SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

[jane jane]

The title of this new thread has two meanings (a specialty of us literature majors First, it's taken me two full months to figure out how to add an avatar and to start a new thread! Too proud to ask, of course. I chose Lucy and her VitaMeataVegeMin ad for several reasons: one, I am a happy loopy housewife married to a darling Ricky Ricardo (though he is not Cuban) and also, I sound exactly like her (so I'm told the next day) after a few good sips!

Second reason for title is: I was wondering, after reading many old and new posts this morning, why it seems that the average IQ on this forum seems off-the-charts high (few misspellings, good grammar, etc.) Is it that highly intelligent/educated people are more prone to substance abuse, or do the just not own/operate computers? I joined another chat site a year or so ago, a health/diet/exercise related one, and had to quit because I could no longer stand reading stuff like "i want to 'loose' weight" and "i need to eat helthy" (there's an "a" missing, I wanted to scream at this poster, and also, it should be "eat healhILY," as an adverb modifies a verb...) (And it's "LOSE," and "I" is capitalized!) Oh, I know I'm a grammar dork, one of my big problems. Makes reading a daily newspaper quite painful.

So---if all of us here on MWO are so bright (and that seems to be the case) then why are we so DUMB when it comes to booze? Back to my question: do you think there's an inverse ratio going on---IQ/proneness to being a drunk?

I could write a book, but will stop here and let others talk. I will say this in closing, though: I truly believe my problems began when I married 'way young (21, right out of college) and had my two daughters fairly quickly in succession. I was understimulated intellectually (although VERY happy with my darling family, still am, 25 years later.) Because my daily duties (carpool, costume-sewing, room mothering, meal preparing) were so essentially brainless, and because my husband made enough money that I didn't need to work, I cruised through a lovely easy life and...found too much time to finish the wine from last night's dinner. And open another, while the girls were at school.

Not to make excuses (though I'm talented at that!) but...any thought? Any similar stories? Why do those of us equipped to know better...know nothing?

Thanks for letting me open a thread.

[betty boop]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Congratulations on finding how to post an avatar!!!!

I will spell check this post three times before submitting it LOL

I agree that the people here do seem of above average intelligence, there are a lot of professional people here, so you could be right .....

[Beaches]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Jane Jane,
Excellent work at starting a new thread. An enjoyable one too and now I am going to be really careful about how I am spelling

I agree with you that there are a lot of very smart people here and I've learned a lot. A lot of them much more well versed in subjects than me and subjects that I find fascinating.

I'm not sure though about your question. I am educated but that doesn't mean I am any smarter than someone who is not. Book smarts certainly don't trump street smarts in my opinion. I am interested in what others have to say. Thanks for bringing up the subject.

[jane jane]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Thanks Boop 'n' Beaches for your fast replies to what seemed, to me, a pretty silly post after I "proofread" it (and found 2 spelling errors!!!! AAAAAGH! Suicide time!) Boop, don't think I won't be checking with you Monday...won't forget our pact! And Beaches, I have been thinking about you and your son. How's he doing?

Good to connect with you, ladies. Here's to beating the booze together, even though it's a lovely autumn Friday, I've been for my run, and what better reward than a bottle...welll...there are many. Let's find 'em, and leave that cork in place!

[FindingTheRealME]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

I am the same....

Hi Jane,

This is my first post. (Yikes, I am scared about my grammer now, lol...) I have been poking around. I am the same. I find myself drinking during the day when my kids are at school. I have two great kids, one teen and one pre-teen. I am also very lucky with a wonderful hubby and have been fortunate not to have to work. I wonder why then my life seems so empty during the day when they are all out of the house that I feel the need to drink. Sure there are all kinds of things I can do and many I do get done. Clean house, make appointments and shuffle the kids around between ortho, friends, sports and clubs. so why on my down days do I feel the need to drink?

I have often wondered and now after your post if maybe there is something I am missing or should be doing that I am not....like working or helping others out with just getting out of the house for awhile on my own. My IQ is most likely normal, some days better than others I am sure. Hummm, something to think about though.

Thanks for the post,
Finding ME

[Beaches]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Welcome Findingtherealme! Glad you are here.

I don't know why the need is there to drink when we are home alone. I think with me it's because I never get to be home alone. When I am it's like a little celebration or something. Which is definately not a productive use of my time. I have cut way back on that activity. I also think all the housework is so mundane it's mind boggling. Doing something else that stimulates the brain may be the trick.

Jane Jane thanks for asking about my son. He's doing well and we are learning something about him everday. Autism is quite the mystery!

[jane jane]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Finding the Real Me, aw, hush about that grammar. I should never have said that stuff! But as a freelance writer/editor by trade it's kinda gonna come out...might as well be honest. If you dangle a participle or worse, I will STILL LOVE YOU. Promise. And welcome to this wonderful board! I'm fairly new myself, but I love it here and will never leave. Logging in is like putting on a fuzzy pair of favorite flannel jammies after a day in Spanx and heels! Total acceptance and warm comfort.

I agree, Beaches, about "street smarts," and often envy that. I think some of us over-analyze things, try and trust our "brains," when what we need to do is submit humbly to whatever higher power there is, "let go and let God" (oh, NO I sound like AA and certainly don't mean to!) I guess I mean: our rational, trained brain can let us down, and it's only when we admit we're no better than the guy on the street living in a box, swilling Thunderbird, that we can begin to even approach recovery. The Greeks had a term for what I suffer from: "hubris." Excess of pride. It'll bring us down every time. I'M A DRUNK. Yes, a size-4, manicured, well-organized, house-perfect mother of two beautiful snappy mostly-grown daughters, perfect wife...but a DRUNK, and more ashamed than I can ever express...to anyone but you on these boards.

Thanks for letting me open up a bit more. I'm pretty cautious by nature...

[free bird]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Hi Jane Jane, Glad you figured out the avatar thing. I haven't decided to do that yet. Not sure if I want to reveal that much of myself yet as I am fairly new here too. I feel more comfortable keeping a low profile as much as possible. Maybe I should let it rip......Then I might scare you all.

Anyway, I too have wondererd about the intellegence factor of people who tend to over indulge. Recently there was a thread here regarding people of a creative nature who are more afflicted with drinking that was somewhat of on the same wavelink. I think we "feel" too much. Too much sorrow, pain, happiness, saddness, laughter, sunlight, joy, elation, love, hate, etc....and then think about it and analyze it way too much. blah....blah...blah......And it makes so much more sense with booze....because somehow we think we can figure it out.....of course until we wake up... and realize we tried to explain it to someone who didn't have a clues as to what we were talking about.

Now I am babbling...because it is a tough one. Then we decide to stay home and raise a family and devote so much of ourselves to that and get lost in that too ..... and that is another thread.....

Take Care.

GO

[wonderworld]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Jane Jane-

Interesting post. I'm a genius. However, at the tender young age of 45, I have brain-fades. For example: I may stare at the screen trying to remember which version of weather/whether to use in a sentence. And hesitate much longer than is acceptable trying to remember - is it psychology or spychology? And, I have to admit, I too have stalled out at loose/lose fork in the sentence.
My geniosity (yes, I know this is not a word) is waning at a rapid pace. With or without alcohawl .

I would also really like to loose weight and eat helthy.

wonder xx

[Preciouspinot]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Our tales are very similar. I am a wife, mother of three, professional and can easily go overboard with the wine if I am not dilligent. As for intelligence playing a role in the scenerio, well, lets just say I can "rationalize" with the best of them.

[free bird]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Wonderworld, You crak me up. I was kinda thinkin the tametang.

[12many]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Funny, Jane. Now we'll all be hugely self-conscious about are grammer and seplling.

For my money, I think the problem can happen to anyone. I think genetics rules there.

I do remember being too poor to buy enough alcohol often enough to become a problem. Maybe that fits in there somewhere. I'm sure I was a ticking bomb, but it was years before I could afford enough to really realize my full potential, so to speak.

Then as you become more successful, there is an alure to wine and cocktails that comes from all sorts of culture, media, etc.

As for winding up here, I think this is sort of an intelectual method we've all chosen. We all know that if you need to learn about something, we can read books, take classes and join groups. We're not smarter than someone who chooses another way, we're just drawn to this flavor of problem solving.

So, we have enough in common to be drawn together, establish some trust and open up. What's really fantastci, though is that with as much as we have in common, we also have this terrific diversity. Some of us work in labs and some of us clean stalls. Look at the bridge between stay-at-home moms and professionals. In many settings, those two groups would be like oil and water. Not here. Or parents vs. pets-only types. Not to mention geography, culture, etc. I mean, you name it. This place just amazes me.

If we ever do figure out what the magic ingredient is that we have here that draws us together and helps us relate, lets bottle it and distribute it.... and we'll spray it from planes over congress, the middle east, sub-saharan africa.......

Cheers,
Dave

[jane jane]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

Wonderworld, I wonder where in the world you done been all my life? FUNNY post! Do you know, I so identify with the weather/whether thing...I cannot tell you how many articles I've submitted with just such switcheroos in 'em. Sometimes I catch 'em, sometimes my editors do, but if not...there they are, printed for all to see! OOOOUUUUWWWWCH.

Free Bird, you got it, babe. There are so many literary, artistic geniuses (genii?) who have dipped into the hootch for inspiration, and given us some of our best works. But I have to remind myself that there were probably 50x that many who also did the booze thing, and created eminently forgettable works of dismal "art," and then died unknown, in some flophouse.

If I had not married a really remarkable man, and had two exciting daughters, I'd probably have said "oh, what the Hell," long ago. Made my last confession, then just given it all up as a hopeless cause. Fortunately, my genetics point to a really long life, so I need to get a new perspective!

[gabby]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

RJ, Please oh please could we get spell check.

[gabby]

SO Smart Yet SO Stupid?

And oh ya, Jane Jane, I have always known that I am extremely intelligent. I have known that every day of my life. Thank you for reminding me of it altho I didn't need it. The real problem that I have encountered in my day to day life is that no one else has recognized this very valueable asset that I have. I find this truly baffling. Don't you all agree?