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[FlyingTeacup]

I have four degrees that ranges from engineering to physics. god knows how many times I failed and had to pick myself up. I'm not the brightest guy, but I will not lose to most ppl in determination.

you have to study smart. if you're stuck, ask ppl for advice.

All that said, unless you're born hugely disadvantaged, curiosity and dedication can largely compensate for your natural shortcomings.

yeah.

 

[jaxword]

I have four degrees that ranges from engineering to physics. god knows how many times I failed and had to pick myself up. I'm not the brightest guy, but I will not lose to most ppl in determination.

you have to study smart. if you're stuck, ask ppl for advice.

I'm stupid as hell and can't study at all due to a brain ADD-fried from 3000 hours of CoD growing up. What should I do?

 

[Impeccable]

I'm stupid as hell and can't study at all due to a brain ADD-fried from 3000 hours of CoD growing up. What should I do?

Put the work in and focus.

 

[Monocle]

I'm stupid as hell and can't study at all due to a brain ADD-fried from 3000 hours of CoD growing up. What should I do?

Try different things until you find a method that works for you. If that means grabbing your laptop and chilling at a coffee shop all weekend while you do your work, fine. If you work best at home where you can take frequent breaks, that's OK too. Study groups can be awesome, even if you're mostly just collectively banging your heads against difficult problems. It usually helps to talk things out with people who are on the same page as you. Also, it's important to break big tasks into manageable chunks to keep from being overwhelmed. A 25-page research paper can start with a relaxing visit to the library. Maybe most important of all, if you take good notes and then reread them once a day every day, your classes will suddenly become much easier.

 

[Busty]

It's like Gattaca. Don't save anything for the return trip. If you want to pass chemistry, find a new way to study that ensures that you WILL pass the course, even if it means you probably die shortly after you pass the course.

I'll admit it.

I'm not sure how or why but this blew my mind a little.

 

[Trent Strong]

Attention deficit disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, chronic insomnia, PTSD, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, etc., etc. All these disorders and more effect a person's ability to learn, concentrate, think clearly, their energy levels, etc.

 

[Monocle]

I'll admit it.

I'm not sure how or why but this blew my mind a little.

I recommend heroin.

 

[blame space]

good old heroin

 

[Trent Strong]

Do you know what it's like to try to pay attention in, and retain info from, a college class or college textbook in a difficult subject while being in a constant state of high anxiety from GAD, or while severely depressed, or while being in a fibro-fog, or while whacked out on xanax that you're using to try to combat GAD or a crippling panic attack, or after getting 3 hours or sleep a night for five days, or while constantly being distracted by heart palpitations which have become much more worrisome after having an a-fib, or while having obsessive thoughts about whether or not you forgot to turn off the stove before leaving for class, or while feeling you right arm and leg go numb for reasons that no doctor can explain, or while forgetting that you should have taken less xanax because you are taking cymbalta at the same time and both cymbalta and xanax cause tiredness, or because you are feeling dizzy because you're hyperventilating because of the aforementioned GAD and panic attacks? No? Well, let me tell you, it's not easy brother. Can a person only go so far? Yes. There is shit we just can't control brother.

 

[Tesseract]

Do you know what it's like to try to pay attention in, and retain info from, a college class or college textbook in a difficult subject while being in a constant state of high anxiety from GAD, or while severely depressed, or while being in a fibro-fog, or while whacked out on xanax that you're using to try to combat GAD or a crippling panic attack, or after getting 3 hours or sleep a night for five days, or while constantly being distracted by heart palpitations which have become much more worrisome after having an a-fib, or while having obsessive thoughts about whether or not you forgot to turn off the stove before leaving for class, or while feeling you right arm and leg go numb for reasons that no doctor can explain, or while forgetting that you should have taken less xanax because you are taking cymbalta at the same time and both cymbalta and xanax cause tiredness, or because you are feeling dizzy because you're hyperventilating because of the aforementioned GAD and panic attacks? No? Well, let me tell you, it's not easy brother. Can a person only go so far? Yes. There is shit we just can't control brother.

i know what it's like to have diagnosed adhd, dyslexia, autism, chronic insomnia, ocd, and a very complicated form of dyscalculia. i'll also happily mention chronic autonomic and sensory nerve damage, a weak immune system, two ears that are failing me, and amblyopia.

i take a daily dose of ibuprofen (800mg) and a handful of vitamins before meditating 30 minutes to start the day.

it's not supposed to be easy, but there are no limits. i'm a physics major with a near 4.0 gpa. humans have phenomenal capacity.

 

[Feep]

There's no way in hell people are born with equal or nearly equal capacity for intelligence. How come some kids learn to read at two, and other kids in similar circumstances can't really manage it till six or seven?

Most people can "learn" things, if explained to them well enough by proper teachers. But when it comes to new ideas, or the application of old ideas in new ways, no way. Programming is a great example: you can learn all the syntax in the world, but some people just can't put together an algorithm. Period.

 

[brianjones]

you can have it all

or nothing at all

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

I was having a discussion with a friend today regarding people, determination and academics/life. He believes that everyone is wired the same. Anyone can achieve anything given the right drive and determination.

Your friend is completely wrong. While hard work and drive will go a long way, there are large individual differences in intelligence (and by extension, individual skills) attributed to genetics. Imagine a rubber band representing ability. The elasticity of the band is determined genetically, and the degree to which it actually stretches within its range of possibility is determined by the amount of force applied to it (environmental factors).

The notion of human beings as totally-equal blank-slates has been dead for decades. No amount of drive to succeed can get a rat to understand differential calculus, and only some people have the potential to be geniuses in certain fields.

 

[Sydle]

People are not born equal in terms of physical attributes, so no matter how hard some people train they will never achieve that of a more genetically gifted person. I can't reason why intelligence capacity would be any different.

I doubt all people are born with the same capacity for learning. Humans seem each to occupy a place on a spectrum of mental capability that ranges from severely mentally handicapped to once-in-a-century genius, with relatively few people near either pole.

All that said, unless you're born hugely disadvantaged, curiosity and dedication can largely compensate for your natural shortcomings. Here, again, environment enters the picture. Supportive parents and a good social network can send you far.

This.

 

[FoxSpirit]

Excellent! It's this god damn political correctness that every (wo)man must be the same to be woth the same that's fueling this shit.
Just because you can't run fast or don't understand statistics doesn't mean you're worth less than someone who can, jeez.
And guess what: not only do individuals differ, there are also significant differences between the genders. Hell, even the races differ in physiology: ever heard of sickle cells?
But that doesn't make anyone any less equal.

The idea that everyone can achieve everything and those who don't are just lazy is actually really insulting to those who can legitimately not grasp a concept or run fast enough.

I feel this is so much more of a problem than the "are we the same" question.
Because no matter what the answer is, the important thing is we are still equal.
The whole "we are all the same and everybody else is sexist, racist etc." rethoric is actually really upsetting. It's at it's core highly intollerant, as if equality results from sameiness. And if you look outside, that's very much the state we are in. At least part of my gen seems to break free from this idiocy and simply goes "different but equal".

Okay, back to topic. I recently saw a documentation on ARTE about neurosciences and decisionmaking. One very interesting thing was that different cultures really do 'tick' differently. Almost on a Windows vs MacOS level. Both on the completely same hardware, made to do very similar things yet completely different.
Thr went on about how this is the reason no global ad campaign can exist because what works really well with one culture completely fails with another.
In that way, even your culture may severely limit what you can achieve in certain fields just because of your cultures way to approach certain problems. You an ultimately change that but it's a hard process and you'll forever be behind. Exceptions of course exist, as always.

Personally, I have found a passion where I am 50% genius and 50% suck. I'll never become as good as the best in that profession but maybe my ongoing problems will make me an excellent teacher of fundamentals. At worst, it will keep me healthy. Fair deal.

 

[POWERSPHERE]

Your friend is a moron.

 

[The Technomancer]

Nope, not everyone can achieve everything to the same extent. I'll never be as good an artist as my brother, he'll never be as good an engineer.

 

[Tesseract]

 

[manueldelalas]

I was having a discussion with a friend today regarding people, determination and academics/life. He believes that everyone is wired the same. Anyone can achieve anything given the right drive and determination.

Personally,I use to believe the same but not as much anymore. Taking a year of genchem and organic, I saw my friends put countless hours into those classes but could barely understand them. Class averages were always in the 60s. I just don't think you can drop eminem in a physics class and be able to expect him to hold his own. At the same time, no amount of practice or experience will ever allow me to dance as well as Michael Jackson or to be able to use words in a way that Eminem or any artist can. I don't think everyone is capable of seeing the world like Newton and Einstein did.


Gaf, what do you think?

There are countless examples that prove your friend is wrong. How many actors wanabees are out there, and how many manage to get a real career? how many failed writers, artists, musician, etc that have the determination to do those and just can't? How many failed sports players, dancers, poets, etc etc?

In the non artistic field there are also many examples; determination and effort can only take you so far; there are jobs or occupations that are designed so any idiot in the world can do it (99% of the jobs out there, to be fair), but if you want to excel in something, you need to combine that determination and effort with talent.

 

[SmokyDave]

The idea that we all possess the same potential is truly daft. Some are gods, many are clods, most fall inbetween.

 

[McLesterolBeast]

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[FlyingTeacup]

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[CornBurrito]

Everyone, or near enough to not make a difference, has the same capacity for intelligence. This does not mean they utilize or recognize this capacity for what it is though.

Do you have the science to support this claim?

It is true intelligence isn't all genetics, and that environment can play a massive role, but genetics still plays SOME role which means that not everyone has the same capacity.

 

[Lord Error]

I was having a discussion with a friend today regarding people, determination and academics/life. He believes that everyone is wired the same. Anyone can achieve anything given the right drive and determination.

Your friend is very naive.

 

[Blue Submarine No. 6]

BRIAN: Look. You've got it all wrong. You don't need to follow me. You don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves. You're all individuals!

FOLLOWERS: Yes, we're all individuals!

BRIAN: You're all different!

FOLLOWERS: Yes, we are all different!

DENNIS: I'm not.

ARTHUR: Shhhh.

FOLLOWERS: Shh. Shhhh. Shhh.

 

[Air]

I think if you have the physical and mental capacity to do so, its possible. We all see the world a different way, and its true that we are all born with traits we are strong and weak at, but (atleast for me) I've come to realize once you can convert whatever information you gain into a way that makes the absolute sense for you (to help get your foot in the door so to speak) it becomes much easier. Essentially, in understanding how a specific thing works, you need to best convert the information you learned so that you can make sense with how you understand things. Some work better with metaphors, others with just the dry information, and sometimes people work good with both. You need to be observant and introspective enough to understand what makes you "tick" and how you can synchronize any other "tick" with that of your own.

Anyway, just do whatever makes you happy, and be critical enough about aspects that you need to improve, and that'll usually go pretty far.

 

[McLesterolBeast]

.

 

[rykomatsu]

People are not created equal. Some are destined to failure no matter what the circumstance, imho.

 

[FlyingTeacup]

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[McLesterolBeast]

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[fierrotlepou]

Unique snowflakes, etc.

 

[speculawyer]

Stephen Hawking will never play in the NBA . . . even if he practices 14 hours a day.

 

[FlyingTeacup]

.

 

[ruttyboy]

Surely the fact that some people are stupid enough to believe that all people are equal in terms of mental capacity proves the opposite, no?

 

[demon]

'What one man can do, another can do!'

 

[Timedog]

The fact that some people believe that everyone has the same capacity for intelligence actually proves that not everyone has the same capacity for intelligence

.

 

[McLesterolBeast]

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[Lasthope106]

I'm of the opinion that you are born with certain talents and some things naturally come to you. In my life I've been blessed with an incredible ability to see the smallest details and put them together, which has served me well in engineering. However, I also believe that it takes practice, a lot of practice to get good at something. If a person wants to become another Einstein, Newton, Hendrix, etc. you need to know your shit first and have a little bit of luck on your side.

 

[FlyingTeacup]

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[Akuun]

Yes, some people can only go so far. People are not born equal. Some people may pick up something instantly with little effort, and some people may simply have no eye/mind/hand/etc for it at all.

On top of that, even if you DO have prowess in a certain field, there is a lot of luck involved to have a situation that lets you make it to the top. You have to be born in the right place, do the right things at the right times, and be around the right people, and usually there is no way you can plan this out.

This is not to say that some people can never amount to anything in their lives. I'm just saying that not everyone can be the next Da Vinci or Einstein or whatever, because even if you have the potential (which is not guaranteed), there is a LOT of situational luck involved to become as influential as those people.

 

[MetalAlien]

No way everyone is equal. Even in my simple job when I work with new people you can see right away. Some of them just have more going on upstairs than the others.

 

[Undubbed]

The main problem with this whole genetics and capacity thing is, how do you KNOW that your limit is due to your genetics? I think most of the time it's just a illegitimate excuse when people fail. "Welp, can't do it. Some got it, some don't *quits*.

I absolutely believe that genetics plays a role, but unless you have a scientist and/or doctor specifically study your actual DNA, I don't see how you can know what your "hardwired" limits are.

I just think it's best to assume that you CAN do it and go from there instead of ASSUME you can't do it due to genetics and just quit or don't work to better yourself(cause why bother?). Or worse encourage other people to quit due to your view that "some got it, some don't". How the fuck are you so certain that that particular person that you're discouraging is bad at what they do due to inferior genetics? Especially over the internet? This person may say that they've "worked hard and still can't achieve", but honestly some people don't know what hard work is, or they're working from a very wrong angle and not to mention a shit ton of other environmental factors that could be stopping one from achieving to high levels of compentancy. Damn near impossible to determine this over the internet and extremely hard to asses in real life unless you can do the proper scientific tests.

 

[CornBurrito]

If they aren't compensating to get women, they're unknowingly filling their inflated ego.

This is Freudian levels of psychoanalytic bullshit.

 

[Timedog]

McLesterol Beast. What the fuck are you talking about? No one else knows.

 

[FoxSpirit]

People are not created equal. Some are destined to failure no matter what the circumstance, imho.

No, just no. To actually "fail" at life you need society. And standards. Animals enjoy a simple life, eating, fighting, hiding, sex. Nobody would say they fail.
The rest is human standards of achievment.

 

[McLesterolBeast]

.

 

[Deleted member 81567]

Why are still arguing? It's a fact people won't ever reach the same levels of success academically at least. It's all genetics people.

 

[demon]

I'm of the belief that very few people reach their full potential. But there are a number of factors involved. Genetics, upbringing, perseverance, external factors outside of your control, etc.

 

[FoxSpirit]

I'm of the belief that very few people reach their full potential. But there are a number of factors involved. Genetics, upbringing, perseverance, external factors outside of your control, etc.

Reverse question: who feels he hasn't reached his full potential? Raise hands.
*raises hand*

 

[Cousteau]

some pron has me believing we have no limits.