| c03n3nj0 said: Uhh, I've been accepted into the University of Edinburgh? Charles Darwin went there and shit. |
Awesome. Currently doing a phd in Edinburgh. Great place for students, really.
Anyway, on topic:
I know I'll probably sound like a dick, but doing a phd from my experience over the years does indicate intelligence. I've been going to conferences and have also spent quite some time with other phd students and I have to say that the vast majority of phd students is at the very least smarter than the average Joe. Some people confuse immature or idiotic behaviour and borig character with lack of intelligence. Others see nerds acting weird around people and call them stupid, when they simply lack certain social skills. Sure, some of them do say stupid things from time to time, but that doesn't change that they're actually smart.
Coming from a big family and being one of the two cousins who went to uni and the only who did a master's and now a phd, I've noticed quite an effort from my uncles and aunts to show off their children in front of me as if they have to prove something to me. They keep telling me that their children are street smart, not book smart and that that's far more important in life. While I do agree, knowing my cousins, they lack even those skills. It's just a lie that parents tell themselves to avoid admitting that their children did not turn out to be as great as they had hoped. I also think that most people would easily admit that there's something wrong with their body, but not their character (everyone else has to be wrong) and would never truly admit that they're not smart. They assume that you don't get them because they think in a unique way.
But to answer your question, doing a phd is not the only reason, but it's one of the more obvious ones. As a student, I've been praised several times for my original point of view and have been told that I have an edge over my classmates (though I do need to work on other things as well). I also tend to predict correctly who the killer is in a movie or possible plot twists (I know this sounds stupid, but I believe that it's at least an indication). Also, I tend to develop strong friendships with several people, even people I don't particluarly like, not because I'm a good listener, but because I've been told that I get them (though I rarely relate to their porblems, I find it easy to put myself in their shoes and see their point of view and in some cases point out something to them that they hadn't take into account, which in some cases helps them with their problems). I think it's called emotional intelligence and though some would easily dismiss it, I think it's an interesting type of intelligence.
