Are people getting smarter or am I dumb :(

[6BladesDeep]

aaw. that's sad. You should've tried out. I'm sure you would've done well. And actually, i was in a band last year, Nitemare for an Insomniak. But there were a few technicalities, and i didn't want to stand in their way, so I pulled back and stayed in promotions (where i belong). Ironically, they felt the concept was lost without a female vocalist and weren't willing to work with anyone but me, so they broke up. heh. Oops.

[angel011]

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

you're talking to a 16 year old that still believes in love.

Keep believing in love, there's no reason not to! I'm 29, living with the love of my life for almost nine years now, and, of course, i believe in love, too!

[6BladesDeep]

Yes, we were discussing that earlier. People should believe in love at any age. It's a shame so few of us do.

[Disfunction]

Originally Posted by Solumina

Same here, we have so much in common. All I know is that I'm gifted enough that one of my psychologists wanted to use me for a case study because at that time it was believed that you couldn't have a learning disorder and have a high IQ but I have multiple learning disorders (most notably ADD) as well as a high IQ (I had to take about 5 IQ tests before my first psychologist believed I was actually that intelligent)

My psychologist did the same exact thing.

However, ADHD isn't expressly a learning disability; it's a behavioural disorder and one of the side-effects is that it impacts learning. My major disability involves memory. My verbal IQ is by far my most developed, though my scores were fairly consistent, though there were a few interesting (and unexplained) dips in particular portions of my score. Specifically the written component where I had to write an essay and it was graded (I used to be horrible with essays, so my mind would jump around on the topic).

[Disfunction]

Originally Posted by mutsumiasakura

Yes, but when I heard it, it was infinite apes with infinite typewriters.

^^ We should give it a go.

And it wasn't "A novel worth of Shakespeare" rather, it was the complete works.

[Disfunction]

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

Well, if you really want a negative comment, here's the best I can do.
You have to chill out.
You always write like if you were reciting an apollogia. Why the formality? You're not talking to a Mexico nobleman, you're talking to a 16 year old that still believes in love.

I find it funny that you say "still believes" as though as some point we're meant to stop. That would be the greatest tragedy to strike at any age, as sometimes even the prospect of love is enough to keep hope. That's just my opinion, of course.

[Disfunction]

And finally, to address the initial topic, I don't believe that people are getting smarter. Collectively, I think that our brightest are becoming dimmer, and language use is becoming ever-increasingly stagnated as fewer individuals seek to inject variety into their speech.

The internet is a wonderful thing, because forums such as these can act as a magnet for a very broad distribution of individuals, from those of different intelligence, to others of different social and economic standing. Any variety of social circles are at your finger tips if you will yourself exposed.

Gothic.net is fortunately blessed with a fairly constant base of intellect within its regular users. Those who do not enter "intelligent" tend to develop greatly over time. Even if it's just in how they spell their words, going from constant "lol" and other variations of net-speak to the more familiar and common English spellings. It's likely the theme of this website that attracts the intellects in the first place, and the rest are hopefully infected.

[angel011]

It's likely the theme of this website that attracts the intellects in the first place, and the rest are hopefully infected.

Infected or mocked until they get infected.

[Virulent Dryad]

Originally Posted by Disfunction

And finally, to address the initial topic, I don't believe that people are getting smarter. Collectively, I think that our brightest are becoming dimmer, and language use is becoming ever-increasingly stagnated as fewer individuals seek to inject variety into their speech.

The internet is a wonderful thing, because forums such as these can act as a magnet for a very broad distribution of individuals, from those of different intelligence, to others of different social and economic standing. Any variety of social circles are at your finger tips if you will yourself exposed.

Gothic.net is fortunately blessed with a fairly constant base of intellect within its regular users. Those who do not enter "intelligent" tend to develop greatly over time. Even if it's just in how they spell their words, going from constant "lol" and other variations of net-speak to the more familiar and common English spellings. It's likely the theme of this website that attracts the intellects in the first place, and the rest are hopefully infected.

That's something along the lines of what I was trying to say.

[Godslayer Jillian]

Originally Posted by Disfunction

I find it funny that you say "still believes" as though as some point we're meant to stop.

Yeah, I deliberately wrote it that way. It sounds a little poetic.

[edible_eye]

Originally Posted by Queenofdarkness57

I know I'm not that articulate in English, but books and the internet( especially Gnet) helped me a lot in practising this amazing language and working hard to make it better.

queen - your command of english translates wonderfully, little darlin'. not to worry. i'd even go so far as to say you present yourself in a better light than most inner-city 'gangsta', thug-punk wannabe's right here in america.

sad testament for some of our own youth here and a fantastic example of what young people like yourself can accomplish when they put their mind to it and work hard.

[Solumina]

Originally Posted by Disfunction

However, ADHD isn't expressly a learning disability; it's a behavioural disorder and one of the side-effects is that it impacts learning.

I've heard a lot of people say things like this and I just wanted to let you know that ADD is a different disorder than ADHD, actually they are very different and it is even possible to have ADD with hyperactive tendencies, and is classified as a learning disorder.

[Disfunction]

They are not actually distinct, and I don't know where you would have gotten that impression. In fact, ADD is the earlier name for the same disorder. The hyperactive was added and now the name is applicable as "Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder without Hyperactivity". At least that's what the psychologists/psychiatrists I've spoken to about it have told me. The concept is that while the disorder does impact learning, that it is a developmental/behavioural disorder that impacts more than just one's ability to learn and is not classified in the psychological community as a learning disability for that very reason.

I don't have any idea as to why you're of the impression that they are not the same thing and are actually very different.

[6BladesDeep]

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

Yeah, I deliberately wrote it that way. It sounds a little poetic.

Yes, i believe it does. You man not be a nobleman, but you could've fooled me.

[Virulent Dryad]

So is dyslexia a learning disability? Because I used to have a severe case when I was younger.

[6BladesDeep]

I believe it is, but I not sure. My fiance has dyslexia, among other things, and he bombed highschool even though he tried really hard. He graduated on time, but he had to have summer school AND night school every year.

[Ben Lahnger]

Originally Posted by An Eccentric Cellist

I fear for my generation's future observing the honors classes I'm in. God's above they are such dunderheads! I know the kids I'm around are getting stupider as the years pass by. Okay I'm stopping before I start ranting. I have ranted about this before, for ten minutes straight.
I like the idea of having an ape as a mascot. Can it be a Silverbacked Gorilla?

EC, I'm with you on the Silverbacked Gorilla! That would definitely RAWK!

In respect to your comment and the thread subject, I'm afraid our society in general is affluent enough that it now induces laziness in many forms. This is a cycle all civilizations go through in their evolutionary growth, and now we're on (what I beleive is) the downhill side if this one. People are given comfort and sustenance with very little effort. When things cost little, they are prized little. More and more people expect a handout without thinking they should be responsible for bettering themselves. This translates to poorer educational acheivements, declining communication skills and a general "dumbing-down" of the population.

And by the way, I hold no great stock in IQ or intelligence. I've tested highly, and could probably go claim my MENSA card any time I wanted. But that is meaningless to me. Because I have seen a lot of very intelligent (some even college educated) people do some dumb-ass stuff. And I have seen a grade-school janitor exhibit the wisdom of Solomon. Yee gods! I knew a woman once who was in her late fifties, had cystic fibrosis and had to walk with leg braces and canes everywhere she went, and would not have been considered highly intelligent by those who met her. But oh man, was she wise ... wise beyond all belief. I was a better person just for knowing her that all too brief a time.

Intelligence is overrated. Give me someone with wisdom and grace anytime ... although those qualities are in increasingly short supply as well. Just look at our politicians! *cough*

Originally Posted by Disfunction

They are not actually distinct, and I don't know where you would have gotten that impression. In fact, ADD is the earlier name for the same disorder. The hyperactive was added and now the name is applicable as "Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder without Hyperactivity". At least that's what the psychologists/psychiatrists I've spoken to about it have told me. The concept is that while the disorder does impact learning, that it is a developmental/behavioural disorder that impacts more than just one's ability to learn and is not classified in the psychological community as a learning disability for that very reason.

I don't have any idea as to why you're of the impression that they are not the same thing and are actually very different.

Actually, Dis, I have been clinically diagnosed with ADD twice, by two different psychiatrists. In probing both of them for information, I learned that there is still a lot of disinformation about the subject. And yes, the sources I have referenced (both personal contact and online), including www.psych.org, originally referred to ADHD and ADD as two separate, but related conditions. ADD was coined when it was realized that there were some people who exhibited some but not all of the same symptoms, without the hyperactivity. Here's the timeline, from this article from about.com:

1980 - The current name "Attention Deficit Disorder +/-" was given in the DSM III by the American Psychiatric Association. ADHD and ADD were separate diagnosis.

1987 - The APA renamed the disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

My doctors have always called my condition ADD, citing that the mention of hyperactivity in some cases like mine is not relevant. I agree with them, but that's certainly not a clinical opinion.

I'll not gainsay what your psychologists/psychiatrists have said to you, but I will say that there is room under the big umbrella of psychoilogy today for it to be classified as a learning disorder, especially if that lets some people get the help they need. That's not to say I support abusing the diagnosis or using it as a crutch or an excuse. Just my opinion.

[Disfunction]

Originally Posted by Ben Lahnger

Actually, Dis, I have been clinically diagnosed with ADD twice, by two different psychiatrists. In probing both of them for information, I learned that there is still a lot of disinformation about the subject. And yes, the sources I have referenced (both personal contact and online), including www.psych.org, originally referred to ADHD and ADD as two separate, but related conditions. ADD was coined when it was realized that there were some people who exhibited some but not all of the same symptoms, without the hyperactivity. Here's the timeline, from this article from about.com:

1980 - The current name "Attention Deficit Disorder +/-" was given in the DSM III by the American Psychiatric Association. ADHD and ADD were separate diagnosis.

1987 - The APA renamed the disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

My doctors have always called my condition ADD, citing that the mention of hyperactivity in some cases like mine is not relevant. I agree with them, but that's certainly not a clinical opinion.

I'll not gainsay what your psychologists/psychiatrists have said to you, but I will say that there is room under the big umbrella of psychoilogy today for it to be classified as a learning disorder, especially if that lets some people get the help they need. That's not to say I support abusing the diagnosis or using it as a crutch or an excuse. Just my opinion.

Here's specifically what I was told when I was diagnosed with ADD. I am paraphrasing, but the basic exchange is in there.

The psychologist who had tested me told me that I had ADHD, as well as a specific learning disability (I won't detail everything that's wrong in that category). I asked about the hyperactivity and he stated that it wasn't the hyperactivity that was of concern but, rather, the effect the disorder had. In both cases, ability to focus was diminished, but the methods used to cope were just distinct. He said more specifically that ADD or ADHD without Hyperactivity were essentially the same thing, but that ADD was simply the more commonly known form.

The psychiatrist I saw afterwards made a similar comment on the two, and in discussing treatment, brought up that medications used in the treatment of one vs. the other were the same.

The emphasis on it not being a learning disability isn't to suggest that it does not impact learning (it of course does and as such demands whatever help can be provided) but instead to emphasize its broad impact on life in general. It is more than just being ADD/ADHD/ADHD without Hyperactivity while you're trying to learn, then you go home, kick off your shoes and suddenly it doesn't affect you. That's why it isn't expressly labelled as a learning disability, or else its impact would be more broadly mistaken. It is generally labelled as one without being one.

Edit: I had been diagnosed very late in high school as suffering from ADD(/ADHD/What have you as long as you don't label it with hyperactivity) and they brought in a specialist to talk about its impacts and the different forms. They remain seperate diagnosis, though they are related. I'm not suggesting that ADD must have hyperactivity, but instead that the effects are the same but the behavioural impact is different. That's what I gathered from the presentation that I barely focused on. After all, there was free food and drink, and I never pass up free.

[Disfunction]

Originally Posted by darkangel29

Um... why should we not believe in love? Is there any real reason to give up on love? I don't see one... Love is an absolutely amazing feeling. And I join Jillian on the belief front. I believe in love and I always will...

I stopped believing in the varieties of love I once emphasized in my life. Circumstances forced me to alter my definition of love. I will never stop believing in love, though I believe my definition of love will be in a constant state of flux.

[Ben Lahnger]

Dis, that was well stated and cleared up for me what I misunderstood from your first post. Yes, of course it is much more than a learning disability. I was concerned that the fact that it can affect ones ability to learn was being dismissed, but I understand and am in agreement with you on this now.

Wait, did someone say something about free food?!??!?

[Virulent Dryad]

Originally Posted by Ben Lahnger

EC

Intelligence is overrated. Give me someone with wisdom and grace anytime ... although those qualities are in increasingly short supply as well. Just look at our politicians! *cough*

They say knowledge in youth is wisdom in age.

[mutsumiasakura]

I am completely in favor of the intelligent teenager.
I may grin a little guiltily when I say this, because I'm only sixteen myself, but I do find it very refreshing when there are some specimens of the coming generation that can read, speak, and write well.
I find it pretty scary to imagine the future CEO of a company sending badly spelled, grammatically-mangled memos to his staff, an example of something better suited to an MSN chat room. God, the horror.
It reassures me to see others that have managed to escape the quagmire alive.

[Demonista_Ravenesque]

Well, I'm not actually intelligent, I just happen to be a roughed up street gangsta who has delusions of being eloquent.



You're right though, this website's got alot of people that are some awesomeness. Even though I'm probably the one who speaks most colloquially around here, I can go Shakespearean on your ass.

We take pride in being a pretty darn elitist website, think of us as a filter for all those people who fail to understand the concept of correct spelling and a intelligence.

It's just a wee bit sad though how sometimes, people judge other's intelligence purely by spelling. I know I'm guilty of it.

But people aren't dickless wads of damaged brains if they can't spell, I'm pretty sure they're nice people beyond the spelling errors.

Hey, well, more on topic. I believe that some of my friends are intelligent, they're just too immersed in their angst and being cool to care about saying something that matters.

Oh well, I even remembered a time when I was the youngest person at this website, now I have people my age and someone younger like AN Eccentric Cellist.

Man, that's weird. I feel too old now. I'll just drag my wrinkled nut sack into a corner and die .

[Solumina]

Originally Posted by Disfunction

They are not actually distinct, and I don't know where you would have gotten that impression. In fact, ADD is the earlier name for the same disorder. The hyperactive was added and now the name is applicable as "Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder without Hyperactivity". At least that's what the psychologists/psychiatrists I've spoken to about it have told me. The concept is that while the disorder does impact learning, that it is a developmental/behavioural disorder that impacts more than just one's ability to learn and is not classified in the psychological community as a learning disability for that very reason.

I don't have any idea as to why you're of the impression that they are not the same thing and are actually very different.

I'm just going on what I have learned from the ADD specialist that I went to as well as from the books that he has written. How long ago did you learn this? The only reason that I ask is because what you have said is nearly exactly what I was told when I was first diagnosed and it was the prevailing belief among the psychiatric community but according to the specialist that I went to I was told differently. I really don't claim to be an expert so please don't feel like this is an I'm right you're wrong kind of thing but I think it is interesting to talk about.

[Disfunction]

I was informed of this view as recently last year, and as long ago as two years ago.