Re: Is This True? Why or Why not?
 

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This was covered extensively in the now defunct Special Sklansky Forum.

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Interesting post by DS.

I excerpted this part from DS's former post:

When I was in fifth grade I was berated for wearing pants with cuffs as they were "out" that year. I will never forget how angry that made me since it was clear that there was no intrinsic reason to wear cuffs or no cuffs except for what some irrelevant person decided was in. Likewise for most of the more trivial (but highly noticed) social skills. Especially those that guys use to attract young girls. Most people just accept them and make them a habit without dissecting them in their mind. Highly intelligent math types can't do that. They recognize how silly those little rituals are whether they want to or not. Others find it easier to suspend disbelief.


The funny thing is that DS sounds like a religious leader. Christians are told not to be overly concerned about the fashion of the times. Women are told not to wear pearls, etc. It's people who insist on fashion. Each generation tries to distinguish itself from the preceding generation according to fashion and there's alot of peer pressure over it.

God says be yourself, be clean inside and out with dignity. Money is the root of all evil. If you have to keep up with the Jones then you'll focus on money. Money becomes imperative in your quest to keep up with the Joneses. "Hey Mr. Brown has a Benz in his driveway. I can beat that I'll get a Rolls." But what do you have to do to get that Rolls?

Back in the mid-60s when the hippies emerged the older generation was condemning the hippy generation for their clothing, music and hair length. It seems they forgot that George Washington wore a pony tailed wig and Lincoln sported a long beard. They had so totally bought into the clean cut conservative image as the only wholesome one, but God says he looks at the inside not the outside.

"You can't judge a book by its cover". [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Re: Is This True? Why or Why not?
 

Quote: Sneezing isnt painful or really harmful, in fact its pleasurable.


I have a peculiar idiosyncrasy. Whenever I sneeze I usually don't sneeze once. I usually sneeze twice right in a row. I can't say I've ever enjoyed a sneeze.

Re: Is This True? Why or Why not?
 

quote: (Interestingly, I recently found out that this and other traits are now considered symptoms of ADD)

Who has the ADD symptom? You or the other people. I didn't follow your point.

Re: Is This True? Why or Why not?
 

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Concern? Why? Sneezing isnt painful or really harmful, in fact its pleasurable. And most of the time it doesnt indicate any kind of sickness or disease, just some mild irritation.

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It can also cause awkwardness. While the ostensible purpose of "bless you" is to ward off demons, I'm sure the actual purpose has always been to defuse social tension. It acknowledges the sneeze without disrupting the conversation. So, while the specific nature of this ritual is arbitrary, it does have a reasonable basis.

Re: Is This True? Why or Why not?
 

I was always the impression that there was a correlation between intelligence and several diseases / illnesses like clinical depression, autism, and several learning disabilities.

I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is, it might imply that there is something different in the brain of intelligent people that would also lead to social disorders.

Re: Is This True? Why or Why not?
 

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I was always the impression that there was a correlation between intelligence and several diseases / illnesses like clinical depression, autism, and several learning disabilities.

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I thought this too, but someone called me on it in a recent thread and I couldn't back it up. If there is such a correlation, we haven't clearly identified it.

Re: Is This True? Why or Why not?
 

Part of being an intelligent person is adapting to your surrounding environment.."fitting in" to varying degrees is exactly that. I guess typically this is considered "street smarts" whereas the other type is "book smarts." (Everyone knows people that are really book smart but can't get a date if their life depended on it...and the social butterflies that think the Moon is made of cheese.)

I would expect many social customs and conventions considered as trivial or arbitrary to some book-smart types. Normal people might interpret this lack of regard as rude or weird.

Re: Is This True? Why or Why not?
 

I think a lot of smart people (without Asperger's Syndrome) understand what it takes to fit in, but they just don't care. The issue of street smarts vs. book smarts is a completely different issue I feel. Personally I never much understood the need to fit in...why would one want to be just like everybody else?

Re: Is This True? Why or Why not?
 

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I think a lot of smart people (without Asperger's Syndrome) understand what it takes to fit in, but they just don't care. The issue of street smarts vs. book smarts is a completely different issue I feel. Personally I never much understood the need to fit in...why would one want to be just like everybody else?

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Ignoring individuals w/ empathy disabilities, some people seem to get much more stimulation out of social exchange. These types can even personally benefit from it...they tend to be great at sales, networking, etc.

Some people value intellectual ability more than an ability to handle people.

Most "normal people" have a good (enough) balance of the two abilities.