possible for you to take an IQ test with a low ceiling and score 170 on it, when it was only really meant to show an IQ of 130.
Re: the MCAT. I admit that this whole time I thought that you studied for it. That was the whole point that Gbemi and I were making: If you have a 150+ IQ and you STUDIED for the MCAT, you would easily get a 30. Now I'm just curious why you didn't say anything to the contrary, despite it being clear that we thought you had studied for it. Maybe you were just trying to push buttons or get a rise out of us? Hmm... in that case, I gotta say that that isn't all that mature for a future father
Re: being hung up on numbers/status... If you knew me, I think you wouldn't say that... I've been an MS1 here at Drexel for nearly 8 months now, and not once have I ever worn anything with an MIT logo on it, put an MIT bumper sticker on my car, or even told people I went there. Most people didn't even know until I ran for adcom rep for our class and put it in my election speech (and then, only because it was relevant to the fact that I served on the interviewing committee at MIT and interviewed applicants)...but yes, from my posts it would seem like I'm hung up on numbers.
But then again, the whole point of having this discussion is to reference statistics, correlations, and other studies that people have done. Would you rather that I argue with boatloads of links, statistics, and correlations as I did (given that this IS an IQ vs. MCAT thread) or would you rather I blow random claims and gut feelings past my external anal sphincter? I tailor my posts to suit the thread at hand, and in this case, I felt it was impossible to make my arguments without seeming like I'm hung up on numbers. Oh well...
I only assail your claims of 170 because an IQ that high is (yes, once again)... EXTRAORDINARY. I've have had the good fortune of personally knowing a few people like that, and until one does, I don't think he or she realizes how incredibly smart someone with a true IQ of 170 is. That being said, I would tend to weight the 145 estimate based on a ridiculously standardized, proctored test (the ACT) much more strongly than 3 online IQ tests. Oh well. I guess I really got into this thread because I have noticed a trend among friends overestimating their IQ, and it is a sore spot with me. Unfortunately, sometimes, they also tend to be a bit arrogant about their supposed IQ, and I must say that you did fit the bill with this quote:
I'd rather be dumb, it would make life so much easier. I see people on a daily basis that I envy, because they don't have the capacity to see the problems that I see. I don't even like saying this because it sounds so arrogant.
But in the end, that is neither here nor there. Who really cares what your IQ is, what I _think_ your IQ is, or what profession you go into. What is more important is that you go into a profession that you want to, and that you enjoy doing it.
Congratulations on becoming a father, and I honestly wish you all the best.
ttac